I chose the Journalist design for my Blog. I liked its simplicity in design right off the bat. I take my news at least a little seriously, so I chose to present mine in form that, to me, seemed reminiscent of the clean style of newspapers. The site still allows for widgets and features a few options to play with the on the front page. A main page can be designed or the newest blog can be the focus, the design allows for a bit of personalization, but the focus is on the writing, on the topic.

I love The Daily Show and I think journalism has plenty of room for levity, plenty of room for jokes and irony. But there is also a need for the discussion of important topics to be taken seriously. Not everything has to be hip or cool, funny or controversial. Each page and update has the ability to be presented with eye catching graphics or fonts, but the site as whole I look forward to presenting as a serious page, that with any luck will speak to, and begin discussions when possible, on serious topics.

The script is serious without being old fashioned or stilted. A few fonts are spread around the page, eye catching and noticeable, highlighting separate topics and point. But it all flows well and it all looks intelligent. A good place, I think, for conversations to start and news to be printed.

_____________________________ Updated 7/8/13______

In order to customize my Blog more personally, I looked at the article “40 Impressive Dark Websites for Inspiration,” and chose a blog that offered a little visual contrast, with a dark personal picture, a copy of my signature smoke in the dark avatar.

The blog article “Backgrounds in Web Design: Examples and Best Practices,” discusses the evolution of blogs over the last decade, and how far the presentation of these, generally self-designed and self-hosted pages have come. What may have started as digital paper, with a visual image or two followed by copy, has become a plethora of personal windows, when best done offering a glimpse into the author’s mind and the blog’s content, that hopes to draw new viewers, fans or interactions from new visitors.