Prioritize Your Blog Into 5 Distinct Groups
52In the first post, What Is Design Clutter?, we talked about how clutter is caused by too many objects competing for attention.
The problem for any blogger is choosing which objects should get attention and which shouldn’t. It’s hard to accept that something you went to the trouble of putting on your page isn’t worth actively promoting (Because it will steal attention from the things that really do matter).
Separating The Wheat from The Chaff
The best way to avoid clutter and make sure that the valuable parts of your blog are properly promoted is to make a clear list of your priorities. Once it’s written down, it will make design decisions much easier.
Write out a list of every element on your blog (From the blog title right down to the post date!), and then run each aspect through this flowchart:
You now have 5 clear cut priority levels, and you can design your blog accordingly.
Groups 1, 2 and 3 need to be in the highest positions and in the most noticeable colors etc. However group 4 only has to be there withoutgrabbing attention, and group 5 will only be seen by those few (e.g. Your loyal readers) who actually take the time to explore your site.
With your priorities firmly written down in paper, it becomes much easier to organize your blog with a level head. You won’t need to worry about your primary goals being lost amidst the secondary ones.
In the final post of this mini-series, I will talk about how prominence for your most important objects can be achieved through design.
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now if we could just get everyone to start doing this…
We will eventually, one blogger at a time. :D
(Although, if you want to speed things up by getting every single person out there to subscribe to this blog, I’ve no problem with that! ;) )
great post i will take all this into counter because im redesigning my website for 2008!
Simplicity of thought which we sometimes do not realise. Your tips above are spot on! I am actually quite happy with the looks of my blog now, save perhaps the header… still pondering whether I should change it.
I think I’ll try using them a little more often in my posts. (And I’m pretty damn proud that someone would print out something.
WOW, this looks like a dichotomous key to me :D
Michael,
I’ve nominated you for the Nice Matters Award. Find info in my post: http://www.writersnotes.net/nice-matters-award-a-bloggers-gift/ .
Take care!
Jeanne
Great post! I’ll use this chart to consider where to put what elements
I couldn’t see myself going through all these steps ;)
Michael,
Great visual post! This really brings a lot of information in one visual picture. You can read all day long about how to clean and prioritize your blog, but this really helps.
@ Brad, I think if you start doing this, you will realize that it will become second nature pretty quickly.
I’m gonna print this off and post it above my desk for future reference! Thanks again!
Grant – Looking forward to seeing that!
Pablapabla – Usability often does have an extremely simple bit of common sense under it all. :D
Pelf – Glad that it’s clear. The diagram saved me a fair bit of waffling!
Jeanne – Thanks!
Nice – Cool. I find it a useful little process to run-through when I’m stuck.
Brad – It becomes intuitive quite quickly. Laying the process out in full like this keeps everything clear in your head though. :)
Elliot – I’m glad you liked the diagram. I think I’ll try using them a little more often in my posts. (And I’m pretty damn proud that someone would print out something I wrote! :D )
Michael,
You’re very welcome!
Jeanne
The diagram is great! I guess it falls under group 4 – it helps the reader gain most of the information at a glance.
Forrest – I hadn’t thought of running the diagram itself through the diagram! Well done, and yes, I’d agree entirely. :)
Great post, I’m putting this in this week’s Sunday Seven! Thanks for teh diagram too. Seeing the pieces laid out helps to drive the information home. I’ll need to take a 2nd (& 3rd & 4th look at my blog!
Suzanne, thanks for the link. And I’m glad you liked the diagram. I think I’ll start trying to include as many of them as possible in my posts. They’re a little more fun (And easier!) to read from than a block of text often is. :)
This is an extremely useful post. I like how you simplified it with diagram. Now I know what stuff I should get rid of. Thanks
Great information. This can really help so much to many. I believe this blog can really go far.
you know as a rule in theory everything looks so complicated, but this post seems so easy to be implemented in practice that even a newbie (like me) feel sure about his success. great!
Thanks for taking this opportunity to discuss this,
I feel strongly about it and I take pleasure in learning about this topic.
If possible, as you gain information, please add to this blog with new information.
I have found it extremely useful.
I liked your idea about too many things competing for attention. It always happen when you have no idea what is the main thing that you want to say or show. And the best way to decide is to make everything look very simple. This is what you do with the help of diagram – make all thoughts look simple. So one can easily see what’s main and what’s secondary. And it is really great!
The diagram is great! I guess it falls under group 4 – it helps the reader gain most of the information at a glance.
A lot of thanks for this diagram for the usefulness and significance is overwhelming.
Great! The diagram have illustrate clearly on how it works. I will apply this to my blog.
It’s very really excellent diagram and thank you for sharing your blogs, you can manage and apply your self doing better an individual works.
Great method for a initiate blogger…
I will test your graph. I hope my blog will be more attractive….
A must read for every blogger.
Thanks for sharing.
The design tips are awesome.
Cool sharing.
Every blogger should use these tips.
Loved the article.
Ive been looking for kinds of this info for a long time. Interesting post!
Thank you for bringing more information to this topic for me. I’m truly grateful and really impressed.
I guess it falls under group and helps the reader gain most of the information at a glance.
I think I’ll try using them a little more often in my posts. (And I’m pretty damn proud that someone would print out something.
I personally just like to use a list of categories for broad subjects and then round it by using a tag cloud so the reader can jump to the topics that interest them the most quickly
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Nice artcile. Most people do not realize that the design effects if people like the site and use it more often. If the design is bad most people will not come back to the website.
Fine work and tips to make a blog with good design.
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Very good illustration. I have also read from other posts that you can make money by just categorizing your posts.
I can say it from here that you are an excellent website theme developer. Well Done!
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Thanks for the nice piece of work.Divided your blog into 5 distinct groups is really a good way to enrich your blog.Thanks for showing the way.
great post i will take all this into counter because im redesigning my website .
I am grateful for the information given. Thank you for being so generous enough to have shared your knowledge with us.