There are many ways Layout and Design can make a Blog
Each
blogger has a different way of looking at how they want to get their thoughts
and messages to an audience. Layout and Design is an important element. A good
blog captures the reader’s interest through the use of graphic elements and by using an effective
layout. From type font to images how well a blog uses them will keep the reader’s
attention. “Readers should never have to work to find what they’re looking for
on your blog – “Don’t Make Me Think” still holds true. That means you should
have effective navigation.” (WebDirect, 2012) Putting all the pieces together
will make your blog worth reading.
When
looking at the blog’s being created in our class one can see many styles and
likes. Each has its own unique feel to it. When you build your blog you are
also building your audience. Each audience that follows a blog is unique. A niche
audience looks for information that is particular to their interest. As a successful
blogger your community of followers will grow if your site is informative, easy
to use and has a professional feel to it.
Now……. What makes our blogs good?
Critiques of our Communications Class Blogs:
I like the title of the Blog. It makes
you want to see more on the theme and message of the blog. The landing page
graphic from the story “Creating a Blog” had the right amount of impact. The
use of a background and then using a lighter shade to accentuate it was not
overpowering. The layout is simple and easy to use. Layouts should make the
reader move through the blog like a book or magazine. Type font works with the color of the background
The layout is good; it is clean and not
cluttered. The graphics of the birds help break up the background. The only
thing is that do you think your eye follows them off the page. One suggestion I
would offer is that unsure if they could
come from the other side, and then they would act like a leading line to take
the reader to the story. Overall it’s very clean. I would like to see a few
more graphic elements to break up the blocks of type. I like using leading
lines in a layout. It provides direction to the reader’s eye. One lesson we had
was people surfing blogs don’t spend much time on site if there is an
overwhelming amount of type with no breaks in it.
Your
Blog is defiantly straight to the point. The headline grabs the reader and lets
you know what the themes are. What I like is the type and fonts are clean and
are easy to read. By shading the background you don’t overwhelm the reader. I
find some blogs go too dark on the back ground color that your eye is
distracted. As a personal preference the green distracts a little to me, but
then that is a personal preference. I think the shading should be neutral like
a gray of light color. I would
like to see some other graphic items to break up the scrolling of a long page
of text.
Summary
Blogs are an expression of the creator. In
my blog I hope to make a pleasing layout that takes the readers interest and
has them stay on the site. The art needs to stop a reader like a lead photo
does in a magazine or newspaper. Headlines need to be quick and spur interest.
If the headline can make the reader want to know more they will start reading
the information. Clean layouts need to help achieve that. If it is cluttered or
distracting the reader will lose interest and click away. Overall I need to
find a balance on my blog in layout and design. In our class our blogs all show
great examples of the use of colors and balance of the material. Most of all I
see that incorporating good layout and design principles is a factor, but your
information needs to be strong. One of the number one written keys to a good
blog is stated as, “Easy to read content is one of the most important elements
of an effective blog design. Large font size, contrasting colour against the
background, sufficient line and paragraph spacing are some ways to ensure
content is easy to read.”(KronikMedia, 2011)
References
Kronikmedia, (2011) 15 elements of a great blog
Retrieved on line from Kronikmedia.co, May
26. 2012
WebDirect, (2012) Creating an effective Blog
Retrieved online from
Webdirect online, May 26. 2011
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