After a late start I'm getting the feel for blogging and the Web 2.0 world. But I'm still having some teething problems. For starters, despite the fact that I spent far too much time playing around with the layout/background of my blog on Saturday, you wouldn't really know that I had. Im still unhappy with how it looks - bland and definitely not eye catching.
So part of the plan for the next 3 weeks is to come up with a layout and design that I'm happy with and to explore the different functionalities that Blogger allows. At the moment Blogger seems quite limiting with its templates and what it allows to be upload as a background. I had grand ideas but the photo size is so small (300k in size) that by the time id reduced the quality in the images I wanted to use they looked fuzzy and of poor quality. I've had a look at some of our classmates' blogs (can't put links up as per rules of privacy) and there are some much more competently displayed blogs...
I think it matters how a blog is presented - especially if it is created for a professional purpose. The Librarian in Black blog I looked at in the previous post had lots of thought put into its presentation, and although it wasn't a design that I would choose it fitted to that particular blogger.
This task is definitely making me realise how low my skill set is (shhhh...) with Web 2.0 tools.
Next area to explore is twitter which I confess to knowing nothing about so we'll see how that goes..
I for one find your background very nice.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think your blog looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you comments around the importance of presentation. I remember watching a documentary about Google which suggested that a large part of Google's success was to do with its clean, simple style in a world where search engines were (and still are really) cluttered with adds, pictures, tool bars etc. Google's iconic expanse of blank space reduces information overload/information anxiety, thus facilitating a much more pleasurable experience for the user.
The structure and presentation of a search engine, software program, blog or 'document' is so important because it governs how we access and use the information.
On that note, I think you're totally on the right track.
Blog on!
Hello Ellen
ReplyDeleteSorry but I've only just added you into my 'follow' list - sorry about that.
I've been mucking around with my blog too and changed the background as well but must ask Emily how you do your own background as she has her cartoons.
Hi Ellen, I think your blog (I keep typing in bog!) looks really good. I like your background. I still have to improve the look of my blog, but need to work out how to do it and fiddle around with it.
ReplyDelete