Let’s Talk Bookish: Maintaining a Blog Aesthetic

Hey, everyone, happy Friday! I hope you’re all doing well. There was a crazy thunderstorm yesterday. One of the thunderclaps was literally right next to my house. On top of that, there was also hail and lightning. I’m glad it happened though because we desperately need the rain.

Anyways, I’m back with another discussion post. I had a fun time writing this one, as I love the design aspect of blogging.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and is hosted by Rukky and Dani @ Literary Lion where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Maintaining a Blog Aesthetic (suggested by Hayley @ On This I Ponder).

Prompts: How much time do you spend on making your blog look nice? Is it more about making it functional? Did it take a long time to set it up? Are you still changing it around? Do you ever feel like your blog design is not properly appreciated (for example, are most people reading your posts via the Reader and not actually visiting your blog)? What are the best tools you use to customize the look of your blog?

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I honestly have no idea how long it took me to set up the design of my blog. It probably took me longer than it should have since I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to things like this. But I think it was worth it. First, I had to get an idea for the graphics. Then I had to draw them, get them to my satisfaction, upload them, and set them up on the site. I worked on the design sporadically over a few months, so I don’t exactly know how long it took me.

The current look is my second design. My first one (previous blog banner on the left) was similar in the graphics, but the color scheme and font were totally different. As you can see, I still had the pages and the book in my banner, but there were only three pages and there was a moon and a set of three shooting stars. The background color was dark blue and font I used was Cookie. I also had different dividers, no graphics in the sidebar, and the headers in my posts were a different color and font. My featured images also completely changed. Before, I took pictures and put them in the background; now I have the same color as my blog banner. I did like the book pictures I took, but a lot of the time, I felt uninspired in how to take them, and the text was sometimes hard to read.

I really like this current design, so I have a feeling it’s going to stick around for a while. I may change around a few things, but for the most part, it’s going to be like this.

I think design can make or break a blog, so while functionality is an essential component, how the blog looks is also an important part. Design and style is one of the first things I notice when I visit a new blog.

I think the design of my blog is appreciated; I’ve gotten comments complimenting it, which always makes me happy. I know I read most posts on the Reader because it’s an easy-access place when I want to catch up on reading other people’s posts, but I do try to visit the actual site as often as I can. I love seeing other people’s creative designs and how they format their blog.

The main tool I use to customize the look of my blog is Procreate. I drew all the graphics (blog banner, dividers, headers) on that app. What I love about it is that there is an array of brushes, which is useful if you want different textures; it’s fairly easy to use, once you understand the basics; and, most importantly, in my opinion: layers! Layers are so helpful, so that you can draw over something and erase it without getting rid of what’s underneath.

Another tool I use is Canva. I mainly use this platform to design my featured images and graphics that contain the cursive font I use. I have the free version, but even with the limitations, you still have a lot of options. I love the fact that it has guidelines for centering and adjusting elements so I can make minuscule adjustments.

Conclusion

All in all, blog design is something I love the explore, whether it be my own or appreciating other people’s. It’s one of the things I look for in a blog, besides its content, of course.

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How long did it take you to design your blog look?
Have you ever done a blog redesign?