The evolving craft of designing blogs

The craft of designing and developing blogs is always changing, and the endless ways people use blogging tools never cease to amaze me. Beyond the regular updates rolled out by WordPress and other platforms, an unimaginable amount of plugin code is constantly being written to add almost any feature you can imagine. Over time, we’ve moved from simple subscribe options to a myriad of sharing choices, all competing for space.

But for me, the excitement in blog design isn’t about the latest feature—it’s about content. I’m interested in what people are blogging about, what makes their content unique, and what they’re adding to the world with each post. How might new visitors want to explore their archives? It’s not just about providing archives by date, tag, or category; it’s about creating an experience that fits the content itself.

Design without a clear focus on content misses the mark, and that’s why I often struggle with generic themes. While I’ve toyed with the idea of releasing a generic theme, I keep coming back to the same issue: by nature, a generic theme sacrifices specificity. These themes may look beautiful in a preview, but the true test is how they’ll look—and function—with your content.

When content gets lost amid unnecessary elements, it’s a real shame. At the end of the day, blogging is about content. I’ve had potential clients who’ve never blogged before and can’t provide any draft content, yet they expect to maintain a complex magazine-style blog on their own. It’s worth considering the work involved in maintaining a print magazine—how many people contribute to its content and how often it’s published. Blogs, on the other hand, are typically expected to be updated daily, and magazine-style themes require even more from the blogger: high-quality images, frequent content updates, and a well-organized homepage.

Blogging is ultimately about content. (Yes, I am repeating myself.) Choosing a blog design needs to reflect what you’re writing about in more than just a “pretty design” sort of way. Consider your writing frequency, post length, content style, and the needs of your readers. Focus less on aesthetics and more on how the design supports your content.

The mantra “content is king” may be overused, but it holds true. Next time you’re considering a redesign, think of it as organizing your unique content rather than just refreshing your look.