Do you know that, on average, 8M+ blog posts are published every day? This equates to 5,750 blog posts published each and every minute! With so many options available, it becomes hard for readers to cherry-pick what interests them.
That makes it a must for bloggers to ponder over what makes a blog successful. Is it engaging content or an aesthetic blog theme? Undoubtedly, modern blogs require both to win their audience’s attention. But it’s true that 94% of first impressions are design-related.
Let’s zero in on why the blog design is an important factor in a blog’s overall success. Then, we’ll look at the most successful blogs with great content and aesthetic design. Lastly, we’ll discuss unconventional tips to write a blog that takes care of both.
Why Is Blog Design Important
Source: Freepik
A well-thought-out design is as important as the content you create for your blog. It enriches the visual appeal. To add to that, it influences user engagement and brand perception. But without getting to the core of design’s impact on humans, it’d be challenging to appreciate its significance.
An aesthetically pleasing blog stimulates the readers’ sight. Then, it immediately triggers their emotions of joy, curiosity, or even inspiration. Thoughtful layouts, colors, and images appeal to their subconscious. As a result, they create a pleasurable experience that encourages readers to stay on the blog post longer. This stimulates dopamine release, deepening the reader’s connection to your blog and promoting further engagement.
Now, let’s see how 9 important design elements help bloggers captivate their readers’ attention right away!
| Design Element | Importance |
|---|---|
| Logo | Establishes brand identity |
| Navbar | Guides navigation across web pages |
| Theme | Sets tone and align styling |
| Color | Creates unity and evokes emotions |
| Fonts | Improves legibility by reflecting style |
| Layout | Organizes content to improve readability |
| Graphics | Complements text to enrich the narrative |
| Consistency | Strengthens brand and builds familiarity |
| Responsiveness | Adapts design to suit all devices (📱,💻) |
Check out these blog website examples to see what they are doing right to keep visitors engaged.
How do design and content work in sync for balance
Source: Freepik
Steve Jobs was spot-on when he said: “The design is not just what it looks like and feels like. The design is how it works.” Put simply, great content and premium design go hand in hand. You cannot overlook any aspect because lacking one cancels the other’s effect. Let’s see below how it works in practice as an interesting principle of AND gate in physics:
❌ How NOT to look at it:
Great Content (1) + Aesthetic Design (0) = Successful Blog (1) 👎
✔️ How to do it RIGHT:
Great Content (1) * Aesthetic Design (0) = Successful Blog (0) 👎
Great Content (0) * Aesthetic Design (1) = Successful Blog (0) 👎
Great Content (1) * Aesthetic Design (1) = Successful Blog (1) 👍
For blog design inspiration, check out our blog design template to help you get an ‘oh, that’s just what I needed’ kinda blog inspo!
Where to Get Blog Design Inspiration From – Top 5 Blogs
Till now, we discussed important concepts about blog design inspiration to understand how it improves user experience. Now, let’s explore some examples of creative blog design to get inspiration. They are the epitome of out-of-the-box blog design ideas that keep readers glued to the screen.
Wait But Why
Source: Wait But Why
Tim Urban and Andrew Finn cofounded Wait But Why in 2013. The blog has a community of 600K+ cult followers today and a lot of admirers, including Elon Musk. They love to explore its long-form content (that surpasses 8000 words sometimes). Do you know its X-factor aside from exceptional storytelling that drives people crazy?
Tim (the blog’s face and writer) is a curiosity-driven writer. He writes informative articles about anything from procrastination to AI. Well, you can expect the unexpected topics that genuinely interest him, e.g. 👽s (did you just say, aliens?). Wait But Why aptly demonstrates Lorinda Mamo’s quote: “Every great design begins with an even better story”.
But is it a popular blog just because of its text? Besides offbeat writing, Tim is a wry stick figure illustration artist. And he makes the most of his expertise in both areas to make complex subjects easily accessible and humorously relatable for the readers. Together, these factors create an engaging, user-friendly experience that keeps readers coming back for more.
Spoon Fork Bacon
Source: Spoon Fork Bacon
Spoon Fork Bacon ticks all the boxes of being a blog inspiration for design. Run by Teri and Jenny, this blog marries well-organized content and a user-friendly interface to create an engaging user experience. A clean-cut design and muted peach color scheme let mouthwatering culinary visuals do the talking.
The navbar categorizes recipe posts for easy access. Furthermore, each recipe post’s content is divided into subheadings for clarity. And you’ll find a step-by-step process with labeled ingredients and high-quality images. Moreover, the blog provides helpful recipe-related tips with nutritional information to add value to the reader’s experience.
Have you noticed their ‘Jump To Recipe’ button at each post’s beginning? It’s ideal for busy individuals seeking quick access to ingredients and customizable instructions! To encourage further exploration, they suggest related posts under the ‘You Might Also Love’ section at each article’s end. This strategic layout and compelling content make it a go-to for cooking lovers.
The ClickUp Blog
Source: The ClickUp Blog
While ClickUp is primarily a project management system, their blog deserves a mention. It features a clean design and a clear hierarchy to provide valuable content related to productivity, collaboration, and project management. With gripping infographics and informative tables, they break up long articles into digestible sections.
The ClickUp Blog is run by the team at ClickUp (obviously). Their blog titles are designed to hook you with relatable pain points, like “How to Manage Time Anxiety at Work?“. And speaking of design, they understand that design isn’t just about aesthetics. Rather, it’s about making information user-friendly and downright enjoyable to consume.
It offers the optimal user experience by mentioning the exact read time and including a table of contents (TOC) at each article’s outset. Adding a TOC improves skimmability by offering a quick round-up of what’s in the article. Do you see how beautifully their subheadings work together, perfectly in sync?
So, the next time you need a productivity (or design) boost, give your brain a treat and head over to this blog!
The Admin Bar
Source: The Admin Bar
Next up, The Admin Bar truly is a design blog inspiration with its exceptional design and informative content. A team of WordPress professionals runs this blog and gives it its sleek black-themed design that adds a unique and modern look. This theme reduces glare and eye strain compared to a conventional white background.
This blog accurately illustrates Lindy Roy’s quote: “I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity…”. Despite covering technical topics, it maintains a fun-loving vibe. With a three-column layout, The Admin Bar’s content is likely divided up with clear subheadings at a manageable length. It keeps readers interested in the technical aspects, yet avoids boredom.
Furthermore, it incorporates key takeaways or a Pop Quiz at each blog post’s beginning to hook the readers then and there. The blog’s design perfectly complements its high-quality and technical content to make it a big ‘WOW’. This qualifies it as a must-read for those interested in WordPress and web development knowledge in an enjoyable manner.
9 Blog Design Tips
Source: Freepik
Stick around for helpful tips related to blog design inspiration to start your personal blog or revamp an existing one!
- Design a user-focused blog, prioritizing reader experience over personal preferences.
- Enhance appeal with infographics, balancing visual impact without overdoing it.
- Ensure quick loading with optimized images and code, keeping visitors engaged.
- Keep recent posts atop for immediate reader attention.
- Simplify content sharing by adding accessible social media buttons.
- Choose clear, readable fonts for easy consumption and skimming.
- Incorporate compelling calls to action with persuasive calls to subscribe, download, or share.
- Include a related post section at the bottom of each blog post to keep readers on your site longer.
Last but not the least…
Gone are the days of plain layouts and basic themes. Just as personal style says a lot about you, an attractive blog design leaves a lasting impression on your readers. It makes people feel good and more inclined to interact with your content. That’s why we shared our top picks and unconventional tips related to blog design inspiration.
But it doesn’t end here. As a blogger, you might struggle to craft headlines that grab attention. Here’s our Free Blog Post Idea Generator to give you unlimited ideas. You can use the outputs as-is or tweak them to personalize them to your blog! Happy light-speed blogging as this tool minimizes efforts!
I am a full-time online marketer, for over a decade now. Helped over 100,000+ people & generated well over $12M in online sales.