Okay, I just got done going through the OBN Community News. That’s what I do, click on things that sound interesting.
I can’t read half of them. Granted, at 55 I need reading glasses, but they are only 1.25s’ so things aren’t that bad.
I’m talking visual, colors that work together and ones that don’t. Type that works and doesn’t.
White type on black background, vibrates, won’t read it. Actually, any color on black, they all vibrate and are unreadable.
Went to one, grey type on green background. I could tell something was there, but it was unreadable.
Pick a background color, use type of the same color only lighter, unreadable.
Tiny serif type and tiny type in general. Unreadable.
Put that tiny type on a wide variety of different color backgrounds and I start to wonder why you’re even bothering to write. Can’t be read, why bother posting it?
In case you think I’m saying all this with my head up my butt, I have a degree in fine art and know color. I’m a trained typographer/production artist that has worked for some of the best design studios in the Chicago area for the past 27 years.
I can’t tell you what to use and how to design your blog, but I can tell you whether or not it works and is readable.
I have no doubt you’re all writing some interesting things. I may never know since I can’t read your blog.
Find a friend, have them look over your pages. Find a couple of old friends and have them do the same. Tell them to be brutally honest with you and let you know if they can read that tiny little serif red type on that black background.
Or that light green tiny serif type on the barely darker green background.
I wonder how many views you’re missing because someone looks at it, can’t read it, doesn’t bother bookmarking it and never goes back.
Like I do.
(My wife told me I’m in a pissy mood today, sorry in advance).
Erin Block
15 Jun 2011Can I please 2nd everything you said here…something like 5 times?! Guess I must be in a pissy mood today too. 😉
Mari
15 Jun 2011Tell ’em, Bro!
Ken G
16 Jun 2011I knew you’d like that. Did you notice the “follow comments by email” under this box?
ME NEITHER.
I can’t find how to make the damn type bigger and blacker. Like I want to search through thousands of words of cryptic code just to make type bigger and blacker. Another rant coming?
In case anyone actually reads this, Mari is a designer, hire her to make your blog look better.
Mari, I’ll do all the grunt work.
Steve
16 Jun 2011I totally agree. I was cruising some sites yesterday and came across one wth ELECTRIC LIME GREEN on Black. My eyes bled for three hours and as soon as I clicked on the site I hit that back key after realizing I couldnt read one word.
The sad truth is that kid could have had some great stories in there. Ill never know. 🙁
Somtimes if Im determined Ill drag my mouse over the text and read it that way with the text “selected”. Usually its not worth it however.
Quill Gordon
16 Jun 2011Nothing but agreement here.
Fontinalis Rising
17 Jun 2011Hmmmmm… Good points. I struggled with those decisions when I started mine and chose the black background because I thought it highlighted the photography better. My cousin is a graphic designer- I may have to consult with him.
Still, I do think that it must piss off mag publishers and other professionals such as yourself that with Blogger and WordPress any jackass can turn out reasonably good looking work that used to take a whole team of pros to produce. It may explain the mood.
Now if they would just start using spell-check.
Ken G
17 Jun 2011I know on Flickr you can put a black border around the pictures while all copy is still black on white. I never did look into if that’s possible with WP. But with type, it’s a form of torture.
With all the decent themes available, it’s hard to get it wrong. But when it’s wrong, it’s horribly wrong. Sometimes I think people are afraid to ask an opinion. As long as you take it as constructive criticism and not personally, everybody wins.
That’s been the cool thing about being with OBN. I’m finding a lot of good writers out there that I never would have found otherwise. Now they need to make the stuff readable.
I’m with you on spell check, inexcusable unless it’s intentional, u know wad I mean?
My wife had surgery a week ago. I’ve been hanging close to home as a just in case, no fishing. Last night she kicked me out to go fishing. My moods a little better today.
Fontinalis Rising
17 Jun 2011I hope your wife is recovering and I’m glad you got out again. I know that when I started my blog it was a little frightening, expressing myself publicly in a way I never had before. I think it may be that way for most bloggers starting out. As most of us are just avid outdoors people who want to share our experiences, notions of editing, font choice and art direction are completely foreign. I’ve gotten some first-rate advice from pros in both the publishing and blogging biz, but because blogging is just a hobby I still haven’t implemented everything. I will when I get the time. In the end I feel that you gave sound advice and just ask that you have mercy on us who are substituting enthusiasm for exp
Ken G
17 Jun 2011So far my wife is doing pretty good. Climbing the walls and doing things against doctors orders, but she was warned. I love saying I told you so.
I think I left my first “story” on a fishing forum in 1998. There are hundreds of them out there. After awhile it’s no different than a conversation with friends. That’s pretty much how I treat them now.
A friend calls it Speaking in Absolutes, my mom calls it Brutally Honest. But I do mean well, I have no tact. If you ever want an absolute honest answer on just about anything, just ask. 🙂
I do read a lot of blogs. I think I will start contacting people if I’m having trouble reading one. It has to be helpful on some level I would think.
Fontinalis Rising
18 Jun 2011I now officially hate my iPhone and will not attempt to leave comments with it anymore.
I’d appreciate input. I’m always looking for ways to improve the blog. I think that with owning my own business I’m more inclined to treat my blog in the same fashion and take some criticism. My point before my phone so rudely posted before I was ready (I know, don’t blame the machine) was that most of our blogs are run on enthusiasm without the benefit of professional experience. Perhaps if you or other pros find content you like, i.e. good writing, you might kindly offer some tips. You’ve already indicated you might do this, I’m just trying to finish my sentence.