Oh god… someone stop me.
November 9, 2006 @ 5:24 pm | Comments (2) | by Ross Johnson
Yes, my previous two designs were up collectively for less than a few days. I think I have a problem…
Looking at my previous design which I like as a design, but not as MY design, nor my BLOG design. It was too zen, tropical, dark, all of which are things I am not.
Part of the problem is that I am not exactly sure what my own image is at the moment, so I decided to try and go minimalistic. However it took me several scratched concepts and ideas to even come up with with.
I would come up with a design and decide it looks too much like “so and so’s” design, I would come up with another that I liked but I didn’t identify with. I was so stumped I ran to the book store and spent two hours looking through design books looking for some sort of inspiration or design concept that just hadn’t hit me yet.
I ran out of time before anything could hit me, but I left with a book on typography and headed to a meeting roughly 30 minutes away from me. Arriving early, I read maybe two pages of the book before I started sketching out ideas on a scrap piece of paper, and voila… this design was born.
Minimal, vibrant colors, focus on typography, and I get to keep my red and shadow guy!
I also have set a cap on me redesigning this site until after december. If I don’t like it by next year, hopefully I will have come up with a worthwhile idea that will stick, or stopped designing all together and won’t have to worry about it.
I still need to tweak some area’s (like the comments section, and the category sections) but I am going to focus on contributing information to the blog instead of “throwing paint” at it.
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COMMENT ptvGuy
You have a serious problem there, Ross. I recommend professional counseling. Have you tried the 12-step program at Web Designers Anonymous?
You know, most of us use a non-indexed subweb to try out new stuff. I’ve been asked why I keep the widely-used Regulus theme that I started with instead of designing my own. The fact is that I chose WordPress because of the abundance of ready-made, well-coded themes leaving me free to concentrate on content. I’ve tweaked the design (and WordPress core) quite a bit to suit me, but I don’t have to mess with that to get the content out.
I have other designs that I’ve started and dropped repeatedly. I won’t switch to one of those until I’m ready to stay with it for at least a year. There’s a lot to be said for consistency.
Posted on 11/11 9:40pm
COMMENT ross
Hahah, I will have to look into finding some WDA meetings in my area.
My main problem is I am in love with the design I am working on until about two hours after I have published it. At which point I take a step back, shake my head, and start over.
I never publish the site thinking I will just change it soon… but I always do!
Posted on 11/12 11:27pm