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Recently, I have been working on a new design, and it’s finally live. It’s similar to the old design, with a few small changes. I have gone for a redesign because I want to change the focus of this blog. From personal posts, to something of a more geeky nature.
I’ve started programming again, Just small little addons, plugins & routines, but it will hopefully grow into bigger projects (I have started a fairly big project, but I keep getting distracted with smaller manageable plugins, some of which will be released on this blog). I did write a few plugins during the time of the old site, but said plugins were a hidden away feature of the old site. On this site they will have their own dedicated page with commenting enabled.
So that explains why I redesigned the blog, but in the process I have learnt a lot about wordpress, web design and even myself in the design. Here are 3 things that I have learnt.
1. I am a perfectionist
I don’t want to say I don’t try in work (because I do), but It takes me about 2 hours to skin WordPress from a design in work, but here it’s taken me around a week or so. Why? Because of my perfectionist nature. It does help designing a blog without a blog actually there as well (a lot of my work clients don’t start with a blog, but want one), but -with my humungous online web presence, my deisre to have my blog integrated it with Twitter, Facebook, my toaster etc and my perfectionist nature, it doubled production time.
2. Designing WordPress Themes Without Widgets is a Bitch
The simplicity of WordPress allows themes to be shuffled around easily with widgets. Of course, my template was originally designed without the widgets integrated with the template, so trying to shoehorn them in has taken the most of the time.
3. I can probably converse in HTML & CSS
One thing I haven’t used as a guide have been HTML & CSS documents. It’s weird, I probably know a large proportion of the languages off by heart, and this project was the first time I realised it. I guess the best way to explain this feeling is if you are learning a language, and you are constantly converting what they say back into English, the point when you stop converting it is a bit of a revelation. That’s the point I am at now with HTML & CSS.
So finally, what are your thoughts on the layout? I’m dying to know what you guys think of my new layout. Likes? Hates? Why haven’t I included you on the blogroll? Please let me know. Thank you.
Tags: programming, SEO, Web Design | Comments: 12 Comments
Rhys Wynne, the author of this blog, is a 20 something web designer from Colwyn Bay. 
Dude, read the post out loud. It sounds like you’re pissed in some places..
Nice redesign though
I’m liking the redesign too!
I have done and corrected it
Liking the new design.
Your post titles could be bigger, or more bold. And the social-thingies you have below the post titles looks a bit odd since they all are in different sizes ^^. Otherwise it looks quite nice!
- Comment button below post – I hate scrolling up to leave a comment.
- Needs more purple
I am liking the new design. I can’t really think of anything it needs changing at the moment. The only criticism I’ve got is that the right hand bar is very busy. Would it be worth adding some jQuery (or your favourite framework) to hide away things like the archives? Keeping the title there, so just a click will reveal the whole list.
Yeah I’ll add a comment link at the bottom
Much better
You got the design this time! With your previous design i couldn’t read the text – it was sooo light
Very clear and crisp
Its always difficult redesigning ones own site isnt it! – I think more designers get itchy eyes after 2 months of a redesign and want to redesign again…stay strong good sir!