Planning stage 

a good blog design starts with a plan

Sometimes the problem you approach in a blog design has to do with having a bad plan to start with or in some cases it has to do with having no plan. These are some good general questions to ask about your blog design before doing anything.

Once you become more clear as to what the problem is, only then will you be able to figure out what the right blog design solution is.

List of blog solutions for planning 

Get educated on blog designs solutions

1. I have never designed a blog or website before so what do I do next?
   
   Since you have absolutely zero experience in this area, the next step depends on what you want to do in the end. This has to do with your plan so if you haven't figured that out, check out the other questions below.
   
   Pick the one that matches your goal the best. It is ordered from the least effort to the most.
   
   a) Make small changes to a blog design from a template so it better suits you
   
   All you need to learn here is basic image editing skills that you can pick up from a good tutorial site. These sites usually contain detailed tutorials on subjects like designing a blog header.
   
   b) Redesign a blog design based on a template
   
   This will require an intermediate level of image editing skills and basic skills in CSS/XHTML. It might require php skills as well depending on the blogging platform you use. In order to get to this level, I suggest reading at least one book on CSS and one on your favorite image-editing program. The php you need for basic templates can be learned through tutorials that pertain to your specific blogging platform.
   
   c) Design and code a blog design from scratch
   
   This level requires intimate knowledge with an image-editing software, CSS/XHTML, and PHP as well as blog design concepts. You could try to attempt it with less skill and learn along the way though. In this case, good books will lay the foundation for your knowledge and online tutorials will supplement it.
2. I don't know where to start
   
   The best thing to start with is to create a plan. That plan should include your most important goals for the blog design that you want to achieve. The rest of the plan should detail how you plan to get that goal. Write down the different steps that you must go through and the sub-goals you have to hit before you can hit your really important goals.
   
   
3. I don't have any goals
   
   Sure you do. For example, it might be bringing in more subscribers, showcasing your skills in the best possible light, getting jobs through your blog, or making the best damn blog design ever. Think hard, it is important to figure this out early on so that all your actions form here on out is directed towards achieving that goal.
   
   
4. Ok, I got my important goals and smaller ones, now what?
   
   For starts, write them down. It has been shown in psychology that the simple act of writing down your goal increases the chance that you will complete it. You can take it a step further and tell other people about your goals so when you come up short, they can make fun of you. This act of telling others increases your accountability of achieving your goals. Now there is no going back.
   
   
5. What is after writing down goals?
   
   I'm glad you asked, because there are just a couple more things to do before actually designing. First, research your audience so you have an idea who you should design for. Second, research what your audience's needs are so you have an idea as to which design element to make more prominent.
   
   
6. Goals. Check. Research. Check. Next?
   
   There is a point when planning doesn't save you any more time and that is now. Move on to the next stage and get ready to design.
   
   

The Unusually Useful Web Book 

The Unusually Useful Web Book (VOICES)

by June Cohen

Amazon Price: $34.00 (as of 08/21/2008)

The title says it all. It contains an assortment of helpful guides in order to plan a site from point A to point Z.

Designing stage 

a good blog design requires vision

There seems to be a general type of blog design problems that arise during the designing stage. These usually are the type where you ask yourself "Is this font right?" or "Is this color too bright?" Sometimes what can happen during this stage is that you focus too much on the details and lose the bigger picture of what the blog design is suppose to be.

It is important during this stage to pay attention to the details, while keeping the big picture in mind.

List of blog solutions for designing 

organized by their problems

1. I don't feel inspired
   
   Inspiration by its nature is spontaneous and unreliable so do not wait for it to come or you might end up waiting too long. The best thing to do is to start on paper by sketching out where you want the major design elements of your blog to be. Things that would be considered major design elements are the main navigation, secondary navigation, footer, post, header, headline, main text, and pictures.
   
   Only after you settled on where you want things do you focus on the details. Read more about getting started on your blog design.
   
   
2. I can't pick a color scheme
   
   You have to remember that color schemes are a means to an ends so you have to figure out what end you are trying to reach. If you are after creating a blog design for yoga, it would be a good idea to focus on earth tones because they are peaceful. Remember to work backwards instead of picking a color and trying to force it in. It won't work.
   
   
3. I don't know what font to use
   
   There are actually not many choices to pick, because only a few fonts are actually widely supported on the internet unless you use image-replacement techniques or sifr. The following are the list of safe fonts to use:
   
   Arial
   Arial Black
   Comic Sans MS
   Courier
   Georgia
   Impact
   Times New Roman
   Trebuchet MS
   Verdana
   
   
4. I still don't know what font to use
   
   Sans-serif fonts such as Arial and Verdana are generally good to use for large bodies of text, because they are easier to read on the internet. A lot of people like to use serif fonts like Georgia and Times New Roman for the headline and arial or verdana for the body. Don't mix and match too many different fonts though, they tend to look ugly then.
   
   In the end, it is a personal style decision and many different combinations work.
   
   
5. I got the main blog design parts done, now what?
   
   Once you get your blog design elements in the places where you want it with the basic color scheme and typography, it is time to make it visually interesting. Because boring blog designs aren't remember well. Read more on adding visual interest with the details.
   
   

Design Elements 

Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual

by Timothy Samara

Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 08/21/2008)

You can't design a blog unless you understand the individual elements that make up it. This book is that guide you need to understand that.

The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques 

Because online tutorials just aren't enough...

The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques

by Corrie Haffly

Amazon Price: $29.16 (as of 08/21/2008)

There are lots of books on photoshop, but a lot of them have to do with image editing or effects you don't really use that often in blog design. Grab this book as it is aimed at nothing but increasing your web design skills with photoshop. Online tutorials are great, but there is no substitute for a great book.

Redesigning stage 

a good blog design is a work in progress

Even after you have finished your blog design and launched it, there is still more work to be done. In the redesigning stage, you focus on analyzing feedback you receive from visitors and noticing anything you missed earlier. Often times some problems only become noticeable when someone else takes a look at it, because we have been staring at it too long in order to see it.

It is important to not get attached to your blog design and keep an objective perspective on it in order to improve it even further.

List of blog solutions for redesigning 

organized by their problem

1. My header scares people away
   
   The first step to remedy this problem is to burn your header. The next step is to find a replacement. A simple method of replacing it yourself is to find an image that suits your blog design at a free stock photo site and follow a good header tutorial for blog designs.
   
   
2. I can't read my blog posts
   
   The first step to fix this is to make sure that your text's color has a high enough contrast to the background your text is on by using a contrast color checker.
   
   If your text is light on dark background, it is recommended to make sure you use a font that is light in weight and increase the spacing between each letter slightly to increase readability, because the contrast between light on dark is a lot higher so it makes it harder to read than dark on light with the same settings.
   
   
3. I get lost reading my comments
   
   In order to increase readability in comments, it is a good idea to alternate the styles of each comments so it makes it easier to tell when one begins and one ends. It is also a good idea to make the author's comments a different style so they are more easy to pick out from a list of comments. People love to read what the author says in the comments so make it known that you said something.
   
   
4. I don't know what it is about it, but my color scheme looks funny
   
   Don't worry, this is a natural feeling that you get inside your stomach when your eyes sees something that is very displeasing. There is good news to fix this problem though. Find a color scheme that works by looking at a blog design color resources list.
   
   
5. I can't find anything in my sidebar
   
   If you have over 30 categories, try to cut it down to 20. Any more than 20 is not only unnecessary, but makes it more likely that no one will use it. Long slabs of links scare people just as much as long slabs of text. Also avoid adding too much ads in your sidebar as they become too distracting when so many things are blinking at once.
   
   Read more on improving your sidebar.
   
   
6. I get a ton of traffic, but no one subscribes to my feed
   
   If your content doesn't suck, then it is most likely that you are hiding your rss feed link in a hard to find place. Make it easier to find by using a button and placing it in a spot people will be able to see it. Do not surround it with ads.
   
   For a more detailed understanding of what is going on here, you must run google analytics. It is free and a very powerful program to track down what visitors are actually doing on your blog. Read this review of google analytics 2.0 the book.
   
   
7. People come to my page and then leave immediately
   
   It takes a person only about 30 seconds or less to determine if your page has anything worth offering to them. It is important to utilize those 30 seconds by providing easy access to your best articles and to find an article they might be interested in.
   
   
8. No one adds any comments to my blog
   
   Assuming that your content is worthy of discussion, it would seem that your blog design issue lies in your comment form. Do not ask for more information than you need, like their phone number when all they are doing is commenting on your blog. Make it intuitive by listing the extra markup they can add to format their comment. Also put in extra effort to make the comment button inviting and prominent in order to get more people to click on it.
   
   
9. People complain that my blog looks crowded
   
   Well they are probably right then. Try taking out unnecessary elements in your blog design like that over-sized picture of your dog. Yeah, it doesn't need to fill the whole page, a smaller image will work fine.

Art and Science of CSS 

Because online tutorials just aren't enough...

The Art and Science of CSS

by Jonathan Snook, Steve Smith, Jina Bolton, Cameron Adams, David Johnson

Amazon Price: $24.48 (as of 08/21/2008)

Blog design solutions usually involve making changes to your blog design's CSS/XHTML and it is very helpful to have a good book at hand. I have read about 5 different CSS books and this is one of my favorites. It covers a lot of the things you need to know in order to improve your CSS skills.

Google Analytics 2.0 

Because online tutorials just aren't enough...

Google Analytics 2.0

by Jerri L. Ledford, Mary E. Tyler

Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 08/21/2008)

I wouldn't recommend a book unless I own it and its useful. After I read this book, I was able to understand and actually use google analytics to it's full potential rather than just checking how many hits I got. I learned how to track visitors throughout my page and to see if they were actually going where I want and where along the way some of them stop. It helped me improve my blog design tremendously.

There is no substitute for measuring progress with hard data. There is no reason to guess anymore. Go to my blog for a full book review on Google Analytics 2.0 before buying or reading it off the bookstore shelf.

The latest articles on blog design 

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Clear Blogging 

Because online tutorials just aren't enough...

Clear Blogging: How People Blogging Are Changing the World and How You Can Join Them

by Bob Walsh

Amazon Price: $18.24 (as of 08/21/2008)

More blog design solutions than problems. It also covers how to blog, promoting blogs, and making money from blogs pretty well. It includes interviews with a variety of different bloggers from the novice starting out for only a few months to veterans who have been blogging for years.

New Guestbook 

DrMarkJoyce BlogDesignGuy - I really like the clean, minimalist look of your lenses. In particular, I like the boundaryless gradient white background lighter weight, alternative font in your module headings insertion of that grey horizontal rule between the module title & subtitle insertion of the small banner image, sometime with just key text, below the subtitle. Would I be correct in assuming these are all customizations you made to your lenses? What font did you use for your titles? Elegant simplicity! Mark Posted March 28, 2008