If you are a semi-frequent reader you should have noticed things look different again. I decided the dark theme felt too much like cold weather and cave dwelling. In honor of 80 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, I made some changes.
I think typography is fascinating. Color, font, arrangement, justification (as in right, left, centered), and text size can completely change what you think about written word. Just changing the colors and fonts on this blog make the voice in my head sound differently when I re-read posts. The attitude of the site is different, but hopefully not unfamiliar. How does it feel to you? Does it still sound like me talking?
Blogger has pre-designed blog templates one can apply by default, but I don't love any of them so I always take the one that has the layout I like the most then changed everything. I compose every element of this page to properly reflect how I want my writing to feel to the reader. Because audible non-verbal communication is zilch and I mostly despise emoticons, I convey expression through color, font, arrangement, size, layout to control how my writing will "sound" to the reader. After changing the colors, I realized I also needed to change the font. After changing the font, I had to change some page elements. All to preserve semblance of my personal identity in the design.
I'm not practicing some kind of Zen writing philosophy. Typography is a big deal and has been since Gutenberg. Every professionally generated form of print takes into consideration not just the content of the writing, but what it looks like. What the letters and words and lines look like on the page, independent of the meaning, can and will affect readers' response to the content.
Do you ever read cute-sy blogs that have bold, curly font and loud colors and frilly pictures? I do... sometimes. Only when I really really want to see pictures of the blogger's new baby. Truthfully, those blogs get significantly less time devoted (I end up quickly skimming dutifully as my eyes are dazzled with annoying typeface) than blogs with clean lines and clarity of look. It's literally easier for me to read the latter kind than the former, even if I am initially more interested in the content of the first blog. Moral of the story: if you produce written word that you want people to read, make it easy on the eyes. Make it fun to look at and not just read.
Let me know how you feel about the changes and if you have any recommendations to improve upon my current design.
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1 year ago
4 comments:
I like the white background! And good grief, I love typography. If you ever want to talk typography for hours upon hours, I'm your go-to.
I totally agree. I've read blogs where the formatting is so bad that it is unreadable. There will be dark font on a dark background, an image right behind the text that makes it difficult to read or other ridiculous problems. I've had to copy the text into notepad just to be able to read it. I find myself asking, "Does this person even look at their own blog?"
I'm not very good at making things pretty, but I've at least tried to keep my blog functional and readable. Thanks for the insights. I think you blog looks great.
actually, all it is is design at it's heart. nothing too outlandish about that. people pay hundred of thousands of dollars so that their environment, albeit that usually is 3D rather than 2 aka a blog, makes them feel a certain way.
carry on.
Haha, I love you Sadie. I like the new blog...very crisp looking :) I do like reading the stuff people write, especially you. You write like you talk and I can just see and hear you speaking as I read your posts :) It makes me happy.
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