Pat, I read this post when it first came out and let it percolate over the weekend. My only issue with your “Order of Operations” is that I believe that design doesn’t really belong in this equation. And even if it did, it should be on equal footing with content.

I’ve read your posts on content vs. design before and I agree that one is useless without the other. But one thing that I have finally accepted is that content and design are such radically different animals that one person rarely does both well. You’re a great example of this with the SPI blog – when you wanted a redesign you made some wireframe sketches and gave a designer free reign to come up with a design that met your requirements.

Also, I don’t think that design should be tailored to fit individual content, as much as it should be tailored to fit the overall content message of all the content. You don’t redesign your blog’s template every couple days when you make a new post!

I’m not sure that this is coming across any less jumbled than it was when I read the post Friday, but it can at least spark some discussion…maybe.

This is very good advice. You have an uncanny ability with words. I firmly endorse your number 1 criterion, “Intention”. If there is no “intent” then no passion will exist for what you are doing. If you have a burning passion to succeed in this business you will do everything necessary to have that success, including taking the advice that you have generously shared and apply them where necessary.

That goes for yours truly as well, I have a lot to learn.

a. I Chase Dollars Frequently
b. Insane Checks Delivered Weekly

Michael.

If you aren’t moving forward and getting better, you are getting worse. There is no standing still in business.

Joshua Black
The Underdog Millionaire

Although content and design are different animals, like you said, that shouldn’t be a reason to focus only on one. A person may not do well in both, but some care to the design is necessary in my opinion. For example, a person can have the most well-written, best advice or content about something, but unless it’s presented in a way that’s readable, it’s useless. Readability is design. Also, in the competitive nature of doing business online, design is used to catch people’s attention, because really we’re all competing for people’s short attention span these days. If you read 100 blogs and they all look the same, the one that looks different will stand out, just because of the way it looks.

I never once mentioned that you have to do all of the design yourself. In fact, like you pointed out, I hired out a designer when I wanted to redesign my blog. That’s the perfect example of me saying that design IS really important. Ever since the redesign, I’ve noticed my traffic and stickiness rates have changed for my favor.

Lastly, I agree when you say overall design shouldn’t be tailored to individual content, but it should be tailored to the individual blog or person behind it.

I hope that all makes sense. I’d love to hear what you or anyone else reading this response thinks as well.

Cheers, and thanks again Andy!