Disclosure: I was not paid a dime to review this book but wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies Review because it is an AMAZING resource that I think every blogger should check out! This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own. These resources rock.
Although I started blogging back in 2007, it took me couple years to really begin to understand what blogging really was and the whole bloggging community that existed beyond my own blog’s front door. The best thing I ever did for my blog was discovering The SITS Girls and signing up for a group class of 31 Days to Building A Better Blog. I met so many amazing ladies who have now become friends and supporters both of my blogging journey and my personal journey through life with chronic illness.
One of these amazing ladies was Melissa Culbertson.
Melissa blogs over at Adventuroo as well as over at Blog Clarity, which is a fantastic site that provides blogging, writing, and social media tips for bloggers. When Momcomm began, Melissa hosted weekly blog design critiques (which I was lucky enough to be one of the first critiques – check out this blast from the past blog design!) and these critiques went on to pave the way for Melissa writing Blog Design for Dummies so I totally take credit in helping her become the design rockstar she is today! Totally kidding! Melissa is a rockstar all on her own!
As I mentioned yesterday, as a part of reclaiming my life, I am working towards a new look here at a New Kind of Normal so I jumped at the chance to become more hands-on in the blog redesign this time around so I picked up her book, Blog Design for Dummies!
I am a total design and coding dummy and while I consider myself a pretty logical and analytical person, I have absolutely no background in anything graphic design related (I have degrees in music and pastoral care) so I was a little apprehensive.
My fears were totally unfounded.
I felt like this book was written for me. It was like a blueprint on how to plan your blog design from start to finish. From how to access what your goals and needs are to how to implement them from the overall theme to even the smallest of design elements so that you could feel your voice, your goals, and your dreams in every aspect of your blog design.
On my first reading of the book, I felt like I was back in grad school going highlighter happy.
The language of the book was written in a way that anyone can understand. Its technical in each the reader about the important aspects that make up an effective blog design while insuring that the important information doesn’t get lost in over technicality.
I have always used a blog designer in the past and while I will continue to use a designer with this upcoming redesign, I felt like I am twenty times more aware of each integral pieces that makes up a design. I know know how to take a look at my current design and assess what is working and what is not working which helps me plan an effective redesign from the ground up. I have such a clearer understanding of how to find my voice and set my goals so that I can see those things throughout the design from the overall look and feel of the blog to how the navigation works to using those finishing touches that tie everything together.
On my second pass of the book, I went Post-It note happy and bookmarked each of the sections I wanted to focus on the most as I begin to plan my redesign.
Thanks to Melissa and Blog Design for Dummies, I have my to-do list started for planning this redesign and I think I am more excited than ever for things to come here at A New Kind of Normal!
I wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies review because I know there are other people out there who want to step up their blog design so that they can achieve their dreams! If you are considering adding a custom design for your blog for the first time, planning a redesign like I am, or are simply looking for ways to assess your current design and make small adjustment that increase the overall functionality of your blog, you need to check out this book!
If you are not planning to change your blog design but are looking to grow your blog and create fresh content ideas, Melissa’s rockstar skills go way beyond blog design and her Content Brew course may be just the ticket! Cyber Monday hits a week early over at MomComm and on Monday, November 25th Content Brew will be on SALE for only $35 using promo code novbrew! Mark your calendars! You don’t want to miss this! (I am starting this for the 2nd time myself so if you want to partner up and work through it together, give me a shout!)
Disclosure: I was not paid a dime to review this book but wanted to write this Blog Design for Dummies Review because it is an AMAZING resource that I think every blogger should check out! This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own. These resources rock.