Design
In order to impress your audience, blogs
need to be created with design in mind. They must be visually appealing so that
the reader is interested in continuing to view the related content. There are a
few elements to consider when creating a blog.
Theme
The blogs theme is the background or the
visual elements that encompass the blog’s content. Zac Linzmeier (2008)
considers this to be the most important element of any visually effective blog.
This is the first element of the blog that is recognized by the potential
audience so it needs to be strongly considered. Relating the background to the
content can help add value to the blog itself.
There are sites available to assist in
the creation of one’s blog that provide free themes such as Jump2Top and BloggerTemplatesFree.
These sites can be used to help to create a blog that stands out from the other
blogs on the site that is being used.
Header
The header will include the title of
the blog and give the reader’s a quick idea of the blog’s content. This is the
first content that is recognized by the reader as they are looking to
understand what your blog is about and why that matters to them. “If you do not
have superb Photoshop skills there are many professionals to be hired for as
little as five dollars per graphic” (Linzmeier, 2008).
Layout
Though the theme sets up a blog by
its preset standards, there is always an opportunity to customize the layout
and make it your own. You can do this by deciding where elements of the blog
will be, such as your profile, or by deciding “…how many blog posts you want on
your front page” (Linzmeier, 2008). These decisions help to create a blog that
suits the needs of your potential audience.
Content
The visual element of the blog’s
content cannot go ignored. “It is good to add at least one image to each blog
post” (Linzmeier, 2008). Images help to add value to the written work and
provide the reader with a chance to get an understanding of what they are going
to read prior to even doing so.
Also, consistency in content is
important. “Keep your formatting, your fonts, paragraph style, etc. consistent
on each and every blog post you write” (Linzmeier, 2008). This will make the
content flow from one piece to the next and link the blog’s writing by its
visual elements.
Evaluation
of Peers' Blogs
In this blog, the author has found a
more personalized theme to add to their blog. This helps to set them apart from
other blogs as they have gone beyond the themes available on this particular
site and found one that relates to their content. The author went the extra
step to include the theme design’s element of a key in the title of the blog.
This is one of those little additions that add large value.
This blog could gain some visual
appeal by following the above guideline of consistency. Some of the content has
different backgrounds to it which take away from the overall look of the site. Some
of them are completely surrounded by a white background while others are not.
This blog houses a dark theme which
is a stark contradiction to the title, Laughter
is the Key. Generally, when laughter is considered, the thoughts of light
and happiness follow. This blog has given the reader the opposite. This can be
an element of this blog that pulls the reader in by sheer curiosity.
Images are not present in this blog.
As previously suggested, at least one image should be present in each of the
blogs and, unfortunately, this did not happen. This forces the reader to find
out what each blog is about by reading its content. By adding images to each
blog and providing the reader with an idea of the pieces content, value can be
added and readership can potentially increase.
This blog is light and visually
appealing. The color scheme and layout create a professional image. The image
of the road in the background could, potentially, be this author’s road to
success.
Regarding the visual aspects of the
content, there is room for improvement. The font and paragraph styles are not
consistent. The lack of consistency takes away from the blog’s overall imagery.
Also, like the previous blog review,
there are no images added to the content. The addition of images could improve
upon the written work and provide the blog’s audience a chance to review the
content of the blog prior to actually reading it.
Reflection
From these reviews and the
information found regarding improving upon the visual aspects of a blog, I plan
to continue to work to improve my work. I want to ensure that the content of my
work is reflected by at least one image. I believe that most of them already
are but, I will continue to ensure that any future blogs adhere to this.
Additionally, I will continue to
ensure that the font and paragraph styles of my blog are consistent. I see how
this adds value to a blog and creates a visually appealing blog page. I will
review what I have already written and make changes where necessary while
ensuring that I consider this in all future blogs.
References
Harris,
B. (2012). Communication is Key.
Retrieved May 3, 2012 from, http://communicationiskey-com480.blogspot.com/
Hubbard,
J. (2012). Communication is the Key to
Success. Retrieved May 3, 2012 from, http://jodiehubbardcom480.blogspot.de/
Linzmeier,
Z. (2008). Tips for Making Your Blog
Visually Appealing. Yahoo! Voices. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from, http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-making-blog-visually-appealing-2241405.html?cat=15
McCandies,
P. (2012). Laughter is the Key.
Retrieved May 3, 2012 from, http://philipmccandies.blogspot.com/
