6 Weeks Design Tip: Keeping Your Style Consistent
I love when I’m scrolling through my Google Reader and come upon a post where I instantly know who the author is without having to read anything. Cassie is one of those authors. Her design style has been consistent from the beginning with a sans-serif font, yellow details and minimalist text in boxes. Today Cassie is here with a few tips on choosing elements to define your post style.
1. Develop a design language for your blog. Choose a color palette and font(s) that you love and stick with them. If you’re adding text to an image, make sure you are using YOUR chosen font.
2. Create post series. This is a great way to infuse some design constancy. Each time you do a post in that series, make sure it is visually consistent with the last post. Each series should have it’s own identity, but fit nicely as a whole.
3. Use full size images. Always! This makes your post visually consistent without jumping around as you scroll down the page. This simple tip does wonders!
4. Use limited photography styles. If you are posting a lot of your own photos, create a photo style and stick with it. This way anytime you post one of your photos, your readers will recognize it as yours.
5. Use the same writing style and post formatting throughout. For example I usually blabber on an on about a certain topic and then end the post with links to where my readers can find more information. Make sure you are linking things in a similar fashion in all posts.
Thank you Cassie! I can’t echo tip #3 enough – fill up that blog space with your photos and make sure they’re all the same width!
It could be a font, a color or a shape. Maybe you add floral washi tape or take bright, bold photos. Share what elements you use or want to start using to define your post style and then share a link to a post in the comments.
To give you an example – I use dotted lines, Josefin-Slab font and the four colors in my sidebar buttons to give my posts a similar look.
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04.18.12 in 6 Weeks to a Better Blog
Great tips. Thanks!
LOVE getting to read these posts! Learning so much! :)
I have trouble with this since I’m still learning Photoshop – every time I learn something new I want to try it out on a post! I know that consistency is better so I will try to work on that.
I have a question about image width – what about portrait-style photos? I personally hate when I have to scroll down to see the bottom of a photo, so I make those more narrow. What do you suggest?
I do the same thing! Maybe save all of your new skills and idea and use them in a whole makeover every 9 months or so.
For portrait-style photos I do one of two things, I leave it huge and annoy people with scrolling if it’s a photo with lots of detail, or I put two portrait photos side-by side to match the width of the horizontal photos.
This is good. I’ve flitted around with fonts so I need to settle on one and stay consistent. Thanks for these great tips!
Catherine Denton