I’ve been working on a site redesign the last several weeks and have finally rolled it into production. If you view “D is for Dad” via a news reader it would be genuinely appreciated if you could click on through and maybe even leave a comment.
I’ve never been terribly fond of the traditional blog layout which introduces a lot of scrolling. With both Mike and I dabbling in the design world we wanted to bring as much information “above the fold” as possible and reduce the scrolling. We think this layout (Branford Magazine theme) accomplishes this.
We’ve also taken this opportunity to add a couple of items.
- The Mini Blog – (look over on the right side)
We will use this space for those short bursts of inspiration that don’t warrant a full blog post. As of right now I am not including the mini blog posts in the main RSS feed for this site, but you are able to subscribe to the mini blog feed itself by adding the following to your reader:
http://www.disfordad.com/category/mini-blog/feed/ - D is for Dad Flickr Group – (upper right corner)
I’ve created a public group on Flickr for D is for Dad. While it is public I am moderating what is added to the group as those photos will appear in the upper right corner. You are encouraged to add a photo of your own to this group. Have fun with it!
We hope you enjoy the changes. Let us know what you think.
I like it. May take some adjusting to the new fromat but it does have a nice look.
Ed (zoesdad)’s last blog post..Virgin Ears
Thanks Ed. As we discussed this design we worried that it might require some explanation, a “how to” if you will. We may still do something like this if the feedback indicates it. As always, thanks for your contribution!
Great design! I like the miniblog.
katy’s last blog post..Making the decision about college
Thanks a lot Katy – great to hear from you!
Wow, looks great! I must have missed it when I checked earlier. Very nice.
tom’s last blog post..Sleeping Arrangements
Thanks Tom. Glad you like it.
Very nice indeed. I’ve been toying with the idea for a redesign myself. Or even a re-naming.
Dan’s last blog post..And then I shall capture the Golden Stag of Artemis
Thanks Dan. If I had my way I’d probably be tweaking the design all the time. Thankfully cooler heads prevail. Possibly a rename eh? I really like “All that comes with it”. It will be tough to beat, in my opinion.
I think it looks great. I love the flicker corner and the mini-blog. Great job! I’ve been working on a redesign on my blog as well, but am not quite ready to roll it out yet.
Courtney’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday – Sleepy
Thanks Courtney – Good to hear from you. I’ll be sure to check out your redesign when you have it ready! Good luck
love it so fancy~~~ Looks very awesome Chuck! kudos
Thanks Amy – glad you like it.
Looks great! Very clean and magazine-like. Funny on the bearded dragon post! I liked my bearded dragon… yes, the lizard.
BusyDad’s last blog post..The Return of Iron Chef Fury: Kitchen Stadium Showdown
Thanks BusyDad!
I love the new look! Good choice!
I want to rejig my design, but then again I’d like to fiddle with it all the time and I don’t want to confuse my dozens of regular readers!
Thanks PG – You should go ahead and fiddle. It keeps us regular readers guessing.
Chuck’s last blog post..Spotlight on Dad’s
It’s a good look, however, I do have reservations for giving it glowing reviews. I’ve gotten used to the scrolling necessary. Mini-blogs are nice, kind of like Twitter. Mostly, what I like about personal blogs is that the titles and opening lines are more creative than magazine or newspaper articles, or even those of political blogs. So . . . the snippet format doesn’t attract me or make me want to click on the title to see more.
Sarabeth’s last blog post..From the Memories of a Twelve Year Old
Thanks a lot for the feedback Sarabeth. I knew the design wouldn’t appeal to everyone.
While I’ve gotten used to scrolling too I don’t think that makes scrolling the right thing to do (or force your visitors to do) all the time. And just so you know, we have no plans of changing the way we title or open our posts. The title and opening you see in the excerpt on the front page is the same as in the post itself. With that said, if you find the titles or opening less than interesting it is probably because they are.
Thanks again for the constructive feedback!
Chuck’s last blog post..Spotlight on Dad’s
Looks pretty cool….nice work, fellas!
SWC’s last blog post..I meant to post this for Wordless Wednesday…
Thanks ma’am
I think it looks great! I need to leave Blogger eventually so that I can do some creative redesign like everyone else. For now, though, it’s mostly family that reads through my blog. Not much use in spending time/effort on a redesign for that!
I’m also discovering Flickr groups, and was elated to see today that you have a group! I’ve already asked to be included, so thanks!
RobMonroe’s last blog post..Some Brief Updates
I’ve never messed around with blogger much, mostly because of what I have read around the limitations. If you ever make the leap to Wordpress let me know. I’d be happy to help where I can.
I’m glad you like the Flickr Group! Abby’s picture has been approved and you should see it in the group now (as well as on this site). Great picture and description!
I absolutely hate it. :p, jk you know its sleek and awesome. Good work.
Love the new layout, I’ve been kicking this one around myself for one of my other sites.
Married Leoss last blog post..Quote of the Day
Thanks! It takes a little more work and thought when posting (due to the custom fields) but I think it’s worth it.
I love the design, it looks very professional, a very clear cut, this is my first time in the website and gosh man you have done a good job. My little boy, Sebastian, is 2 and 1/2 years old… and I share many things with your D for Dad articles. Nice to see Kind blogs like this one. Keep up the good work.
Baby Safety Seat – Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing the kind words! I looks forward to checking out your place. Don’t be a stranger!
I love the new look of everything. Very professional.
Tara R.s last blog post..If momma ain’t happy…