Although we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, I must admit that I am not always a subscriber to that rule.
First impressions are everything – when you look at a book cover, what you wear to an interview, how you present a meal – our initial opinions are formed by what we see. The same is true for blogs, websites and online shops.
What is the first thing you see when you come to a new website or blog? The Header. A Header is that top area of graphics, which usually displays the site's name and brand.
Many different ingredients combine to make a successful header design. Not only must it be visually appealing, but it should also be an accurate representation of what your website is about. There is no point having a great-looking header if it contradicts the content of your site. Components like color, theme and font all play an important role.
I interviewed three creative women who have designed their own headers to find out what they think are the keys to great header design.
Confetti, Balloons and Pastel Colors
Lindsey Dimiterchik is the woman behind the A GreatFull Day blog (see first screenshot above), where she blogs about her inspirations and favorites. Her tagline is “Life is a Celebration”, and her blog is dedicated to celebrating things that she is grateful for. When designing her header, Lindsey really wanted to capture the spirit of that tagline and thought that “nothing says Celebrate like confetti and balloons”, so she staged a lovely colorful photo shoot to capture that feeling.
Her color choices were deliberate. Lindsey wanted to use pastel colors because they echo her personal style, and wanted a palette that wouldn’t overpower the content of her blog, yet still stand out and be recognizable as her brand. By keeping the header text in white, Lindsey was successfully able to make her blog name stand out, but yet remain cohesive with the rest of her header color scheme.
Lindsey’s advice for anyone wanting to design their own header is to “come up with a strong concept that fits with the goal of your blog. By tying your initiatives to your aesthetic you can create a cohesive look that will resonate with your readers.”
Nostalgic and Natural
Our next design-savvy date is Olivia Kanaley, the Do-it-yourself Queen behind the A Field Journal blog (see second screenshot above). Olivia’s blog is a journal of her outings and projects – all of which have a whimsical, nostalgic theme – which she has managed to successfully capture in her beautiful blog header.
“I wanted something that captured the essence of my blog’s name,” she recounts. She also wanted to depict “the associated ideas of nature and natural history” that go along with field journals, but design it to have more of a “pretty” look than a traditional, stoic one.
Her blog posts are written like fanciful, romantic stories – so her blog header captures that balance of the romance of her photography and writing, and the naturalism of journaling her real-life endeavors.
Olivia feels that it is important to create a header that will stand the test of time, so instead of choosing fonts and colors that were trendy like many others tend to do – she chose fonts and colors that were her favorites – a sure way to have a header that reflected her personality, and not a trend that would come and go. By looking at her header, you can see that her favorite colors are violet and lavender shades, and you can see those colors echoed throughout her blog content in her photography.
Quirky and Charming
Next up on the Design Block is Lisa Nelson who blogs over at My Little Buffalo about her life, her loves, and her adorable Etsy store of the same name. I stumbled across her blog while surfing the Internet and was immediately taken by her charming blog header, and it coaxed me to stay and browse her blog further.
Then, of course, from there I discovered her etsy store and I am definitely planning to make some purchases from there when the holidays roll around. So, there’s first-hand proof that good header design can lead to sales in your online stores!
When I asked Lisa about her header, she told me that the use of texture has always appealed to her, so she knew that she wanted to incorporate that into her blog header. After finding a texture she liked, all she did was add her buffalo logo and her blog name (in fonts that are easy to read). Three simple components that work together so well.
Lisa advocates clean lines and simplicity. Keeping that in mind in her layout, she also wanted a header that was soothing and yet fun at the same time. Two traits that represent her style, personality and her art. Lisa says that when creating your header just “think hard about what you want to say, and then say it!”
Three great designers, three great headers – I hope that you’ve been inspired by their designs and advice, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Dionne Christiansen is a Graphic Designer based in Houston, TX. She is face behind the Etsy store City of Dionne, and blogs at Notes From Dionne.
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2 Comments
A great reminder that a shop or blog header is a great way to leave a positive first impression!
I wanted to add that it's a good idea to use a creative (although readable) font for the shop name and then use a simpler font (I prefer something sans serif) for the tagline. Lindsey did a great job of that with her header!
First Impressions are EVERYTHING! I have a very short attention span, so if something doesn't grab me, I won't look any further. Soooo important for the header to be show-stopping or eye-catching, and clever. And I do like the idea of texture... that always makes me look longer and want to see more. Thanks for posting this Dionne!