Comments on: The Way You Look Tonight

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:06:31 +0000

Thanks for the comments, guys. I think most writers tend to prefer simplicity. We like to believe that the focus will be on our work. As to getting a job, well, Jason, I’m with you dude.

By: jason

jason — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:49:29 +0000

Too true: I switched from Times New Roman as well. I’m a Helvetica man myself, though, as you said, Garamond is aesthetically pleasing (I use it on my resume, though perhaps I should switch since I can’t seem to get a job …). To me, as long as the writing is there, the passion, then the visuals shouldn’t matter. In my opinion, the best sites exercise the “less is more” mold, which, more often than not, works. For me, the old maxim still holds true: Content (being the writing) is king.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:25:53 +0000

I almost universally prefer simplicity overall. I love Posnanski’s blog just because of the black text on white. Cardboard Gods is also great. UniWatch is pretty good, though it has gotten a little bit cluttered with the more ads it has accumulated. Mainly I like simplicity because not only is it easier on the eyes, but it tells me the content is more important than the rest of the junk. And with so many blogs on the interwebs just rehashing content, I try to seek out original thought and good writing, so design that tells me the bloggers make the writing their first priority automatically draws me in.

Not to go off on a complete tangent, but the prior comments about how blog design influences a reader reminds me of book design. I’m not one to romanticize the existence of books (okay, I am), but the rise of e-books makes me wonder how much book design might be lost.

Anyway, great site and great post. Fonts and sports in one post, consider me hooked (and nerdy).

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:59:19 +0000

You’d think a person who was dating the proprietor of the site would have made this comment at an earlier time — say at dinner or over the phone — as the design has gone unchanged since PnP’s inception. But nope, she waits until a relevant post is published and does it in the comments.

By: Janelle

Janelle — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:13:33 +0000

Every time I open the pnp page my eyes go straight to the register tab, where the the letters blend with the white of the jersey. It drives me crazy; so much so that I have to scroll down before reading to not be distracted.

By: Ted

Ted — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:52:34 +0000

That’s a great point, Beth, about the way Reader strips the aesthetics from most blogs. I’ll often click through to a blog explicitly because I enjoy being in that visual web-space, which is totally contextual.

I enjoy reading Cardboard Gods “in person,” whereas for something like FAILBlog, I can just watch the videos and look at the stupid people doing their stupid things; no need to click through.

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:36:50 +0000

Reeves: Kottke.org is the pinnacle of the appearance matching the content.

Beth: Google Reader has changed the way I read too. It’s funny though, I’ve found myself clicking through more and more lately. Perhaps that’s because I don’t have a job, so I don’t have to use Reader to camouflage the fact that I’m reading sports blogs at an office. I love RSS but that said, I feel like especially with RBI, a crucial part of the experience is lost when its read on Google Reader.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:46:00 +0000

I hardly ever notice the asthetics of the blogs I read because I read them all in google reader. However, you’re absolutely right. Asthetics color (pardon the pun) our impressions of almost everything else in life and particularly in sports.

By: Reeves

Reeves — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:24:57 +0000

Kottke.org. Bar none.