At a Glance; Table of Contents; Introduction; About This Book; Foolish Assumptions; Conventions Used in This Book; Icons Used in This Book; Beyond the Book; Where to Go from Here; Part I: Getting Started with Blog Design; Chapter 1: Recognizing Components of a Well-Designed Blog; Knowing Why Blog Design Matters; Discovering How Readers Visually Travel Your Blog; Using Design Elements That Complement Your Message; Creating a Great-Looking Blog (When You Aren't a Designer); Looking at Available Tools; Chapter 2: Applying Core Design Principles; Providing Structure with Proximity
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Deciding Who Designs Your BlogChapter 6: Selecting Fonts and Colors; Choosing Fonts; Choosing Colors; Chapter 7: Developing Your Overall Blog Layout; Getting Familiar with Common Layout Types; Selecting a Blog Theme; Exploring Ways to Showcase Blog Posts on Your Home Page; Deciding Where to Place Advertising; Chapter 8: Customizing Your Header, Footer, and Background; Expressing Visual Identity with a Strong Blog Header; Enhancing Navigation with a Blog Footer; Polishing Your Design with a Blog Background; Chapter 9: Customizing the Design with Coding Basics
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Seeing How HTML and CSS Work TogetherBasic HTML Every Blogger Should Know; Basic CSS Every Blogger Should Know; Accessing the CSS in Your Blogging Platform; Inspecting Your Blog with Firebug; Part III: Designing for Easy Navigation and Interactivity; Chapter 10: Navigation and SEO Basics; Discovering the Mission of Good Navigation; Easing Navigation with SEO-optimized Blog Components; Making Your Blog Mobile-Friendly; Chapter 11: Laying Out Your Navigation Menu and Sidebars; Introducing Important Content with a Navigation Menu; Putting Together Your Navigation Menu
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Showcasing Key Information with a SidebarIdentifying Elements to Build a Sidebar; Including Visual Design within Your Sidebar; Staying Clear of Sidebar Distractions; Chapter 12: Making Content Easy to Find; Giving Visitors the Opportunity to Explore; Making Sure Visitors Find What They're After; Organizing with Categories and Tags; Helping Readers Find Old Content; Increasing Reach by Highlighting Your Blog Posts; Chapter 13: Increasing Ability to Share and Interact; Exploring Sharing Buttons for Your Blog Posts; Managing Comments; Highlighting Social Media Profiles
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Using RepetitionCreating Contrast; Aligning Design Elements; Chapter 3: Getting to Know Your Blog (Even Better); Creating Goals for a Strong Design; Defining Your Writing; Understanding Your Audience; Chapter 4: Establishing a Style Guide; Exploring the Benefits of a Style Guide; Identifying Elements to Include; Creating Your Style Guide; Developing Guidelines for Blogs with Multiple Contributors; Part II: Choosing the Visual Design Elements; Chapter 5: Gathering Design Ideas; Creating a Mood Board -- And Why; Studying Other Blogs; Digging into Blog Analytics to Improve Navigation Design
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
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The average blogger does not typically have experience with design or coding, but that shouldn't deter them from having a professional-looking blog design. This friendly and easy-to-understand guide provides you with the tools you need to establish a creative, unique, and aesthetically memorable blog without having to learn how to code beyond some basic CSS. Whether you're looking to write for a major brand, become a brand ambassador, sell a product, acquire new clients, advocate for a cause, or simply tell a story, you'll find design tricks, helpful techniques, and invaluable advice for cr