As you probably already know, a blog theme is just another website template. Pages of code that sit on web servers and tell browsers what to put on their pages, these themes are nothing but plain old websites. Learning about web design is leaning about blog theme design. So here are a few tips about what a solid site should do to make the most of its online real estate.

Framework:

First and foremost, a website design is just a kind of framework for the content it presents in its boundaries. From the header where the logo/title sits, to the navigation bar that is attached in some way, shape or form to any sidebars, feature sections and the final footer to close the circuit. All of this, surrounding the main content area where you’re focused voice is present. This framework is the glue that holds your website together.

Starting with the header: An effective header is one that is just the right size to make visible your name-brand, but not too much to burst your readers personal bubble. It should fallow the theme of the rest of the site, but carry just enough difference that it stands out and draws those new eyes into itself. You want a new visitor to be drawn to it, but not so much that they can’t look away.

The navigation bar: I personally believe that this is the most important part of the framework. Acting as a kind of anchor, the navigation bar (or navbar for short) becomes the boundary between your header and the rest of your content (this assumes it’s on top and not on the side, but that’s an assumption I’m going to make in this handbook). It holds the keys to each page on your website and allows instant access, no matter where you go. The header is important, but without the navbar, it would feel naked and out of place.

The key to an effective navbar is simple. Use JUST the necessary amount of pages to it and it will do its job. Too many and they become lost in themselves, doing nothing more than confusing your short attention spanned reader.

Sidebar: The sidebar is your sub-content area. Kind of a mix between the navbar and your main content area, the sidebar both caries access to other locations as well as house content you want readily available with just the slightest glance.

A solid sidebar is one that is JUST big enough to house your necessary links, buttons, forms and images. Keep it simple, but not bland. You want to draw your readers eye, but not distract from your main content.

Speaking of your main content area: This should be the largest piece of land on your website, housing the focus and point of your pages. White or light background is ideal, with dark colored text. Clean is always good and the rest is up to your own grammatical skills.

The footer: The final piece to the puzzle, the footer closes the loop to keep the circuit circling. There are two kinds of effective footers and both are about as opposite as they come…

One is the simple cut off point. This should be almost invisible, but just enough to house the credits and bounce your readers eye back up to the top. The second kind is one that houses much more than the credits. Used as a feature section, this kind of footer is almost a kind of bottom sidebar. A great place to put some ‘bonus’ links for your readers to feast on, this can be a solid way to extent your website just a bit further. Just be careful not to over do it. Too much clutter in the basement of your site and you’ll lose your visitors in the mess of pictures, links and who knows what else.

So keep it clean either way and try and stick to the JUST ENOUGH rule.

Feel:

The feel of your website should be just what it needs to be to draw your reader in. If it’s a news site, it should fee informational. If it’s about art, it should feel creative. Whatever your content is trying to convey, your website should back this up with the right layout.

But don’t mix this up with the idea that the framework should be decked out. The fact is, what you put INSIDE your layout should determine the look and feel, not so much everything else. I mean sure, it doesn’t hurt to have a unique, attractive custom logo and the colors DO make a difference, but the words and images that fill the insides, those are what will solidify your message. The framework should be just that…a FRAME. Just like too much picture frame can take away from the picture, so too can your over-the-top web design distract from the content inside.

Keeping people coming back:

The fact is, a new visitor isn’t your bread and butter. It’s only when that person re-appears at a later time that you know you’ve done something right. No amount of theme customization will be enough to ensure the masses will come back, time and time again. It’s up to YOU to fill the walls of your website with words and images that inspire a return. Successful online activity may start with a solid frame, but this quickly transitions to its rightful place, in the hands of your voice.

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Just some ramblings of a guy riddled with ADHD…

Links from video:

Twitip.com

Stevepavlina.com

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In this screencast video tutorial I show how to use Gimp to take an image with a white background and make it transparent.  This technique is great for logo creation as well as other web design techniques.

Eric

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The Thesis theme, designed by Chris Pearson of DIY Themes isn’t the first theme I used for Writer Dad, but it is the one I fell for.  I don’t love the Thesis theme like I love my wife or children, but I feel a similar affection for it as I do my Macbook or aluminum keyboard.  It’s just one of those things that helps to make my workday a pleasure. 

My days of blogging started with a whisper.  I had a Blogspot address (now orbiting the Blogoshpere like an abandoned satellite) and I fed that first blog with the absolute absence of regularity.  I loved the ease of one button publishing, but was far from serious about the endeavor.  It was my rough draft and I knew it.  The second as I started to grow serious about my aims, I found Blogger a bit too lacking for what I wanted to do.

I had no web design experience whatsoever, but after finding myself building a website I needed for only a single weekend (a terrific story I look forward to telling someday), I decided to move my secret blog into the open.  

I used a Mac app called Rapid Weaver to throw my temporary site together, and though a Thesis theme the site was not, I was pleased to find that at least I had the ability to build myself a website.  If I can build a five page site in a weekend, I thought, I can build myself a blog.

So I built a blog on Rapid Weaver, and even bought a custom template for twelve dollars called “Notebook.”   It was red, black and dumb all over.  I was instantly bored by its limitations and totally done with it by the end of the first weekend. 

I was still far from finding the Thesis theme, but I had done enough reading to know I needed WordPress.

I installed WordPress and started to play.  By that time, I’d been bandying about behind the scenes of blogging for about a month.  I was ready to take it seriously, but every theme I uploaded felt like I was walking around in clothes from another man’s closet.

Finally I found what I’d been searching for – the Thesis theme from DIY.  I loved it in the browser, never once questioned my purchase, and knew what I had a second after upload.  

I was home.  Thesis had removed my confusion.  It allowed me immediate, incredible flexibility, and enabled my site to look far more polished than it would have otherwise.  The Thesis theme also had enough power under the hood to handle SEO, a word I was not yet close to understanding.

In the time since, I’ve only come to love the Thesis theme more and more.  Each new update has improved upon the theme’s underlying foundation.  Additional help from my friends Eric and Dave have given me a site built on increasingly common architecture that still manages to look uniquely my own.

I purchased the developer’s license and have used the Thesis theme for my potty training help site as well as a few planned niche sites.  As of yesterday, DIY themes released the newest version of the Thesis theme, my most anticipated update ever.  The newest version will allow the front page of a WordPress site to appear as a magazine styled theme.

There are many choices for WordPress themes, and there isn’t a single best.  For me, however, the Thesis theme helped me become a better blogger by giving my site its immediate shine.

Sean

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Yesterday I talked about the birth of “Motivate Thyself,” and the premium Wordpress theme I used to give the blog a face.  Now I’d like to discuss the fast paced evolution of WordPress themes, and how the average blogger can benefit.

What’s changed in the last 6 months?

A half year back, having the full ability to tweak your theme without monkeying with internal code was a rarity, to say the least.  Thesis was the only theme that even came close.  You could change both font type and size, content placement, sidebar size and position, as well as a host of other useful features.

Even with all that, it was still difficult to insert a custom logo or change the background of the blog.  It could be done, but not with the instantaneous click of the mouse that would make it simple for newbies.  iThemes Essence series, used by “Motivate Thyself”, had some phenomenal back end features, but was lacking in most other areas.

That was 6 months ago…

Fast forward to early ‘09.  Now you can enjoy a wide array of benefits from the latest batch of fantastic looking, internally robust, and easy to manipulate themes.  From iThemes, Flexx series (this is what’s beneath the hood of the Blueprint) to a few free offerings like Ikarus and Flexibility, consumers are experiencing the multiple benefits that come from thriving competition met by solid innovation.

Down to the details.

When you login to WordPress to make design adjustments on your blog, you are at the mercy of your theme’s back end features.  Let’s assume you’re not a design geek.   The latest batch of themes meets the average blogger with a host of new features that allow the user to easily adjust the theme from many available single click tweaks.  Programming skills not required.

Let’s return to Flexx for a moment.  As you can see, one of its excellent features is the ability to change the entire layout of your blog’s design with just a few simple clicks.  You can add a custom header, then adjust the background with a different color, or even an image if desired.  Heavy design tweaks that used to require at least a basic understanding of CSS and PHP (computer code), now do not.  This is an evolution that has swept the entire WordPress community, not just that of paid themes.  There are some excellent Wordpress themes offering similar features at the unbeatable cost of nada.

How about some negatives?

Well, if you DO know how to get under the hood of your blog and really tweak the heck out of it, you might find these newer features a bit cumbersome.  Before, you could just open up the lone style sheet and change a few things around and be able to do whatever you’d like with your theme.  Now you’ll find you must deal with multiple CSS files and more complicated coding.  You can still tweak to your hearts content as long as you’re willing to manipulate the more complex files.

It’s a bit like being a mechanic and working on a 21st century car.  You’re used to doing everything with a good old fashioned wrench, but now must fix several tons to a computer just to make a few adjustments on the engine.  There are now circuits where there were once just nuts and bolts.  To the average driver it’s all positives, but to the person lying on their back facing all the metal, the new advantages are coupled with complication.

The future looks bright!

Overall I’m ecstatic about the advances I’m seeing; better looks and increased functionality right out of the box.  This will narrow the field for the average blogger.  Great writing framed by bland blog design will become increasingly less common.  Just as blogging has leveled the playing field for the broadcast of our individual voice, these new Wordpress theme designs are making it so everyone can look like a blogging pro.

For those like myself, who like getting their hands dirty with a little code now and again, we’re just going to have to learn how to work with a bit more complexity.  That sounds just fine to me!

Eric

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I’m going to spend the next two days going over some essential Wordpress design tips to hopefully help illustrate what goes on in my head when I redesign.  If I play my cards right, I might even teach you something.

For the first part of the lesson, I’m going to go through the thought process of birthing my first blog, “Motivate Thyself”.

A Theme Was Born

(NOTE: This isn’t going to be one of those dramatic changes where I take a BUTT UGLY theme design and turn it into a blogging gem.  This is a redesign of a theme that looked pretty good to start with.  You may find some of these changes slight, but my goal is to try and show you how to take something good and turn it great.)

When I first started blogging I knew very little about almost nothing.  I had just purchased motivatethyself.com and my hosting service, and was hunting around the Internet for a good theme to give my blog some skin.  I quickly turned to premium themes as they seemed to start you off miles down the road.  I found myself at iThemes.com sifting through some excellent offerings.  The essence theme jumped out at me as a clean yet sleek look.  It seemed perfect for the motivational 2.0 website in my head.

From the color choices available, I instantly gravitated toward “Dark Essence.”  The rest is blogging history!  (I’m totally kidding!!!  The only history created back then was that of a record breaking imagination.  A kid can dream, can’t he?! )

I was fairly satisfied with this theme right out of the box, but soon realized that some major issues needed to be attended to.  For one, that particular theme was narrow in size, leaving me with little to work with in both the content area and navigation bar.  I jumped into the style sheet and upped everything to a total width of 990px.  After the new spacing, I was left with a content area of 580px and 336px for the sidebar.  Though this required resizing of a few images (including the footer for example), it came together nicely.

Another note about site width: This is a total opinion here, but when I go to a website that is fairly skinny, it feels like the site is malnourished.  With widescreen monitors these days, a nice, wide blog seems to have a stronger presence.

Next was the background pattern.  If you were to glance at the original background and then the current backdrop of “Motivate Thyself” you may notice there is a pattern I felt unnecessary.  I’m a big fan of clean and simple, but with a light flash that catches the eye.  Though I was digging the gradient black background that lightened as it went upward, the pattern had to go.  This required a bit of bench work with Gimp, but proved a simple task.

Then came the shadows.  If you notice on the stock version, the border/sides of the theme, as well as the bottom of the blog, include shadowing for a 3D look.  I had nothing against this, but didn’t feel it was necessary.  They got hacked as well.  Notice that the toolbar, header, and top part of the background all have a sleek, gradient look, whereas the rest of the blog is fairly clean and simple.  I prefer it this way because it centers the framing.

Quick tip: Framing

The theme is a frame for your content, right?  It’s there to hold it and make it look its best.  It’s paramount to have the proper balance, including directional as well as weight.

Let’s use the last paragraph as an example…

“Motivate Thyself” starts off visually with a smooth, gradient look.  Once it hits the content, though, it turns light and clean.  This is where the content has a chance to shine.  Too much fluff around the content and you’ll have to knock that content glimmer down a notch.

The same is true for anything in your sidebar.  I prefer pretty pieces in my sidebar because I believe it’s important to attract as much attention as you can, but if those pretty images have to fight with the rest of the theme for a cursory glance, you’ll have far less eyes in the appropriate places.  Bottom line, directing the eye is an art.  You want new visitors to naturally see certain items.  If the path for glances is riddled with obstacles, your theme will feel cluttered and too complex.

Speaking of the sidebar…

I see many new bloggers with sidebars packed with stuff.  Not only too many images, but too much text as well.  This is an ineffective way to draw attention that promotes skimming rather than encouraging the reader to really sift through the content.

I prefer mostly images on the sidebar because I feel it helps frame the main content.  You want to be clear which area is dedicated to your voice.  This is sacred ground and should be represented this way.  Too many words surrounding this area will give the visual appearance of a weak voice.  I do find it beneficial, however, to have some non-post areas where I can include content.  Things such as Categories, Featured Posts, Links/Blogroll, etc… This is where the bottom of the blog comes in.

Please note: I am fully aware of the different strokes for different folks on this one.  The above is merely my opinion.

The bottom of “Motivate Thyself” lends itself nicely to this sort of content.  In this location it won’t conflict with my posts, but still shows itself to the reader making a comment.  Zen Habits is another perfect example.

Branding Your Blog

Your blog’s logo is one of the most important parts of the design.  It’s one of the first things a reader sees, and the first chance you get to communicate with your audience.  The thought process of a first visit is immediate.

• Does the logo look professional, stock or just plain weird?
• Is it attractive, bland or ugly?
• Is it easy to read and understand?
• Does it accurately communicate the focus of the blog?

Many new bloggers have stock blog titles (no logo, just a typed name).  A few themes can pull this off without it screaming newbie (the Thesis theme for example), but even then it simply isn’t effective for the strongest first impression.  I know not every new blogger can get a custom logo when first starting, and this should certainly not keep them from starting their blog, but over time, if you’re serious about blogging, you should give it some real thought.  A custom logo isn’t a requirement, but it is a good idea.

With “Motivate Thyself” I whipped out my favorite logo design software, found a font that embodied the essence of the message, then added a little shadow action and a tag, then I blended it into the rest of the header.

Nothing complex, just clean, clear and verbally accurate to my blogs intentions.  Creating an effective logo isn’t rocket science, it’s just a matter of knowing what you want and then knowing how to create it.  Most of us have the first part covered, but many can’t make it happen themselves.  If this is the case, do yourself a favor and get someone to do it for you.  Either a friend or paid service, but even at $100 (or whatever) it’s totally worth properly branding your blog.

Logo Sizing

This is totally dependent on individual preference and type of site, but here are a few ideas to bare in mind.  With “Motivate Thyself” I wanted simple and elegant.  A smallish logo on the left side of the header was perfect.  It also left room for a feature area on the right side.  As you can see on THIS blog, I decided to use the entire space.  I still stuck with a smaller logo, but filled the rest of the space with a tagline.  I guess you could say we decided to feature “Find Your Voice.”

Ideas for creating a great logo…

• Come up with a look relevant to the ideas presented.

• Add stand out qualities. I talk a lot about a clean look, but it is important that your logo DOES stand out.  That’s its job.  If it isn’t prominent, it will only blend into the rest of the header.
  

• Make sure  it blends well with the rest of the header. You want your logo to stand out, but not like a sore thumb.  Big is often best, but not always.  Also, make sure you can’t see unwanted outlines of the logo, and that the colors blend well together.  Contrasting colors can be good for visibility, but bad if they appear tacky.

The basic traits I think of when tweaking my own themes:

• Simplicity
• Clean lines
• Unique logo that blends well with the header, but still remains visible.
• Wide sidebar for flexible add/widget placement.
• Wide content area to allow for large images and flexible content arrangement.
• 990px total width. This fully fills a 1024×768 screen without having to scroll horizontally.  I mention this screen resolution because it’s generally the smallest someone will use to view your site.
• Good ‘content framing’ characteristics from the header, footer and sidebar.
• A subtle yet clear line between content and sidebar.
• Attractive and visible icons for RSS/Email subscribing. This also goes for social media buttons.
• Attractive/neat add placement. I like a well organized look.
• Good accessibility/usability. You don’t want visitors to search for common items like About, Contact, Subscribe, etc…
• Color scheme and consistency. For “Motivate Thyself” it’s black and white.  For the Blueprint, it’s blue, white and gray.
• All around unique, attractive look. I like a blog that makes you step back every once and a while and say, “This blog really looks great!”

What tools I use when I work on Wordpress themes:

• The Logo Creator (An excellent little piece of design software.)
• Gimp.  (The free Photoshop alternative.)
• Filezilla.  (Free ftp software to upload images.)
• Notepad2.  (Much better than Windows Notepad for editing code.  I use this when it’s easier to directly edit the PHP code for the themes.)
• Firefox.
• Windows Vista and Mac OSX Leopard.  I go back and forth, but I tend to use Vista more.  (But it’s all done on a Macbook.)

I hope this post encourages you to take another look at your blog theme.  Perhaps you’ll see a few new ways to make it shine.  I don’t claim to be a design genius or anything, but I do know what I like and why.  Figure this out for yourself, then make it happen on your own blog.  If you don’t find yourself occasionally stepping back to admire your site, you’ve got some work to do.

Tomorrow I’ll discuss the Wordpress Themes of 2009 and the Evolution of the Do It Yourself Website.  Just 6 months back I thought my Essence theme was top of the line.  Now it feels like an antique.

Eric

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Imagine you’re surfing around Blogopolis in search of the next big thing in blogging.  You turn your eyes onto some of the latest newcomers, hoping to find a unique blog; the next up-and-comer to keep your eyes on.  Blog upon blog as you click through the pages, you can’t help but wonder when you will find a truly unique blog.

So few truly stand out.  Many sites don’t get much more than a passing glance as their amateur status shows through like leftovers behind cellophane.  There may even be a few terrific writers in the bunch, but you don’t have time to actually read every line of text on each encountered site.

Welcome to drive-by blogging.  It’s fast and furious.  If you don’t have a unique blog, you don’t stand a chance.

Drive-by blogging is something we all do, and many of us might be suffering from the sort of traffic that just barrels right on by, barely stopping to blink at the billboards.

Now is the time to address this issue.  Build a unique blog and start enticing your traffic to pull in, put ‘r in park and peruse your latest posts.

A Unique Blog is Filled with Subtle Changes

You probably already know the answer to the question, “What makes a blog appear professional?  What renders a boring site into a unique blog that begs for attention and makes it stand apart from the crowd for a perfectly positive first impression?”

For many of you, the answer might be buried below the surface of the business of your days.  This week is dedicated to helping you exhume this valuable information, so that you may use it to make a lasting impression on your first time visitors.

Tomorrow and Wednesday, Eric will share a two part post on theme design.  He will discuss the different steps he took to custimize his “Motivate Thyself” theme into the unique blow that we all know.  On Thursday, Sean will articulate why a unique blog design is made infinitely easier by starting a blog with a premium theme, or heavily customizing an aesthetically pleasing free one.

Designing a blog is simple. Designing a unique blog in a bloated sphere takes a bit more work. Whatever software you’re using, there are thousands of templates that you can make your own.  No one can copy the thoughts that fill your head.  They belong to you, and are yours until you share them.  Having a unique blog that shows off your individual personality is one of the fundamental joys of blogging.

Until tomorrow,

The BB Team

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• Learn How to Get Traffic to Blog When it comes to writing in a blog, simply writing and assuming that traffic will come is not exactly the right way to go about things. If you want to learn how to get traffic to blog, then you need to be willing to take some extra steps to make......
• Mistakes to Avoid in Blog Carnivals when you Want More Blog Traffic Blog carnivals are gaining a lot of popularity right now as they are one of the best and most influential ways to earn more blog traffic. Unfortunately, too many people are jumping into this arena without knowing what they are doing. As a result, they are finding themselves overwhelmed, left......
• Increase Traffic to Blog, pt1 This is part one in a three part series dedicated to increasing traffic to your blog in a number of different ways. Now that you have your blog set up and you are beginning to post useful information in its pages, the next step is to start attracting useful readers......