OK, so I got a bit bored of the old design – it was a bit too dark for my liking and the right hand navigation didn’t work so well, so I took the main menu element from it (because I liked that part) and created a new design around it. I’m quite pleased how it has turned out.
I made the new design to be lighter and have more white space that gives it less of a cluttered feel. I also wanted to make sure each blog post was in it’s own container so it was obvious where one ended and the other one started. I increased the font size too because I think it will make the text easier to read.
It’s still got a few more bits and pieces to be sorted out before it is done but I think the bulk of it is completed now. Even the search form works! Check it out above! I was happy when I saw that working for the first time.
Unfortunately the website isn’t XHTML valid – I’m just not that good yet. I still like to use Frontpage to do all my editing (and sod anyone that slates Frontpage…it does a bloody good job and is no different to Dreamweaver) though I do a lot of the design integration using Wordpad. Maybe when I can get my hands on Microsoft’s new Expression software I can start coding sites in XHTML and tableless CSS but to do that I need to get a new computer.
I found that working with WordPress can be infuriating at times, particularly when it comes to the menu options down the right hand side. More than once I found that I had to delve into the bowels of the software to edit/remove/add some code to make the menus display right.
I am actually developing the easyCMS software because it was born out of the frustration of trying to integrate designs into WordPress and finding I didn’t have complete and utter control over absolutely everything design related. Can you say control freak?! :p
Well, I’d really like to get your feedback on what you think of this new design. So far the response has been 50 / 50, some saying that they like it, others are hating it.
Related posts: