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Dude, Where’s My Blog? Part 2: Blog Design

September 29th, 2007 Posted by Chanya

Hopefully, you’ve read the first entry in this series called Dude, Where’s My Blog? Part 1: Content. If so you know I’m planning to leave Blogger, move this blog to its own domain name, and publish the site using WordPress.

Our topic for today deals with blog design changes. I know many of you have checked out John Chow?s latest website redesign. Regardless of your opinion of the design, you have to give him kudos for having the guts to trust a designer to implement a complete site overhaul, especially given the popularity of his site. I personally like the design myself.

I’ve found someone to completely makeover my site as well but until it’s ready I thought it would be interesting to see a pictorial review of how the designs for this blog have evolved over time:

Design #1
Blogger template: Minima
This was a very bland and boring design. This was my first foray into the world of blogging. As I mentioned yesterday and is evident below, I started this blog as a way to show my jewelry. That’s why the blog is called ColorStruck:

Design #2
Blogger template: Minima
I think this design has a more interesting header graphic but because of its background there’s too much white-on-white:

Design #3
Blogger template: Stretch Denim
This header graphic is more colorful and I now have a more functional sidebar, but there’s still too much white space in my opinion. Also, the site is lacking a cohesive, "pulled together" look and feel:

Design #4 - Sneak Preview
The new design will be loosely based on what you see below. This is a design I created in PhotoShop and is what I gave to the designer. I think the color scheme is pretty nice and easier on the eyes than the current design:

I don?t have the skills required to create this in WordPress - that’s why I hired a designer. He’s looking at the above design and will create a new design in WordPress. I say new design because when you hire a designer they usually want to put their stamp on the design they give you. I’m fine with this, especially since I’ve seen this person’s work and they’re a bangin’ designer. I’m only telling you this because the end result might not look anything like the design displayed above. And when you think about it, it really shouldn’t look identical to that design. That’s why you hire designers, so they can design, not copy something that already exists, right?
Anyway, I’m anxiously awaiting the day I can start using the new design and the new site. Until then, I’ll keep blogging at this address.

What about you? Did any of you start out using Blogger and then move to WordPress? If so, are you happy with your decision or do you want to go back?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post which talks about naming your blog.