In 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:

Clutter 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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