Monday, January 29, 2007

Site design

This guy got me musing about the design of my blog:

"Are we still excited about blogs? My answer: Not as much. Our content is all starting to look the same because of the tools used to manage it and web-two-point-dough has homogenized the Internet.

Before there were blogs we had websites. Beautiful, random websites that felt more like a zine - one page looking nothing like the one before or after it..."


I agree in a way. I am bored with the design of my site, but it works. You can read it alright and see the photos. And my life is too busy right now to expend the energy to fix that which is not broken.

But part of being a designer - and being a product of the post-MTV era - is getting (visually) bored easily.

I'm hoping this design is simply a servant to the content of this site. I'm hoping the content keeps you interested in coming back.

5 comments:

Jon Swanson said...

Here's the deal. I read you first in bloglines, which is an incredibly boring format, but which allows me to easily see the content. Which is what I care about anyway.

Well, actually, it's the people that I care about and the content is a way to understand them.

Mark Tatum said...

The blog format works, it is something that most of your readers are used to, so they can focus on the content. What really bugs me are designers who move too far away from accepted norms. They are forgetting why they design web sites (to help people find and read content) and get caught up in their "art."

Musician web sites are especially bad at this. I can't even count how many music artist web sites I have been to that don't have names on their buttons or menu items - just some cute icon. You would think web designers would be well-versed in user experience issues but apparently that is another job description. Sorry to rant. :-)

Your blog is simple to read, allows you to easily add pictures and text and comments and links. Plus it is on a network that gets cataloged by google, etc. and makes it easy for new readers to find you.

Lora_3 said...

I only see your site when I comment. Your loaded in my Google reader so that's where I see you first.

Your blog is great. Every week you show me a part of the world I don't figure I'll ever see. But I've seen it through your eyes and I thank you for that.

Be safe...

The Lone Beader® said...

I love youur blog. Why because it is YOU. =:)

Anonymous said...

yes - i keep coming back. a friend of mine just recently sent me the link of your blog and ever since i have been working myself through the archives. it amazing how you are able to use simple words and obervations to draw a picture of Nairobi that is SO much the real Nairobi. i think a lot of people living here would agree with me...
thanks for documenting all those things we daily see. its like a back-up for my memory ;-)

Where you can find Paul Merrill

If you are looking for Paul Merrill, go over to  Shiny Bits of Life , which is my personal blog - or  Greener Grass Media . Thanks! (I no ...