Some of you may already have noticed it but I have a new blog design! It was long overdue. What you will see is a clean, faster loading, highly readable design with a magazine inspired layout. It should display just right whether you are reading this blog on your smartphone, tablet or computer.
My coding skills are rather limited so I had to have help. So, thank you Templateism for understanding my vision and for all the hard work getting this custom design done. I learned quite a few things along the way too!
I have reorganized many things. I'm now just the Beading Gem as there was no room to fit The Beading Gem's Journal! Overall there is improved navigation to help you find past posts.
The SEARCH box is at top right. Also in this section are all my social media links. Click on my photo in the first folder tab and it will take you to my ABOUT page. The EMAIL subscription box is just below.
The MAIN MENU has drop down choices :
My favorite new feature is the animated DON'T MISS ticker which rotates some memorable posts and maybe some of my humor. My selection will be updated regularly.
Towards the bottom are the most current posts in some topics like Tips and Tricks and Tools :
As well as the week's most POPULAR posts on the bottom right:
And there is MORE TO DISCOVER in the footer!
Check it out ! If you only have smartphone access, scroll down to the bottom of your screen and select VIEW WEB VERSION instead of the default mobile view. Tablet owners should see the full blog as those reading from computers.
Do you like it? And oh, please let me know if something looks awry your end.
Before You Go:
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
My coding skills are rather limited so I had to have help. So, thank you Templateism for understanding my vision and for all the hard work getting this custom design done. I learned quite a few things along the way too!
I have reorganized many things. I'm now just the Beading Gem as there was no room to fit The Beading Gem's Journal! Overall there is improved navigation to help you find past posts.
The SEARCH box is at top right. Also in this section are all my social media links. Click on my photo in the first folder tab and it will take you to my ABOUT page. The EMAIL subscription box is just below.
The MAIN MENU has drop down choices :
My favorite new feature is the animated DON'T MISS ticker which rotates some memorable posts and maybe some of my humor. My selection will be updated regularly.
Towards the bottom are the most current posts in some topics like Tips and Tricks and Tools :
As well as the week's most POPULAR posts on the bottom right:
And there is MORE TO DISCOVER in the footer!
Check it out ! If you only have smartphone access, scroll down to the bottom of your screen and select VIEW WEB VERSION instead of the default mobile view. Tablet owners should see the full blog as those reading from computers.
Do you like it? And oh, please let me know if something looks awry your end.
Before You Go:
- How to Efficiently Manage Your Blogging and Social Media Time
- 6 Questions to Ask Before You Start a (Craft) Blog
- 4 Easy Ways to Promote Your Online Store
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
I understand why you have chosen the new design...I realize you need to make a living....you have done so many good posts over the years...but really....the advertizing and right side overbalances your content and the content - at least on this post is really hard to read. It looks like an afterthought instead of a primary focus. I'm sure I'll get used to it...but I am not reacting positively.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
DeleteThe view will improve once I get back to jewelry pictures! Screen captures of parts of my blog are certainly lacking the bling factor.
Perhaps you never visit my actual blog as a subscriber. But believe me, this blog design is much,much less cluttered than the old one! Takes time to get used to changes.
Try checking it now! Some readers gave me an excellent suggestion to moving things about.
DeleteLooks so much better!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! It is a much cleaner design and better organized too.
DeleteNice to see another blogger embrace the responsive template - looks cleaner now - like a proper website. I think this template is a max mag variation - am I right? I know how important ads are as a blogger but as a reader I have always felt that a 2 column layout is much better as it makes the content easier to read. See if you can change the positioning of the ads
ReplyDeleteYes, I was long overdue for an update to get it to be more responsive. And yes, it is based on the Maxmag theme. The original Wordpress one is awesome. But I wasn't so keen on a full magazine style as I find those kinds of blogs hard to read.
Delete2 columns might look less busy but it forces visitors to scroll down. So 3 columns helps me get that magazine look as allows me to make the page more compact.
Excellent idea - I have moved the ads over and will test that position. Have a look!
This is really nicely done. I especially like the drop down menus. I enjoy your blog daily.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoy my blog and sharing a nod about the drop down! It means a lot to me!
DeleteIt does look a lot better. As far as the ads, I bet that if you could move them to the far right, they won't look as overpowering as some folks are saying.
ReplyDeleteHi Shaiha,
DeleteThat is exactly what I just did. Will test out their new locations. Moving the Popular Posts to the center does help make the blog look more like a magazine - a compact format to avoid too much scrolling down. Now to fix the font sizes!
You already know how I feel about this change. It does look amazing! Progress and change is often hard to accept for most people. In a few days with a few tweaks people will forget the 'old' blog and be into this one like it always existed! Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Aims! You were one of the first to see the changeover literally as it happened and I appreciated your comments then.
DeleteIt looks fantastic Pearl!! I love it and I think the template fits the theme and scope of your blog. I'm jealous. :-) Did you move to Wordpress or are still with Blogger?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it Stephanie and thanks for taking the time to let me know. Nope, I am still on Blogger - it is much easier for me to maintain. I also like the Layout view which is absent in Wordpress.
DeleteI like this magazine design a lot! Especially the visible boundaries for the separate sections - I need those for my blog, do they come with the template or have I overlooked this option? The clear background makes for a much neater look.
ReplyDeleteSo do I! It is not a true magazine format but has many elements of one. White backgrounds and more space is always better than say black ones which are hard to read.
DeleteYes, the visible boundaries are part of this template. Maybe try googling and see if you can find a tutorial to help you do that for your own blog. Or find another template which has what you want,