I’ve experimented with my blog design long before I had my current blog, and even it has gone through 3 or 4 designs. The funny thing is that my goal has for the most part always been the same with regard to content, so why has it taken me so long to arrive at that really suits what I write? In chatting with Jennifer, we both agreed that while we’re pretty happy with our design styles now, it hasn’t always been that way. We’ve made plenty of decisions that have ended in strange designs and lots of time spent fixing them! So we made a list of mistakes we’ve made in the past—from both a designer and a non-designer enthusiast’s perspective—that we hope will help streamline your own design process!
Mistake #1: Going for pretty, not functional
I’ve purchased blog design templates in the past in attempts to “get serious” about blogging. The problem was that before I learned anything about customization or functionality, I’d just look at a listing for a template and pick what was prettiest. I didn’t think of how it would work against my brand… Actually I didn’t think of branding at all. I once purchased a design that required the header to have a tagline, when I didn’t even have one! Another time I didn’t properly read reviews, and ended up with terrible customer support.
Mistake #2: Following trends exclusively
We’re both guilty of going with trends in the past, not because we thought it would make our blogs more popular, but because there are so many cool things we want to try. Trends can help you find what you want in your own brand and help you hone in on your aesthetic, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up switching things up too much as the trends fade and tastes change. This leads to inconsistency and makes your blog more forgettable. Anyone who isn’t following you super closely won’t remember who the person behind the blog is, if every time they visit it’s different.
Mistake #3: Not getting a second opinion
Getting opinions on your blog is a delicate balance. If you ask 15 people and they don’t understand your vision or goals with the website, opinions will be sporadic and too personal to help. On the other hand, if you don’t get an opinion at all, you’re never going to see what others see. When you work directly on a project, you have a radically different viewpoint than every single other person! Jenn’s suggestion is to actually ask a reader what they think of the design before you launch, or at least a close friend! They can tell you whether you’ve left out certain details—especially in regard to functionality—or went overboard in some aspect.
Mistake #4: Letting the design take spotlight over content
The whole purpose of a blog design is to complement content, not overshadow it. As much as we love pretty design, at the end of the day, there’s no point in having a well-designed site if there’s no content. Have you ever come across a beautiful blog, but scrolled down to see that their content doesn’t match up? Awkward. So many bloggers having great websites—it makes anyone just starting out feel like they need to start with that, and they get lost when it comes to content. Design is a really powerful tool when it comes to getting content seen and appreciated, so it’s important to think of how they work together.
Mistake #5: Not establishing a timeline or deadline
I’ve worked closely with designers for a while now, and haven’t seen anyone launch exactly when they say they will. That’s just how it goes whether it’s me trying to tweak an existing design and realizing I have to wait until I have hours to set aside, or working with a client that seems to change her mind daily. Things happen with any creative process, but you can keep track in progress and have an end goal. Not doing so can mean letting design indecision take over or putting a project on hold indefinitely! While the deadline can always be moved, it’s important to have it there!
Mistake #6: Not paying attention to mobile or tablet views
It’s pretty obvious that when Jenn’s designing for Earl Grey Creative now, she’s always making sure a website is responsive and optimized for mobile and tablet. If you’re like me and do most of your blogging from a laptop, the fact that most people actually view from their phones is easy to forget! But people love to catch up on reading while on the go, so it’s essential that your design works there too.
Hope this mega list helped out anyone in the design process! Let us know what mistakes you’ll never make again. :)
Myriam says
This is a great list Angela! Love the fact that you pointed out the necessity of a functional & responsive design.
Myriam