After looking over a post on Design Meltdown about the Top 20 Most Popular Blog Colors I had to give a big thanks to rss feeds. As I looked over the designs of the blogs I was just turned off by the bad designs most of them had. The interesting thing is, is that I read a lot of the ones listed but I use google reader to do so. I vary rarely visit the actual website and if I had to I would probably stop reading them. Unfortunately, most of the blogs are just covered in advertisements and clutter.

Among the worst designs and color selections is Techcrunch. Over 1/3 of the site is pure advertisements, which is good for Michael Arrington but it is a huge distraction to the blog posts. Again, thank goodness for feed readers.

Among the better designed blogs are Seth Godin's Blog which is clean and simple and you're not distracted by the clutter of advertising.

Of course, the fact that these site have the most links to there site by other blogs tells me that the world isn't concerned with how the site looks or they are like me, using a feed reader and never visiting the website.

Labels: Bad Design, blogs, Design Meltdown, Websites

This comes from a blog I read, Designers Who Blog. It is a list of blogs that don't get the attention they deserve. Plus you are suppose to add a few of your own. I haven't been through the whole list yet but there are a few I had to remove because I didn't agree with the content. I'm sure there will be more.

There are at least two that I constantly read that aren't on here;
Authentic Boredom
NorthTemple
and of course I need to add mine, 325studio

Here is the full list;
325studio
AENDirect
aialone
akira media design
Authentic Boredom
Being Peter Kim
Billions With Zero Knowledge
Beyond Madison Avenue
bizandbuzz
bizsolutionsplus
Blog Till You Drop!
Bob Sutton
brainbasedbiz
brainbasedbusiness
brandcurve
Branding & Marketing
Branding Strategy Insider
brandsizzle
Buzz Canuck
Buzzoodle
christine kane
Chuan Zhi
CKs Blog
Cobalt Paladin
Community Guy
Constant Change
Conversation Agent
Converstations
Creative Think
Critical Fluff
Daphne Loo
darrenbarefoot.com
Design Sojourn
Diva Marketing
Dmitry Linkov
Drew’s Marketing Minute
eSoup
expresswhatwasonceinexpressible
Flooring the Consumer
Frozen Puck
Funny Business
gDiapers
Get Shouty!
Golden Practices
Gratisvibes
Hee-Haw Marketing
hypocritical
Inside the Marketing Mind
instigator blog
Jeremy Latham’s Blog
John Wagner
Kinetic Ideas
Lih Shin
Linda Chua
Logic + Emotion
MapleLeaf 2.0
Mac’s Money blog
Marketing Hipster
Marketing Nirvana
marketingminute
Masey.com
metaverse
Mindblob
More than a living
moviemarketingmadness
Multi-Cult Classics
New Millenium PR
NewsPaperGrl
Nick Rice
Nofi.org
NorthTemple
Note to CMO:
On Influence & Automation
One Reader at a Time
Open The Dialogue
OTOInsights
Own Your Brand!
owrightbetweentheeyes
Pardon My French
Perspective
PigWisdom.com
Popcorn n Roses
Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Andy Nulman’s Blog About Surprise
Presentation Zen
rebang
Roger C. Parker Design to Sell Blog
russell davies
Scott Burkett’s Pothole on the Infobahn
Sek Ling
Servant of Chaos
Shimmer
Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid!
Small Surfaces
SMogger Social Media Blog
Social Media on the fly
Soloride
somewhereovertherainbow
steves2cents
strategicdesignmarketing&brandingthoughts
Successful Blog
Success Creeations
Sweska
Tell Ten Friends
That’s Great Marketing!
The Branding Blog
The Copywriting Maven
the curious shopper
The Emerging Brand
The Engaging Brand
The Frager Factor
The Instigator Blog
The Marketing Minute
The New PR
The Qualitative Research Blog
The Sartorialist
think positive
thoughtsphilosophies.com
trizoko
Troy Worman’s Blog
Two Hat Marketing
U-Fong
Unconventional Thinking
UZYN.com
Viaspire
We’re not wired right
Whippleworld
Woolgathering
Word Sell
Work, in Plain English
Working at Home on the Internet
Writing, Clear and Simple
Xiao Luo
youalreadyknowthisstuff

Labels: blogs, z-lister

In response to a contest on the Andy Budd website, here is my response.

Dear Santa,

It is interesting that this contest came up because I was just trying to figure out how to tell my wife that I was going to buy this book. It has been on my to-do list (rememberthemilk.com) for some time now (convincing my wife) but I really need a good book and reference for css.
I have been doing some research on the best book to get, because I can't afford all of them, and this book keeps coming up. I have been in print design for awhile and lately I have had a drive to really learn web design and css. I feel this is the best book for me to get and the free aspect makes it even better. I really hope that I get this book because then I can stop searching to make sure this is the best one. I can put it all to rest.
I recently updated my site using css and feel that I didn't do it the right way. I am currently working on some other sites and need this book to make sure all those id's and classes are in the right spot. I downloaded the sample chapters and even the sample codes to see if I could learn anything. I was able to pick up on some stuff but you bringing me the CSS Mastery book would make it a lot easier. I want to design and code my sites in a way that is pleasing to you, Santa.
I have never met you, Andy, Cameron, or Simon, but I love you all. I love to read your blogs and I think that the work that you guys do is amazing. Well, I can't find any website designs by you Santa, but the others are great.

So to summarize why I should get a free book and iPod.

1. I'm poor and don't have any money to spend on books.
2. I'm not going to be able to convince my wife.
3. I need a good reference book.
4. I put a pretty picture of the book up.

Labels: blogs, contest, css