Blogs and Colors

As I was browsing through the land of blogs, I came across a simple monochromatic color scheme at Afrikboutik. Instead of using contrasting colors to fluff up the site, they kept it simple and unified. I found an analogous theme at Analogousblog, what a surprise! I'm not a fan of analogous color schemes, in my opinion the colors don't work together and they're hard on the eyes. As for complementary color, I found Mr. Techie's blog which has a scheme similar to my blog. I don't like the way white works with his color choices though. Rainbow Garden is a great example of saturated colors. Aspire seemed unsaturated to me, perhaps I have the wrong definition of saturation though. To me, anything unsaturated is boring.

The NEWEST Look

In this new look, I was experimenting with color scheme. I chose this color scheme to match the pictures I had taken. I also wanted it to give a pleasing look by using a complimentary color scheme. The base color is an aqua blue. I used tints and shades to reduce the "pop" of the colors, I want a soft, shady look. The colors are both warm and cool because of the complimentary scheme. The colors in this new design create contrast using hot colors to separate posts. The colors also create repetition in each post, helping the viewer navigate the blog.

The NEWER Look

This new layout was downloaded from http://www.ourblogtemplates.com/2008/08/blogger-template-mantis.html ...the template looked pleasing and happened to be named Mantis also. The grid is again the 2/3 layout. Instead of links along the right column, the template has the links below the title. The contrast between colors guides the eye through the page. The size of the text, and how bold it is, directs the eyes to the posts. The template uses blank space to keep the page focused and neat. Each column and gadget is boxed, creating proximity. Again, color choice repetition causes grouping.

The New Look

The new look and layout of my page is sharp and organized. There are two columns on the page. The columns in the grid follow the rule of Divine Proportions. Contrast is used between the colors in each column to make the posts pop and attract attention. Size is also used to attract attention simply by amount of content in the posts, also by the size of the title of the page and of the posts. Space is used in between the columns to create asymmetry. Proximity is used in each link section to create groups of similar links. And lastly, repetition is used in the colors of the post titles, and the text, creating grouping.

The Forum

Not many people have heard of keeping mantids as pets. This makes it very hard to find information when you need tips or help. Pet stores don't have a clue. The best way to get anything you need regarding praying mantises is through the breeder forums. A huge fraction of breeders live in Europe, making it hard to find anything local. Although, because its so popular in Europe, the American breeders use their forums! http://www.dragonscrest.co.uk/forums/index.php is the best forum I could find and I have used it to get many tips. I don't have a favorite website, but I have been visiting this forum often.

Hi class!

My name is Ben Franke. I'm taking this class to complete a Fusion Agreement (transfer agreement with a snazzier name) in order to transfer into Cogswell Polytechnical. ...And of course I'm a fan of the internet, why not learn how its done? I've made simple sites before, perhaps I'll learn how to improve in this class. Sadly, I have no idea what a blog is...I always thought it was just a site of your own on which you post little comments/stories, kinda like a journal. If thats true, then cool, I recently bought three Phyllocrania Paradoxa, or Ghost Mantids. I'm raising them and want to keep track of their growth, here's my chance!