I have a new blog design. Yay!

I just got back from Washington, DC where we were meeting about the future of Brazen Careerist. The only time you have big company meetings for a startup is if you have no money or a lot of money. We just got a lot of money.

Usually I bring something to do during Brazen Careerist meetings because I get so bored. I don’t get bored when I talk. But I get bored when I listen. Unfortunately the only way to hear new ideas is to listen. So I try.

We brought in this guy, Michael Mayernick, from the company Spinnakr. Here’s a picture I took of him meeting with us.

He has this great product that can tell where someone is coming from, and then you change your home page to appeal more to the type of person that would come from that site. Really big companies use this technology already, but now Michael’s company makes this technology for smaller companies. So now, for instance, all of you who come to my blog from porn sites can get a version of this photo with Michael naked.

When Michael wasn’t there, I furtively worked on my site redesign. Not like I did the designing. Melissa did a lot of it. If you think the design sucks, here’s her twitter handle: @melissa.

I like the design because there are now more than 1000 posts, and this design is meant to help people get to them. I spent most of my time in DC drawing lists of ways to think about navigation.

And peppering the conversation with bright ideas about where Brazen Careerist should go.

I did not tell anyone in the company that I was taking the title Brazen Careerist off of my blog. I think it is time, though. This is a good design for a period when my career is in transition. I can change the categories and the links all the time until I figure out which parts of the last eight years of writing are best to highlight now.

I hope you like the new design. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas of what to do next. Thanks.

Comments (133)

I do not like the new layout. I liked the old one. It had a professional appeal. Dont get me wrong I am a person who is open to change very much so…but if you are going to change it, then it needs to be a change that will give you and your business a greater professional appeal. The Font is very generic and too big looking. Seems like you got this blog from a cheap blog site. I would recommend not tweeking this blog at all but to over haul it with a new design. I appreciate your openess to take a risk and get everyones feedback!

Posted by Jeff on March 22, 2011 at 6:24 pm | permalink |

Yay! The new design, the new book:) Things are ticking along nicely here… racing really. This is a huge improvement but still not enough Penelope personality. We love that, we want to see more of it!

And that idea Michael M had is a good one. For big companies who want to trick people into thinking they’re they have the same values as them.

But for us personal bloggers that’s no good at all. Be unique in your blog design and don’t be afraid of ostracising some people who don’t like red/yellow/purple or whatever design you’ve chosen because it sums up YOU, your writing and your ideas.

You can’t please all the people all the time and you shouldn’t try. Try to be different.

You are Penelope and you share that in your writing. That’s why your blog rocks no matter what it looks like:) Funnily enough I’m just mentioning you in a little blog post of my own…coming soon:)

Posted by Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot on March 22, 2011 at 7:45 pm | permalink |

I wish there was a print button as well…

Posted by Dereks on March 25, 2011 at 7:45 am | permalink |

Ugh. I waited for ten days or so to see whether I would still hate it, or whether it would grow on me.
It looks like the kind of magazine they sell next to grocery checkout lines. Welcome to the National Perspirer!
The garish color only accentuates the screaming all-caps titles.
You asked what people thought.

Posted by Jim C. on March 27, 2011 at 12:20 pm | permalink |

It looks fantastic, nice!

Posted by David on March 28, 2011 at 12:18 pm | permalink |

Hi Penelope,
Hope you are doing well?
I only read one comment on here about your new blog design and I thought it was rude. I did not read any more because I did not want to be influenced in any way. Simply put, this design does not represent you enough. Nothing against the designer, I just don’t see you in here.
Thanks Joe

Posted by Joe on March 28, 2011 at 6:10 pm | permalink |

I find the posts easy to read and the organization of the site fine. However, it really don’t like the use of all caps for links in Recent Articles, Featured Posts, Most Commented and Big Ideas. They make me feel like you’re yelling at me. Distracting. I think the scale of the typography is enough to get them noticed. I also don’t like the blocks of color behind the reversed out typ in the nav and subheads. A very crude look. Your writing is much better than this style of presentation. I think a little more graphical finesse would help make the look a bit more friendlier and I know you want to be friendly.

Posted by James Bielefeldt on March 31, 2011 at 4:51 pm | permalink |

Summer is Ecco season across the world!
Ecco shoes natural motion technology supports these natural systems encouraging muscles and ligaments to strengthen whist encouraging runners to develop a more natural.The Ecco collection is made of Yak leather, has a water repellent coating called ion-mask, has removable insoles for added comfort, has an anatomical shank system which stabilizes the foot without limiting the natural torsion and many many more features.

Ecco shoes collection is broken down into ecco golf, ecco terra and ecco sandals Run- which has sub categories of ecco A, B, and C dependent on individual fitness. See http://www.eccodress.com for more details to our page.

Posted by Ecco Casual on April 12, 2011 at 7:46 am | permalink |

It was a link to the Feedblitz site to subscribe. Also the empty form box with GO to the right of it appears to me to be a way to subscribe directly.

Posted by triple beam scale on April 12, 2011 at 10:38 am | permalink |

Great Article.
this is an excellent article to read and give consideration. I look forward to reading more useful articles as this one.

Posted by zahanullahmatbor on September 12, 2011 at 8:13 pm | permalink |

Great Article.In deed if i were looking for web design opportunities in Vietnam, this is an excellent article to read and give consideration. I look forward to reading more useful articles as this one. Words With Friends Cheat Board that gives you the best play for your game. Cutting edge AI that makes the best use of TW, TL, DW, DL bonus tiles. Words With Friends Cheat that save and load different games against multiple opponents.

Posted by Metul Nanuuk on October 17, 2011 at 5:30 am | permalink |

Comments are closed

I do not like the new layout. I liked the old one. It had a professional appeal. Dont get me wrong I am a person who is open to change very much so…but if you are going to change it, then it needs to be a change that will give you and your business a greater professional appeal. The Font is very generic and too big looking. Seems like you got this blog from a cheap blog site. I would recommend not tweeking this blog at all but to over haul it with a new design. I appreciate your openess to take a risk and get everyones feedback!
Posted by Jeff on March 22, 2011 at 6:24 pm | permalink |
Yay! The new design, the new book:) Things are ticking along nicely here… racing really. This is a huge improvement but still not enough Penelope personality. We love that, we want to see more of it!
And that idea Michael M had is a good one. For big companies who want to trick people into thinking they’re they have the same values as them.
But for us personal bloggers that’s no good at all. Be unique in your blog design and don’t be afraid of ostracising some people who don’t like red/yellow/purple or whatever design you’ve chosen because it sums up YOU, your writing and your ideas.
You can’t please all the people all the time and you shouldn’t try. Try to be different.
You are Penelope and you share that in your writing. That’s why your blog rocks no matter what it looks like:) Funnily enough I’m just mentioning you in a little blog post of my own…coming soon:)
Posted by Annabel Candy, Get In the Hot Spot on March 22, 2011 at 7:45 pm | permalink |
I wish there was a print button as well…
Posted by Dereks on March 25, 2011 at 7:45 am | permalink |
Ugh. I waited for ten days or so to see whether I would still hate it, or whether it would grow on me.
It looks like the kind of magazine they sell next to grocery checkout lines. Welcome to the National Perspirer!
The garish color only accentuates the screaming all-caps titles.
You asked what people thought.
Posted by Jim C. on March 27, 2011 at 12:20 pm | permalink |
It looks fantastic, nice!
Posted by David on March 28, 2011 at 12:18 pm | permalink |
Hi Penelope,
Hope you are doing well?
I only read one comment on here about your new blog design and I thought it was rude. I did not read any more because I did not want to be influenced in any way. Simply put, this design does not represent you enough. Nothing against the designer, I just don’t see you in here.
Thanks Joe
Posted by Joe on March 28, 2011 at 6:10 pm | permalink |
I find the posts easy to read and the organization of the site fine. However, it really don’t like the use of all caps for links in Recent Articles, Featured Posts, Most Commented and Big Ideas. They make me feel like you’re yelling at me. Distracting. I think the scale of the typography is enough to get them noticed. I also don’t like the blocks of color behind the reversed out typ in the nav and subheads. A very crude look. Your writing is much better than this style of presentation. I think a little more graphical finesse would help make the look a bit more friendlier and I know you want to be friendly.
Posted by James Bielefeldt on March 31, 2011 at 4:51 pm | permalink |
Summer is Ecco season across the world!
Ecco shoes natural motion technology supports these natural systems encouraging muscles and ligaments to strengthen whist encouraging runners to develop a more natural.The Ecco collection is made of Yak leather, has a water repellent coating called ion-mask, has removable insoles for added comfort, has an anatomical shank system which stabilizes the foot without limiting the natural torsion and many many more features.
Ecco shoes collection is broken down into ecco golf, ecco terra and ecco sandals Run- which has sub categories of ecco A, B, and C dependent on individual fitness. See http://www.eccodress.com for more details to our page.
Posted by Ecco Casual on April 12, 2011 at 7:46 am | permalink |
It was a link to the Feedblitz site to subscribe. Also the empty form box with GO to the right of it appears to me to be a way to subscribe directly.
Posted by triple beam scale on April 12, 2011 at 10:38 am | permalink |
Great Article.
this is an excellent article to read and give consideration. I look forward to reading more useful articles as this one.
Posted by zahanullahmatbor on September 12, 2011 at 8:13 pm | permalink |
Great Article.In deed if i were looking for web design opportunities in Vietnam, this is an excellent article to read and give consideration. I look forward to reading more useful articles as this one. Words With Friends Cheat Board that gives you the best play for your game. Cutting edge AI that makes the best use of TW, TL, DW, DL bonus tiles. Words With Friends Cheat that save and load different games against multiple opponents.

Posted by Metul Nanuuk on October 17, 2011 at 5:30 am | permalink |