It’s a new design. It’s a new style. It’s a new look for me… and it’s feeling good! If you receive this article in your e-mail or reader, click on the TITLE of the article which brings you over to my home page where you can see what I’m talking about!
I’m sure you’ve never thought much about what goes into a blog design. When I started blogging in November of 2009, I honestly didn’t know if this would take off or if I would even like blogging. Sherra of Standout Impressions designed a header, taught me the basics of using Word Press and away I went! Not that there haven’t been a few bumps along the way. I’ve learned a lot thanks to Sherra who also does some of the background work on the blog I don’t understand, and she even proofreads for me occasionally. Did I mention that Sherra lives in Atlanta? Yes Georgia. Goes to show all of this can be done long distance.
I thought today, on the day of the big “unveiling”, I’d share all the thought behind this and give credit to those involved in helping me make it possible.
Sherra and I talked about a re-design last fall. She’s followed my blog and seen it evolve. I liked headers I’d seen with real photos, but we weren’t sure exactly what direction to go. She designed a new logo and header that captured my style. We questioned whether to change that part of my look at this stage. Since Style by Karen is not exactly a “household word” yet, we decided it was appropriate to convey what my blog is all about with the design. The fonts and brackets give it a more a contemporary feel which is indicative of how my personal style has evolved. The font used for Style is perfect and the font used for Karen is similar to my own signature.
Part of the plan was to have new photos taken. I made an appointment with Lara Blair, a local photographer whose work I’ve admired for years. We focused on head shots and casual three-quarter and full length shots. You will see those photos on the About page as well as the Press page and home page. Lara is an extremely creative photographer. She’s spent many years doing the formal studio photos; it will be great to see her branch out even more in a new direction. Lara does a great job of helping you feel comfortable in front of the camera. Remember, I hate having my photos taken! I was very happy with the results. You can see her new look and blog at Modern Prairie Girl.
There was a bit of white space to the right of the logo and we weren’t quite sure what was to go there. I had an idea of some images, but when I met with Lara those ideas were just in their infancy. While we tried to get some object photos; I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted. Should they be separate or all in one photo?
Enter Kate Singh of Aevum Images. I received her card at a networking meeting and we set up a time to have coffee. I actually wanted to talk about before/after photos of clients. I mentioned my blog design and had a few photos of some ideas. Kate had experience with this and was up for the challenge. I went to her studio with a bunch of “stuff”. I chose objects that depict what I love, evoke my personal style and of course worked into the color scheme. It also conveys my ability to find great pieces for less (each piece from a different store and none were full price).
I looked at magazine layouts prior to the appointment to get ideas. We draped, we fussed, we moved things back and forth to get the perfect combination. Kate saw things I didn’t and I noticed other details. We made a great team. I have a whole new appreciation for ad layouts by the way!
Kate took a few shots. I had e-mailed her the screen shot of my header and what space we had to work with. She immediately cropped the photo and placed in the header so we could see the placement and spacing. This was so helpful. It really gave us the idea of what the look needed to be. Kate has a graphic design background and has an excellent eye. Her site has great examples of her style and award winning work! Be sure and click on all the links and check out the work from all these talented women!
I then e-mailed Sherra the final photo. Her response was “I LOVE IT! It is SO you!” I loved it too.
Three weeks, many e-mails, several phone calls later I now have new menu bar (be sure and look at all the tabs) and the sidebar is a little different as well. There is still work to do and things to add. I’ll be writing a little more next week about some other changes.
There you have it, my new look created with a true collaborative cross-country effort. A big thank you to Sherra, Lara and Kate for helping me put this together.
I will look forward to your comments. I would love to know what you think!
