A rant about bloggers who make their own layouts
This entry was posted on November 12, 2007
These days anyone can start their own blog. Some of them choose a dedicated bloghost such as livejournal or blogger, whereas others opt for their own webspace where they can use their choice of blogging engine and have complete control over their layout. Sometimes this can be a good thing as it allows budding web designers (like me) to try their hand at creating their own sites, thus improving their skills and learning along the way.
Sometimes, however, it can be very dangerous. Blog owners in general have an interest in only one part of web design : the aesthetics. Of course, I don’t deny that this is a very sweeping generalisation, because there are thousands of bloggers who take their web designing seriously (and I like to count myself in that group), but, I’m not talking about those people.
I’m talking about the people who come up with layouts using bastardised HTML and consider themselves to be “proper designers”. Customising wordpress / making your own website layout does not make you a web designer. But, I’m not talking about what makes some a web designer either.
What I’m really talking about is whether blog owners are dangerous or not. As mentioned above, most blog owners (the ones on their own webspace) who decide to make their own layouts can often be dangerous. Mention usability and they’ll start talking about how cool their navigation is because it’s made from coloured blobs. Mention accessibility and they’ll tell you how cool their site looks in Internet Explorer (or Firefox, depending on their browser of choice).
A lot of blog owners make very personal choices when it comes to their designs (on everything from tiny fonts, narrow columns, large images, and anything else they like), but where does that leave the visitor? A blogger / webmaster’s personal preferences don’t always match the preferences of their visitors, and this is where the danger starts.
What’s more important - the blogger’s tastes of the visitor’s tastes? To me, it’s the want / need of every blogger to get their writing to as many people as possible. This involves having at least a basic understanding of usability and accessibility and what they mean for you and your visitors.
Unfortunately when it comes to visitors’ needs, our personal preferences have to be put aside. If we could all indulge our personal preferences, my site would have giant green Georgia for the body text, with justified text and a header containing a picture of Zac Efron. Sometimes it’s good when we put our visitors’ needs and wants before our own!
I think the key to understanding your visitors’ needs is to accept that each of your visitors’ is unique, and that none of them are the same as you. I visit my site using Firefox on Windows Vista, but barely any of my visitors view my site the same way. Out of those who do, they probably don’t all like giant green Georgia and Zac Efron, and though I think that’s a shame, I can accept that it’s not what they want.
So there we have it: my rant for the day. Blog owners need to be more aware about the implications that creating their own layouts has for their visitors, and accept that not all their visitors have the same tastes / technology / browsing habits that they do.
19 lovely people have commented
What’s even worse, IMO, is when people decide to open design sites when they just shouldn’t 
Blog owners need to be more aware about the implications that creating their own layouts has for their visitors, and accept that not all their visitors have the same tastes / technology / browsing habits that they do.
Then again, visitors also have to accept that not all other visitors have the same tastes/technology/browsing habits that they do. A blogger can’t expect to satisfy all visitors but perhaps as many as possible. And if you happen to be in the minority, I don’t think a blogger should be obliged to cater for your tastes etc.
“dangerous”
You keep using this word. I don’t think it means what you think it means. Bad design is hardly dangerous, aside from the occasional case of eyestrain or headache.
Also, you say you’re leaving off the picture of Zac Efron in service to your viewers, but that doesn’t make sense. You’re doing it because you think it’s morally right and you don’t violate copyright, not because the visitor is better served by a picture of a tree than a cute boy. Both valid reasons? Sure. But a far cry from being the same reason.
After all, if I as your visitor said I hated tree pictures, or if I was traumatized by a tree as a child and looking at your site caused my psychological distress, would you feel obligated to change it?
Agree. But many people do not realize that internet is rather a way of communicating. They see blogging as they would write their thoughts down in the journal.
The thing now, is that the journal is viewed by many other people, and while you can keep your journal all pink and secret, you can’t do the same with blogs.
By the way, please not Zac Efron! I can’t take that guy :p
Hey! Stop being mean to blog owners! I am a blog owner, and I am lovely! We’re trying our best out here, and we can’t help being untalented design-wise!
Designers CAN help being untalented… with practice. I think it does take time and effort to get to that place, but in the meantime, be understanding and if you really can’t stand it, leave.
I have made my own layouts on personal sites for years, back when we used Greymatter and coded our own layouts. I can design a standard layout, but I am not as good at Wordpress (yet), so I do fall back on editing premade themes so that my blog is personalized, but also neat.
Honestly, though, part of what made me comment was the fact that you are on this boring blog judging other blogs. Yes, this layout is neat, but it is BORING. I would almost prefer (baby) Zach Efron than a stupid tree. I like creative sites, and blogs that take risks. For some people, a couple loyal readers are enough, and crappy blogs only bother me when they comment me over and over, expecting me to return the favor on their 8px font, poorly coded site.
I find it amazing to see some people optimizing their site for IE, and then writing on top of their site: Aesthetics require Internet Explorer. The site looks messy in Firefox. Maybe I did not get the latest trend 
Unfortunately, as much as it pains me to admit this, your remarks greatly depend on the category of visitors of your site’s primary target.
Sure, everyone will say that “well the more the better”, but let’s face it: we’d like a certain category of visitors.
To take a personal example (’cause I’ oh-so-important and eloquent as an individual XP ): I’m really flattered that Crissy looks up to me. It’s such a powerful feeling that even though you make this huge blunder, there are still people who like and admire you for it.
But Crissy is 12… and I’m 23. I’m very grateful for each of my visitor’s liking of my site however it gives me a much larger satisfaction that Dee of Void Star likes my blog, as opposed to Crissy liking it.
Similarly, if the blogger we’re talking about chooses to use “anorexic” layouts, minuscule fonts, giant celebrity headers and blogs about her oh-so-interesting mall adventures, she will have enough visitors. Why? Because there are much more people obsessed with MySpace glitters and tiny fonts, than those who have moved on and started considering other aspects of the website/webdesign creation.
Don’t get me wrong: I personally would NEVER condone such layouts. Nevertheless, what could I possibly tell to a blogger with such a layout, but who has 50+ comments per entry? I have around 10 or less (in most cases).
I’ll invariably end up being considered “jelus”. Truth be told, from an outsider’s view (one that lacks any knowledge of accessibility/webdesign/etc) it does actually seem like that. After all how can someone with less than half the number of “fans” tell someone else how to make a better site?
In the end, why do we all want to make a better site? So that we appeal to more visitors? And more visitors = popularity.
But I who DO employ all these “suggestions”, compared to Jessica (swimchick) for example, who doesn’t, have much less visitors. Is it a wonder that no one believes me when I say that my way is better?
^ That’s why I’m worried, Vera! There are hundreds of teen bloggers out there, and while it’s great that they can make their own site and show an interest and whathaveyou, they’re destroying our Internet in a way. If “anyone” can make their own layout, where do you draw the line between a lowly blogger and a professional web designer?
I think your layout does greatly depend on your target audience, yes. The impression I get from my “audience” (well, the ones who comment) is that they’re all very intelligent individuals with their own websites, curious to know how they can improve their sites, and maybe the odd random piece of information about me as well. I don’t think this type of visitor would be as interested if my site were displayed in a different way, which is something I’m going to do an experiment with in a couple of days.
I don’t think the number of “fans” defines what a *good* site is, because good doesn’t always equal popular, and popular doesn’t always equal good. Take Fastfood as an example. It’s not *good* food, but it sure is popular!
Like I said before, *I* don’t consider those sites to be good. In turn, most of those webmasters don’t consider *mine* to be a good one.
When I say “mine” I’m including the content I used to have over at squirrelism.
So, it’s all rather relative. After all, we define good/bad by comparing it with something else that we consider bad/good.
To me… web-design is all about how to make visitor feel at home and find what they’re looking for. And blogging is about writing. That means that the text should be readable.
I don’t need every blogger on the web to have their “own design”, just be able to read their posts.
You certainly has a very good point in what you’re saying! Great post.
Seems you hit a nerve here! I think personal blogs and websites are just that… personal’. So people should feel free to do what they want and how they want. It’s not a crime and certainly not dangerous, to have a ‘bad’ blog/website.
Do I sense elitism and snobbery???
Oh Peter, I really do hope I didn’t come across as an elitist / snob… That definitely wasn’t my intention. I guess that’ll teach me to ramble late at night.
Basically, what I was trying to say (albeit in a roundabout way) is that even though you are a blogger, you have certain responsibilities to make your website usable for your visitors. If your blog is *that* personal that your visitors don’t matter to you, why not save yourself some money and keep your blog on your hard drive? Blogs are all about getting your word out there “to the masses”, but what happens when said masses can’t use your site?
Rachel: But then what about Vera’s point that some of these people have plenty of visitors and aren’t really worried about getting a handful who might be blind or whatever?
Jack, Vera has a very valid point, yes. Whilst we may have visitors with usability / accessibility problems, many of our visitors are “statistically normal”. I’m just trying to raise awareness that whilst many of the visitors are like the webmaster, not all of them are.
Yeah, but you talk about how, if they want to have people read their stuff, they need to do all these things. Clearly they don’t, or swimchick wouldn’t have a ton of fans. =P
I’m just fighting for the underdog, Jack. If people want as many people as possible to use their sites, they need to cater to as many people as possible. I don’t know about you, but I consider myself an “average” user, and I have a lot of difficulty reading many sites.
I think you’re fighting the wrong fight for the right reasons, honestly. Bad design is not “dangerous” and the teeming blind masses are not downtrodden because they can’t read some pink blog. It’s bad design, not a social problem.
(Maybe a symptom of a social problem, but that’s another issue and one you haven’t really brought up so I assume it’s not the one you’re worried about.)
If people want me to read their site, they’ll make it accessible. If they don’t, I assume I’m not their target audience and move on.
Leave a comment?
·
Louise said:
It all comes down to WHY you put up your website. Websites exist for people to come along and enjoy and/or access information. If your website is specifically designed for you and you only, what’s the point of sharing it with the world?