Since some months, web designers and bloggers created a new blogging trend, named “Custom designed post”. So what’s this? Simply, it is a blog post which use a specific design instead of the blog main design.
In this article, I’m going to discuss the phenomenon a bit, and then showcase 10 absolutely awesome custom designed blog posts.
Should you use custom designed posts on your blog?
As you’ll see in this post, custom blog posts can be really beautiful. If you’re a freelance webdesigner or own a web design related blog, it is a very good way to show your skills and attract new clients.But custom designed blog posts also have flaws: it can be difficult to read or navigate, and visitors might not notice it is your blog! If you’re displaying ads on your regular blog posts, advertisers may not like your custom designed posts because ads aren’t displayed on them.
So excepted if you’re a web designer, my advice should be to stay away from them. But of course, feel free to experiement. Now, let’s have a look at this showcase of 10 gorgeous blog post designs.
Jason Santa Maria: On the subject of design
Design Informer: The process behind good illustration
Design Informer: What I wish someone told me about freelancing
Smashing Magazine: The death of the boring blog post
Marcel Uekermann: vertical farming
Paddy Donelly: Life below 600px
Sam Hardacre: In search of the perfect sketchbook
ColdHeat: Goldfinger
Kyle Fielder: Hey speedy, slow yourself down
Avoid Contact With Eyes: Zombie movie poster collection
And you, do you ever used custom blog posts on your blog? Do you plan to do it soon?
17 Comments
Never did but who knows
I literally have just started my own blog, with posts going to be rolling out over the next few days, then hopefully updating 2 times a week.
Custom blog posts are cool, and I firstly would need to learn on how to implement them, but I think maybe once a month or every 6 weeks, I will look at doing them. This way your getting to design new things and it gives a talking point for the blog post.
In my opinion, only a blog that releases a super informative and useful article once per 2 weeks should use custom designed posts. Anyway, I won’t use this thing as long as I am just releasing 3-4 articles per month on different subjects. I’m not spending 48 hours or more to write an article…
hehehe… Most of the costumed design post are pretty unique. I will surely try this one.
Thanks for sharing it….
This is a great trend and it basicaly says that the owner of the blog is willing to walk the extra mile to satisfy the avid corneas of his readers. I have very much respect for someone who takes the time to improve every single article and give it a real magazine feel.
hey jean,
firstly, thanks for taking the time to go through and listing down 10 beautiful blog designs.
Yes, how a blog look really reflects the attitude of the owner. If one strives to make sure that the readers would have a pleasant and beneficial stay, eventually he will do something about it and ensure that the readers do get it.
How a blog looks says a thousand words about the author. If one is willing to put an initiative to it, respectively the readers would know and therefore would put in as much effort to read and appreciate his content as much as the owner has done working on it.
=)
cheers
Yes, really cool on web-design blogs marketed to IT oriented people. I have had too much contact with users to think it will really work in keeping them as followers if the links to comment or read the next post jump around too much.
I custom design/art-direct each post on my site and it is definitely a challenge, but one that I find very enjoyable. While I love the visual variety this style affords me, you still need to start with quality content and a good idea. Custom designed posts by themselves do not make for a great blog, but if you can couple quality writing and good ideas with stunning visuals – that’s a winning combination.
Nice post enjoy the bump
Love these designs – makes the communication of the blog post really stand out vs plain text on a white background.
Great post. Thanks for sharing. These designs are great.
Awesome! Custom designed post are great way to make your blog stand out from the rest, not to mention they make things a lot more interesting!
To your initial point I think it is necessary not to stray to far from the design of your typical blog post as it may confuse your visitors. With that said, there is much that can be done to make the post stand out while keeping the overall look and feel of the non-custom posts and your examples do show that is a possibility.
I like the WPShout “art directed” posts, for example, this one: http://wpshout.com/art-direction-wordpress/
Thanks for including my blog here – I’m the zombie guy
– It’s on honour to be included with the rest of these bloggers who are designing stuff that I love.
Great blog – but I would say that wouldn’t I
– and thanks again for including mine.
Thanks for the information! I have started my blog like week ago and trying to make it look cool and at the same time people could know that it’s a blog.
I have made one on my blog. It’s no so great as these ones of course, but I still like it.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jean-Baptiste Jung, Markus Urban and others. Markus Urban said: New Trend to watch for – custom blog post designs for single posts http://loimp.com/nw heads up by @catswhocode (also http://loimp.com/cstm) [...]