After yesterday’s yak about design, I thought it would be good to post some sites from which I get inspiration, or sites where there are different design elements that I really like. That way, once my rebuild is complete, you can see for yourself whether or not I have coppied the inspiration, or the outcome.
I will add to this list as I find other inspiration
UPDATE: The list is far from complete: I ran out of time before posting. I know most of these are ‘A-listers’ in the blog and/or web design world but I don’t want to be just another ‘me too’ copycat. These are in no particular order.
Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.
Pablo Picasso’s statement (often misquoted as “Good artists copy. Great artists steal.”) is something that I have no problem with. I’m under no illusions about my design skill. I do copy. Being labelled as a ‘bad artist’ by Picasso is a valid criticism. Although I try to copy the inspiration, not the outcome as suggested by Cameron Moll.
If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
Unlike Isaac Newton, I’m still climbing up the giants. I’m nowhere near sitting on their shoulders.
So where does this leave me? I’ve never studied design, art or any creative subjects. Unfortunately I’m one of those ‘I know what I like when I see it’ kind of people, but I am trying to learn about good design.
I’ve already decided to stick to the 2 (or 3) column layout. It’s part of meeting expectations: blog users generally expect blogs to be laid-out a certain way. I have nothing innovative that requires me to change it.
Colours are something I’m not very good with. I’ll probably just pick something from the top 10 designers’ colours and base a palette on that. Or maybe one of my photos. Font selection is a mystery to me.
I’ll take my inspiration from the what I see around: online and off. Rough sketches will follow. Critique is appreciated.
A while back I wrote about my #1 Google phrases. Guess what? I’m #1 for the phrase “#1 Google phrases” (I don’t know why I bothered to look). Also, I’ve made page 1 for “coolest websites” (7) and “coolest looking websites” (4).
While it’s not “cool websites” it still brings in a bit of traffic (part of the long tail)
“bmx for everybody” still pulls up this page (and this one at #2). I’m still #1 for Joseph Lindsay, #2 for Joe Lindsay and #2 for specialist generalist and #1 for just like everybody else.
So as Richard asked earlier, what are you number one for?
So far so good. I have installed John Sinteur’s ‘Block-lists anti-spam measures‘.
Not a single spam comment since. Woohoo! 
