So, you may have noticed that there has been some changes around here.

Again.

*facepalm*

I’m pretty sure that in an older post, I said that I was not going to change my blog design anymore. Well, that didn’t happen. XD

But for anyone planning on changing their blog design in the future, here’s a couple things I learned that might make it easier!

(also, Madison recently did a similar post about this topic, so when you’re ready, go check it out!)

Let’s face it: if you’re planning a major blog design change, and you’re getting a template off the Internet, chances are that not everything will work the way it should.

It’s irritating.

What’s even more irritating is when you’re trying to fix it, but have no idea what any of the HTML means.

There are hundreds of websites that you can read through that give a basic understanding. I’m not saying you have to become a coding master. But you do need to know the basics.

However, if for some reason you don’t have the time . . .



If you’re like me and forgot everything you learned about coding in school, Google it. That’s literally how I solved every single problem I had with the design.

Thank you, Google. *applause*

I’m not kidding. Within six hours of me deciding that I was going to change my blog design, I already had one up. I had no idea what I was doing. (Heck, I still have no idea what I’m doing.)

Do at least a little bit of research. Put serious time into finding a blog template that looks good (if you want to find one online). Don’t just pick the first one that you like and stop there - if any of you were on my blog on Wednesday night, you saw the mess that was the first blog design I chose.

Most of the time (at least in my experience) it always helps to have a fresh pair of eyes evaluate your new design. If I hadn’t asked my mom to take a look at my new blog look, that atrocious layout would still be up today.

Which leads me to my next point.



If any of you are naturally gifted with an eye for aesthetics, you all need to know that your talent is a blessing. Not everyone has an eye for design.

I know that I have absolutely no idea for what is "aesthetic" or not. That was the reason I picked out the first bad blog design in the first place. I like the one I have now much better, but I thought that the first one I had was "easy on the eyes."

It wasn’t.

So if you spend countless hours trying to make your blog nice and neat, you are not the only one. Aesthetics are not easy. Trust me.

(shoutout to Lisa, Katie Grace, Savannah, and Allison for having some of the most aesthetic blogs I’ve seen!)

For those of you who are debating between blog designs, I only have one piece of advice: If you try to cram a lot of stuff on your blog pages, it will hurt your eyes.

More often than not, the blogs I like to follow are relatively simple, clean, and easy on the eyes. You don’t need obnoxiously sparkly titles and then neon green font as your body text color.

Please, please, please don’t do that. You will scare off more people than you will attract.

In my experience, white is usually a good color for your background. It’s easy on the eyes and looks cleaner.



Blog design should be fun. It shouldn’t make you angry or ticked off or want to throw your computer at the nearest wall. (Well, okay, coding can sometimes tick you off. But that’s why you do a little research!)

While the initial phase may be tedious, when it comes time for you to pick colors and fonts, and rearrange widgets, that should be enjoyable. (Or maybe I just love redesigning blogs. XD)

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And one other thing - YES, I AM ACTUALLY DONE CHANGING MY DESIGN. FOR REAL THIS TIME.

(Let’s see how long it takes for me to start tweaking again. XD)

-Nicole