New Blog Design (v6) and Direction

You may have noticed the new design layout as soon as I published the previous blog post but I wanted to dedicate a blog post about it which details why I went with a design like this plus the blog’s new direction.

I may have been excessively using the phrase ‘new direction’ in my posts as that’s something I seem to be throwing around ever since I got a day job and had less time to write. But the reason why I wanted to touch upon that is because the new layout is very clean and also doesn’t have any sidebar anymore.

Sidebars are synonymous with blogs especially if the blog aims to monetize through ads however this blog hasn’t been really making any money anymore nor is it pressured to do so. In the past I’ve made money through advertisements in general and even when I became less active, I still kinda left a section for ads in the sidebar which was  usually plastered with affiliate banners of products/services that I use if the ad spot is not taken.

Now without a sidebar, coupled with a pretty clean  layout, it becomes even more of a personal blog where I can focus on writing things as they come to mind without any pressure whatsoever of appeasing potential advertisers. It also allows me to focus on the blog as a personal brand where the look can reflect back on me as a person and what I do career-wise.

It’s almost like an online portfolio, but not strictly since I’m not really showcasing anything other than my crappy writing. So it’s quite different than say a portfolio of a graphic designer or a web developer where they can easily showcase their work quite prominently. Mine is really just a blog, a personal one that highlights my personality and perhaps the nature of what I do albeit in a very subtle way.

The layout  forces me to make use of images and photos that blend with the design. I’ve dabbled with photography years ago and maybe this allows me to rekindle and refresh my interest on the hobby. Some of you know that I’m allergic to making use of imagery in my blogs so this gives me an opportunity to change that.

All in all, the design changes mirror my blogging journey and the direction I’m heading to. Majority of my time spent with it was with the aim of making money having started during my college days, scrimping money to pay for a domain name and hosting, and staying up all night writing up content and networking with as many bloggers as humanly possible.

I made some money here and there and enjoyed the whole ride but I ultimately took a more normal path after school. Found a job that allowed me to grow but at the same time still continued blogging with a different goal.

Hope you like the new design and if not, feel free to leave comments with your feedback. 🙂