A Blog Overhaul?

Author: J. Angelo Racoma Category: Blogs and blogging, Design Tags: blogging, blogging-pro, Design, layout, theme, Usability, wordpress Views: 10955

Tuesday
Mar 27, 2007

I have (finally) updated to the latest version of WordPress, 2.1.2. Now I’m thinking of overhauling the site’s look. I’ve been favoring the Blogging Pro theme, which was recently released to the public by my former colleagues at the Bloggy Network (actually we’re still working pretty closely together on some projects). Check out Study Driving. After a couple of theme changes (including Cutline and Torn), I’ve settled with the pleasing three-column layout that is the BP theme.

Now, I’ve always strived to keep the J Spot as simple and straightforward as possible, and with the best possible usability in mind (I try). However, sometimes I think the narrow theme (optimized for 800px) gets too constricting.

What would you say to a blog overhaul?

I won’t exactly throw away everything and build up from scratch. I mean that’s bad for SEO. I’ll likely still be applying the same elements (text, navigation links, etc.) but over a new layout. I’ll be experimenting with a new look sometime within the day (while my FTP client does some WP uploading/upgrading across a bunch of other sites).

Jhay Rocas has already done it. His blog used to sport the same Hemmed theme. Now he’s using the Blogging Pro theme. (And incidentally, his blog is now more popular than mine, according to use.com.ph ).

Then again, I’d still prefer a mid to large font theme like the one fellow blogheralderLorelle on WP uses. I probably need to tweak Elena’s (of Design Disease) BP design a bit.

I’d love to hear from you.

J. Angelo Racoma is a technology journalist and blogger. See more of his blog posts here at racoma.com.ph, commentaries at racoma.net, and Twitter feed at @jangelo.

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jhay

March 27th, 2007 at 1:32 pm

I’m still planning on doing some tweaks to the CSS of the BP theme. Like putting up a home link on the TopMenu bar, I just can’t get it to work. Then changing color schemes maybe, but the white+blue combo is already perfect.

I was so happy this theme worked with UTW out-of-the-box!

J. Angelo Racoma

March 27th, 2007 at 2:57 pm

Ah finally. Tweaks done. I hope I didn’t forget anything. But then again I’m privvy to some info that a really really great theme is coming out in a few weeks. It’s going to be exciting!

Ah, well. At least I got to test the waters.

sexy mom

March 27th, 2007 at 3:06 pm

wow! angelo! The D Spot would surely like to follow suit…

Alex

March 27th, 2007 at 4:09 pm

Aaah… the famed Blogging Pro theme. I was supposed to use it, but figured many others will be using it too. It just looks sooo neat and nice.

AhmedF

March 28th, 2007 at 12:55 am

We have another free theme coming out of BloggingPro soooon.

jhay

March 28th, 2007 at 6:52 am

Another theme from the BloggingPro? Wow! I’m excited already.

J. Angelo Racoma

March 28th, 2007 at 7:42 am

You might also want to check out “Performancing Themes”:http://themes.performancing.com/ . We have a new one out: “NightLife”:http://themes.performancing.com/?p=4 which I think is pretty cool (easy on the eyes).