Awesome Site Design Tips & Tricks from Alt Summit (Kunst)

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Hi everyone! So it's been taking me ages to formulate my thoughts after Alt Summit. I took loads of notes...half a notebook full...and today I thought I'd try to share a few of the great tips and tricks I learned regarding site design dos and don'ts. For the sake of timeliness I'll be sharing them in bullet pointed fashion. I'm afraid I would never make this post happen if I didn't simplify and start somewhere. Please let me know if you have questions in the comment section below and I will be happy to answer them for you to the best of my ability. I've made bold the tips that resonated most with me.

Site Design Dos & Don'ts:

*Determine the purpose of your site and have a message to convey.
*Your design decisions should always support that message.
*A quick glance at your site design should make your purpose/message clear.
*Keep the big picture in mind.
*Include a line of descriptive text under your header i.e. a tagline.
*Be thoughtful about your site layout. The design should lead readers around the page.
*Your site navigation is vital and should be easy to find.
*Take time to determine the hierarchy of your content and then categorize and tag to make it as easy to navigate as possible.
*Whenever possible condense content into fewer categories.
*Fonts play a very important roll in the design of your site so use them wisely.
*Choose only a few typefaces and stick with them.
*Use fonts to help aid navigation.
*Be sure to use a font that gives the right meaning for your site (i.e. preppy, artistic, vintage, etc.), the wrong font can easily confuse readers about the nature of your site.
*Consistency with design and content is vital. Decide what the goal of your blog is, and always use that to guide your design decisions.
*Too many messages (content, contrasting visuals, fonts, etc.) results in noise.
*More messages will dilute the main focus. More is not always more, so be selective.
*The internet has changed the rules. Online, first impressions happen multiple times. Make sure you are making the right impression every time.
*Begin by always including a personal photograph of yourself along with a bio on the front page of your blog.
*Show your readers the person behind the blog...it builds trust.
*Make the profile image you use consistent across all online social media outlets.
*You are your brand!
*Brand consistency builds a trusted reputation.
*When choosing colors for your site, select between 3-5 colors.
*Keep the look consistent throughout your site.
*Think of your blog like a polished outfit. What does your look say about you? Do you need to change or remove anything to make the look represent you better?
*If you're stuck on color inspiration, you can find inspiring palettes on sites like Kuler or ColorLovers to get you started.
*Don't be afraid of "white space." It gives eyes a place to rest.
*White space isn't necessarily white...it just means you've left appropriate space between elements to allow them to "breathe."