Certainly, there are talented people who are both, but unfortunately I am not one of those people.
Lately, I have been obsessing over the blog layout, design, fonts, colors, sidebars, EVERYTHING!
For some reason, I have never been happy with my blog's design.
My question is -- How important is a blog's design anyway?
As I said, I am not a code master, or even an apprentice. Before I started blogging, I had never heard of HTML or CSS. Some bloggers still probably do not know what they are.
I have spend many hours looking up tutorials to try and fix one little thing in the design that bothers me. For example, do you see those social media buttons on the right sidebar? I spent two hours making them. Honestly, an experienced coder can whip those out in no time.
I know I am stressing too much on the little details, but I have always been taught that the devil in the details. Every little thing counts.
If the color of my header does not match the color of my background my head starts to hurt. Even if one little icon is out of place I have to spend at least half and hour trying to get it back to where it belongs.
I am like Van Gogh. I am my own worst critic.
When I visit other blogs, of course I notice their design. It is incredibly difficult for me to ignore the design of a blog, no matter how hard I try.
I cannot help but notice (and sometimes judge) the design of a blog. I cannot help but like blogs with color, style, organization, and something a little different that makes it stand out.
I want my blog to have something different too. So, I spend hours looking for tutorials and videos and anything to help me figure out the maze that is coding.
I think I may be developing some kind of complex.
Should I care if my sidebars are crowded if they show the things that I love? Can there ever really be too much color?
I know that an unorganized or mediocre blog design does not mean that a blog is amateur. But I have always been taught that looks matter, especially with first impressions.
It is really the content that matters for a blog, but can the delivery affect how someone sees the content?
I will admit that I can be distracted by a crowded sidebar or a large header. Then I cannot truly focus on the content. I am diagnosing myself with both OCD and ADHD.
My dilemma is:
Should I be shallow and let my blog design rule my free time and possibly consume the rest of my sanity or be content with the progress I have made?
Am I alone in my impossible quest to conquer coding and achieve the perfect blog design?
Since I started my blog in 2012, I've always been obsessed with the design. I'm not a graphic designer either, and I don't know any type of coding. Before I had a custom design made (Stephanie at New Chapter Designs is really affordable), my design was okay, but I was never satisfied. I think it's human nature to notice the pretty stuff, which is probably why we pay so much attention to the design.
ReplyDeleteI am not alone! I do agree that humans are attracted to pretty (and shiny) things. But, buying a design is not really possible for me right now, but thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteI went through that last year. I think I changed my design every few months and drove everyone crazy lol
ReplyDeleteI finally settled on one design but "decorate" it for each season. I do it myself using picmonkey and etsy clip art. I know a lot of it isn't perfect (I'm definitely no design guru) but it seems to be working for me and keeps me amused :-)
The only thing that truly bugs me with blog designs are pop up/flashing ads while I'm trying to read a review or a lot of clutter that again - distracts me from being able to read a review.
There are also a lot of free or low cost templates tout here that you can then customize for non html/coding experts like myself.
Karen @For What It's Worth
I love the idea of decorating my blog for different seasons, but I still have to figure out how to incorporate that into my design.
DeletePop-up ads annoy me to no end! I can never find the little X to close the page. I do not have any on the blog, and I never will.
I have experimented with different templates, but I have not found the perfect one yet.
In the beginning I didn't really care about the blog design, like I just cared whether my reviews were good enough and up to par with the rest of the blogging community. Now that my blog has grown (not really :P) I make it an obligation to stay on top of all the design news and just basically what people are in for these days. I know design is not 100% the most important thing, but it's what catches the eye and for me, I'm so OCD and worry so much about how something looks. I also really love graphic designing and coding. But I cheated and had someone help me though. And wow Tessa, you're such a mind reader because I was just about to have someone redesign my site. HAHA this post came at about a right time :D Have you ever considered letting someone work on your blog?
ReplyDeleteAlex @ The Book's Buzz
I have thought about letting a professional rework my site, but I lack both the trust and the money. I have (very slowly) been building up my blog, and I am not sure that I am ready to let someone else have complete control of it. I think I will eventually get to that point, but for now I am sticking with doing everything myself.
DeleteOn the other hand, I cannot wait to see your new design! Good luck, even though I am sure it will look great!
I have only been blogging for six months and I have already had about three different blog designs, because I have just never been entirely happy with mine. I think people tend to be a lot more critical of their own blog though, and I imagine a lot of people feel the same.
ReplyDeleteI really like your design though! It's very eye-catching and I like the colours you have chosen.
Thanks! I will admit that I am my own worst critic with pretty much everything, especially anything that has to do with my blog. It is my own little space of the Internet, so I want to make it the best it can be.
DeleteYou're definitely not alone! I know a bit of coding and am lucky enough that I catch on fast, so if I see a problem I can (usually) Google it and have it fixed pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteBut right now, I'm not happy with my blog's layout either. I've tried fixing it up, finding free layouts and fixing them up, etc. and none of that seems to work for me!
I do think content is more important than the layout of a blog though, and I honestly like simply-designed blogs that have good content. I think the main problem, like you mentioned, is only when the design starts distracting from the posts/content for whatever reason.
I am (very) slowly learning how to code. And I mean very slowly. But, I like knowing that my blog design is my own work. I just need to practice using the little patience that I have.
DeleteI know the struggle to perfect your blog design by yourself is terrible, but do not give up! I know you will find the perfect template, tutorial, or layout!
I personally think that distracting designs are the worst. Pretty colors and fancy graphics are useless if I cannot read the post.
I think blog design matters a bit. You want to be able to easily read and see everything. You don't want it to be too busy or hard to navigate. I love looking at pretty designs :D I'm actually getting my blog redesigned soon :)
ReplyDeleteI do agree that blog design matters too. Like, no matter how many times someone says "don't judge a book by it's cover," it is impossible for me to ignore it. Blog design is like the book cover for your blog. If that made any sense at all....
DeleteGood luck with your new design! I cannot wait to see it!
I didn't like my first blog design, and I've tweaked any number of things about my current one. But over-all, I'm fairly happy with it at the moment. I bought the Tweak Me theme from Creative Whim and then changed pretty much everything I could possibly change. Sometimes changing things more than once or twice. (mostly trying to get link colors to show up well.)
ReplyDeleteIf you're worried you'll spend too much time constantly changing things, I'd say change one or two things at most. And then leave it alone for a week. If after looking at it that long, you still see something that's driving you crazy, fix that thing. Then stop for a while again. I know it took me a bit to get used to my new design, mostly because it was completely different from my old one. But after I was used to it, there were less things I wanted/needed to fix than I had originally thought there were. Plus, spending so much time changing my blog around meant I had that much less reading time. *grin*
Thanks for the great advice! I have heard a lot about the Tweak Me template and Tweak Me 2.
DeleteI think checking one or two things a week is a great idea. That is probably all the time I should spend on it (and a good way to keep my sanity).
ME!
ReplyDeleteWhen I started blogging, I was definitely in your situation. Everything was just WRONG about my blog. I was frustrated for the LONGEST TIME. I would actually still be in that position but I got REALLY lucky. A graphic designer that I know was looking to make designs for bloggers [and she didn't charge because she was working on her portfolio] and I submitted a request. BOOM. My design suddenly became perfect.
I think you should either keep working at it in moderation [don't let it take over your life] or get a blog desgner. I tried for the longest time and decided that I cannot do it the way I want to [because I tend to think too big for my capabilities]
LOVE the discussion!
Great advice! I am glad that you finally got a design that you like. I think that getting a professional is something I should look into for the future. Right now, I honestly do not have the money or the trust to give control of my blog to someone that I do not know.
DeleteI am also my own worst critic! I used to spend a long time wondering if my blog design was appealing, and after getting feedback from other people I got some confidence back. I am finally happy with my design- and you should have more confidence with yours! Your blog is very appealing to me! Great question!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Discussion Post- http://teenbookhoots.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/2015-discussion-challenge-4.html
Georgia :)
Thanks, that means a lot, especially since I have been struggling with this for a while. I love positive feedback because it always helps me get back on my feet.
DeleteI haven't changed my blog design since I first started except adding a banner and button on the 6 month anniversary! Before I posted anything, I'd been following other blogs for a while so looked up tutorial after tutorial trying to make it perfect (which it's not, but I'm happy with it, and it's not driving me insane which is always a plus!) interesting post
ReplyDeleteMost recent post on Enchanted by YA: http://enchantedbyya.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-acid-by-emma-pass.html
I am so glad that you are happy with your blog design! It takes a lot of confidence to be like that. I love how you are not afraid to admit that your blog is not perfect. Mine is not perfect either, and I just need to learn to deal with that. Thanks!
DeleteI AM SO WITH YOU!!! I spend wayyy too much time trying to fix every single little thing on my blog. I do believe though that blog design is important, but for a blogger it is so difficult to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteI know. I wanted to start blogging so I could write about how I feel about books and writing, but lately I have been doing more coding than actual blogging. I hope that I can change that soon, or else I will lose what is left of my sanity.
DeleteBe happy!! Like you, I really wish that I was design savvy, but I've had to face the fact that it's just not my forte. I've made some changes to my design, but for the most part I have to leave it alone for fear of ruining it. I'm kind of stuck until I want to spend money to actually pay someone to do a new design. And I don't see that happening too soon!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I don't think I am going to pay anyone to do my design anytime soon either. For now, I am going to have to make any changes I want. I have learned from all of your wonderful comments that I should be happy as it is. I am (slowly) working toward that. Thanks!
DeleteI'm getting my redesigned. As much as I think it doesn't matter, the design is the first thing that people probably look at. Plus I want my blog to reflect my personality so people who view it have a better idea of who I am as a person.
ReplyDeleteGood reasons! I do think design is important and it should reflect your personality, just like the content of your blog. Good luck with your new design! I cannot wait to see it.
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