Blog Basics: Design 101

Now that you've joined the blogging world, I bet you're wondering how to get yours personalized. There are a ton of different designs and layouts out there that it can almost make your head spin. Even between all of the contributors blogs, we all have different designs, layouts, fonts, colours etc. This is the beauty to the blog world! Your blog is a way to express yourself through every detail that is put on there. 

It also means there's so much choice & variety that it's easy to get caught up in all the cool things you can do to personalize your blog. There are some basic blog design tips that can help make your blog appear more professional and aesthetically pleasing to your readers. These tips can be applied to any blog, whether you designed your own site or hired someone else to do it for you.

Basic Blog Design:

• Use a clean font that is easy to read and use the same font throughout the post. It's tempting to get those funky fresh fonts but they can be tiresome when reading longer chunks of text. Use something simple for the bulk of your post like Verdana or Georgia. Use a cool font in place like the post title, widgets in your sidebar, page tabs, etc.

• Use a simple background. A lot of blogs, including my own, use just simple white backgrounds. By using a clean background you are directing the focus of your blog to the posts and not distracting the reader. It also makes your text easier to read. If you choose to use a background image, DO choose one that is not too busy and doesn't distract from your content.

• Choose a color scheme for your blog and stick to it. By weaving the same color palette throughout your blog it creates an overall consistent look and defines your blog's brand. Try to stick to 3-4 colors at most to ensure that your blog doesn't look disorganized or overwhelming. Use these colors throughout your blog in places like your header, social media buttons, links, dividers, buttons, etc.

• Align your paragraphs either left-justified or full justified. Left-justified is the typical alignment we all use where your text is all aligned on the left margin. Full justified is when the paragraph is aligned to the left, but all spacing and wording is adjusted so the text falls flush with both margins. You can see examples of left justified here and full justified here. These formats are easier to read and don't take as much effort for your readers to search for the start of the next sentence. This seems insignificant, but it makes a reader want to read on more if it's less work on their eyes. Centered and right justified are tempting, but these can be harder to follow while reading.

• Try to format your pictures to be the same widths throughout your post. Having all your photos the same width creates a cohesive look while producing a better flow to the post. Of course not all photos can be the same size, especially if you are using sourced images, but try to do this as often as possible.

• Express who YOU are through your design! Ultimately your blog should be a reflection of you, your point of view and your creativity. 

By using some of these design tips, combined with your individual style & taste you can create a blog that is both visually appealing and true to you. Remember, these are all just tips - there are no hard & fast rules to blog design. If you really like to do something a certain way, there's no one stopping you! These are just tips after all ;)

If you have any questions or looking for some help, leave us a comment! We'd love to help a fellow blogger out =)