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Don’t Design for Comments: Design to Give Readers an Experience

December 3, 2006 by Liz

The Right Thought, Not Far Enough

Customer Think Logo

I talked about design and comments in a post Friday. My theory, based on my experience and continuous conversations with readers, was that design has an impact on whether we leave a comment in response to what we read. I was on the right track, but my thinking was just short of where it should have taken me. I should have gone deeper. I also should have left more room for other folks to add their experiences. Details in such conversations are the the nuggets and the takeaways.

We Break Stuff Said It Better

This morning I read an article from We Break Stuff on design.

What We Break Stuff says is crucial and brilliant.

I’m not talking about large type, gradient and rounded-corner design, but the understand user needs, develop meaningful experiences design. I’m talking about the art of tailoring products to the necessities of the user, creating emotional connections and building compelling solutions.

Emotional Connection — I felt that thought, I recognized it when I read it. We Break Stuff had nailed it.

Let’s take a look at how they propose we give readers a complete and compelling experience.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Customer Think, Design, Strategy/Analysis, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, Customer Think, Design, design-experience, start-ups, We-Break-Things

SOB Business Cafe 10-20-06

October 20, 2006 by Liz

SB Cafe

Welcome to the SOB Cafe

We offer the best in thinking–articles on the business of blogging written by the Successful and Outstanding Bloggers of Successful Blog. Click on the title shots to enjoy each selection.

The Specials this Week are

Brain Based Business wants everyone to know migraine isn’t about stress.

A Migraine Alters Your Brain

Nektros wants the emperor to wear decent clothes.

What You Write Is Important But

Tech Buzz reports on a clever scheme that mashes a click exchange with the 80/20 rule to game the traffic at Digg.

Spike the Vote - A bulletproof way to cheqt Digg

TechZonline didn’t miss a step in getting to know his way around.

I didn't stumble upon stumbleupon.com

Writing, Clear and Simple explains how some reporters only offer half of the information they should.

Creeping passive voice in public discourse

Shards of Consciousness answers a question as basic as day and night.

Why We Sleep

Small Dogs Paradise offers sound advice — perfect information for sharing with kids who will be out this Halloween.

How to Avoid Being Attacked by Dogs

Related ala carte selections include

Christine Kane offers 10 ways to stop choosing disaster.

10 Ways to Set a Powerful Intent

Success CREEations is letting the world know the past doesn’t have to predict the future.

Putting the World on Notice

Sit back. Enjoy your read. Nachos and drinks will be right over. Stay as long as you like.
No tips required. Comments appreciated.

Have a great weekend!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Filed Under: Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, Brain-Based-Business, Christine-Kane, Content, Design, digg, migraine, Nektros, passive-voice, Shards-of-Consciousness, sleep, Small-Dogs-Paradise, Spike-the-Vote, Stumbleupon, Success-CREEations, Tech-Buzz, Techzonline, Writing-Clear-and-Simple

Free Blogspot Templates

June 22, 2006 by Liz

Finally Free Blogspot Templates

I remember when I started my blogspot blog, how hard it was to find any good templates. Now you’ve got some great ones to choose from.

GreatQuestionable? Find: Free BlogSpot Templates
Type of Article: Resource of blogspot templates
Permalink:
http://freeblogspottemplates.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_
freeblogspottemplates_archive.html
Target Audience: Every Blogpsot user

Content: It’s about time someone had mercy on Blogspot users and made some templates with pizzazz. Finally Blogspot goes Web 2.0. This site has archives back to February and has some really cool choices. All they ask for their hard work is that you link back. Not a bad trade for the originality that is offered. Take a look by clicking the title shot below.

Free Blogspot Templates

Why not take this weekend to re-brand your blog or your business? Try new a template to add life and maybe change a bit what you let your readers know about you. A new template can be a great way to catch the attention of new readers . . .

UPDATE: PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS TO THIS POST: mela Says:
That guy at freeblogspottemplates is taking templates found at other sites, stripping them of the link/credit to the site it was found at, and then inserting his own link/credit into the template.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
Great Finds: Over 875 Free WordPress Themes
The Ultimate Blog Directory Handbook: Over 1800+ Submission Sites
Great Finds: EchoEcho on and on and on
Great Find: Easy File Backups

Filed Under: Blog Basics, Design, Successful Blog, Tools Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, Blogspot-templates, Blogspot-themes, curb-appeal, Design, Emily-Robbins, Great Finds, How-to-Blog

Great Finds: Over 875 Free WordPress Themes

June 13, 2006 by Liz

WooHoo!!! All in One Place

Just updated on May 31st — Believe me, there are WAY more WordPress themes and variations here than the title of the post says.

Great Find: Comprehensive list of 875+ Free WordPress 1.5 and 2.0 Themes / Templates available for download
Type of Article: Resource of link throughs to WordPress templates
Permalink: http://www.emilyrobbins.com/how-to-blog/comprehensive-list-of-615-free-wordpress-15-and-20-themes-templates-available-for-download-266.htm
Target Audience: Every WordPress user

Content: Emily Robbins at How to Blog did the work. It shows. Emily not only made the list, she gives the details. She tells you which templates require word 2.0, which offer 3 columns, and which include WordPress widgets support. She even makes notes on specific themes, such as those that are appropriate for photobloggers. This list might not be as pretty as the WordPress Theme Viewer, but I don’t think there is a more useful list available anywhere. To find the list click the title below.

610 comprehensive list of 685 WordPress Themes

Ready to brand your blog or your business properly? Try new WordPress Theme that says what you stand for.

Congratulations and thank you, Emily. Give this woman links and links. She’s earned them.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
The Ultimate Blog Directory Handbook: Over 1800+ Submission Sites
Great Finds: EchoEcho on and on and on
Great Find: Easy File Backups

Filed Under: Blog Basics, Design, Successful Blog, Tech/Stats, Tools Tagged With: bc, blog-promotion, curb-appeal, Design, Emily-Robbins, Great Finds, How-to-Blog, WordPress-Templates, WordPress-Themes

Do You Know Where Your Eyes Go?

June 5, 2006 by Liz

The Eye Is Quicker Than . . .

Customer Think Logo

We know that we have only a blink, a mere second, for a visitor to decide to stay . . . or go. What they see is the gating factor. They take the page in and the decision is theirs.
A few days ago on Seth Godin’s blog, he showed the results of an eye-tracking study. It’s worth a few seconds to see how those “eyeballs,” that marketers talk about, actually take in what they’re looking at. Click the title to go over to youtube tape on Seth’s blog.

What I learned from Eye Tracking

Is it what you expected? How does a designer design for that?

Gives the term page view a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related Articles
Success in a Blink and a Blink Test
Blog Design Checklist

Filed Under: Customer Think, Design, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blink-test, blog-promotion, Customer Think, Design, eye-tracking, page-view, research

Great Find: Create Your Own WordPress Theme

May 25, 2006 by Liz

Something to Do This Weekend

You’ve got some energy and a weekend to change things around. Why not go for it?

Great Find: Blog design 101: Creating your own WordPress theme by Rachel Cunliffe
Type of Article: How-to on WordPress Theme design
Permalink: http://cre8d-design.com/blog/2006/01/27/blog-design-101-creating-your-own-wordpress-theme/
Target Audience: Designers and the brave among others

Content: Rachel Cunliffe, blog (and website) designer from New Zealand, is well known for her work around the blogosphere. She did Darren’s unique Problogger.net design among others. This classic post gives some start up advice and links . . . with more links in the comments . . . and even more links in the related posts. Click the title shot below for a peek. Rachel’s blog, cre8d design, is the real Great Find here.

Create Your Own WordPress Theme

Great design is curb appeal, branding, and promotion.

Thanks Rachel, for giving us a start. We’ll use this until we can hire YOU.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Great Find: 20 Rules of Smart & Successful Web Development
Great Find: Developers Digest Web Design Tips
More Blog Designs to Discuss

Filed Under: Design, Marketing /Sales / Social Media, Personal Branding, Successful Blog Tagged With: bc, blog_promotion, cre8d_design, Darren_Rowse, Design, problogger.net, Rachel_Cunliffe, WordPress_Theme

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