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Interview 4. Johan Sundkvist Knows Minimalist

December 15, 2005 by Liz Leave a Comment

Johan Sundkvist blog


A Minimalist Interview with Johan Sundkvist
His Blog: Johan Sundkvist
URL: johansundkvist.com
Genre: Personal/Tech Blog
Audience: people who like to read about technology and culture
Thing to note when you visit: how the design and well-written content work together to make reading this blog an inviting and relaxing experience, no stress on this blog

Johan’s blog may be newer than some, but he’s been reading blogs for over two years. He understands and uses the values of minimalist design to keep his blog stressfree and focused on the content.

Johan, your blog and you share a name, what led you to that decision?

I wanted a personal blog, and therefore the choice to use my own name was pretty straight forward. It is hard though to choose a good site name. Some like me use their names (for example Kottke.org), but others come up with great domain names, such as Asterisk, StopDesign and Simplebits.

What made you start the blog?

Since I first discovered the phenomenon of blogging I’ve wanted to create a blog of my own. I’ve always liked writing and blogging as a writing style appealed to me; it’s somewhat more casual, and is focused to get to the point, to write stuff that is interesting.

How would you define a successful blog?

A successful blog is a blog that writes something that catches my interest and if the writing is unique, different, and entertaining it will certainly end up in my RSS subscriptions and daily surfing routine

What advice would you give a beginner?

I’m still a beginner, but I’m happy to share some thoughts with you anyway. I think it’s important to write stuff that matters, that is interesting for the readers. I don’t know if I am very good at this, but it is something that I strive to do. If you write about things you are passionate about, then people will sooner or later notice. Set a tone, distinguish yourself, and make an impression. It is about hard work, but it can be very rewarding in the end.

He may have just started a few months ago, but Johan has the world view of someone with more experience. This blog is both beginner and winner at the same time. Maybe that’s how he could achieve such elegant simplicity.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Interviews, Successful Blog

Comments

  1. Johan Sundkvist says

    December 16, 2005 at 2:58 AM

    Thanks for the interview Liz! It was a pleasure.

    Reply
  2. Gary Miller says

    December 16, 2005 at 11:06 AM

    I certainly subscribe to the “minimalist” mindset and John’s site is a visual pleasure for me. My own sites (Blogoplex and Backyard-Cafe) are designed using minimalist styled templates.

    To me this style, while being easy to read, also makes it easier to include adverts without crowding an already cluttered template style. If color is needed to fill out one’s design tastes, it can be applied via the title, link, and header text and perhaps limited graphics. Minimalist themes are unquestionably flexible as far as an author’s personal taste is concerned.

    My congratulations to John on a very nice blog and to Liz for showcasing it for us.

    Reply
  3. ME Strauss says

    December 16, 2005 at 12:13 PM

    Hi Gary,
    I thank you and I’m sure Johan does as well.
    Your blog is another great example of minimalism well done. It’s proof that what you say about color is true. You walk the talk.
    Liz

    Reply
  4. Gary Miller says

    December 16, 2005 at 6:39 PM

    My apologies for misspelling Johan’s name. Seems my fingers are faster than my brain at times.

    Reply
  5. ME Strauss says

    December 16, 2005 at 7:30 PM

    Hey Gary,
    Johan’s a good guy. I accept in his place.
    Liz

    Reply
  6. Johan Sundkvist says

    December 17, 2005 at 9:41 AM

    Thanks Gary for the kind words. And of course I accept your apology. 😉 You’re not the first to misspell it.

    Reply
  7. ME Strauss says

    December 17, 2005 at 9:42 AM

    Hi Johan,
    Good to see you back again.
    Liz

    Reply

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