Many bloggers, like me, suffer from two different mindsets when it comes to their blog design.  First, a design gets “old” even after a few months.  Second, they are never satisfied with how their blog looks, so they install the latest template they find, or the newest plugin, and the cycle repeats itself.  Eventually they spend more time searching and tweaking templates than they do writing their content.

On December 14th, Chris Brogan launched his new site design based on the Generate template from StudioPress.com. (Affiliate Link) Were you expecting fanfare, sirens and confetti?  You didn’t hear much except a tweet from Chris and Brian. But Chris’s new site design reinforces the difference between design and content.

The Debate

There was some Twitter chatter about how Chris and developer Brian Gardner of StudioPress were fine-tuning the call to action and minor CSS issues on the site in realtime.

@twohourblogger sounded:

@bgardner It’s hilarious that the designer is playing with the CSS on the fly like that. My clients would kill me if I did that.

To which Brian said:

@twohourblogger @socialtriggers It’s all about @chrisbrogan being laid back and understanding it’s easier to do it this way.

Yes, the thought of editing CSS live on a popular website may horrify web developers, but it was interesting to see just how transparent Chris was being with his site launch.

The Perfect Theme Design

Many people search for the perfect theme, endlessly installing, tweaking, then installing another theme trying to find the right theme to convey “professional but fun,” “passionate but soft” or some other kind of feeling through their design. I, myself, have installed countless StudioPress and free themes on this blog alone, each carefully customized then thrown away in a couple of months because something just doesn’t look right or professional enough.

Some people were shocked to find that Chris was allowing his theme to be turned into a template by StudioPress.  But in fact, according to Brian Gardner:

For what it’s worth, Chris wanted to have his new theme based on something he could sell.

And from Chris himself:

The theme before Generate was a bit more custom. I like that I’m using an “almost” off the shelf theme to good effect.

It’s All About The Content

Chris shows us not to be concerned with another blog having a similar design. The subtext of basing his site on a released theme is quite simple: “I’m using a modified theme. My blog may look like hundreds if not thousands of others.  It’s not the design, it’s the content.” (My words, not his.)

As you may notice, I have also switched to the “Generate” template, and am liking it so far.  I know I’m no Chris Brogan, and while everybody running the theme may be accused of “copying” Chris, each blogger has a unique voice.

While presentation is nice, YOU make your blog unique.

In a 2007 blog post on TroyRutter.com I posted an idea.

Send me one of your “techy” T-shirts, literature about your company, and I will blog about it and post a photo of myself wearing the shirt on my Flickr account with a link (thats 2 links) and maybe even podcast about it (3 links!). That will be at least a PR4 (used to be a 5) link from me to you, reciprocal link is not necessary. Again, this is for technology, Internet, web companies only please. Examples include Podshow, Viddler, etc.

Today, Jason from I Wear Your Shirt is on the Today show.

Good for him!

It would be easy for me to sit and whine about “But I thought of that first!”  Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. (He says he came up with the idea in 2005.)  But the undeniable fact is this:

He took action.

Those who take action are 100% more likely to accomplish a goal than those who don’t.   It’s true. The leading cause of  thousands of businesses never being successful is the inability to start.

Fear is a great un-motivator.  What if I fail?  What if I lose all my money?  What if my parents think I’m crazy.  What if my friends say its a stupid idea?

What if you never take a chance and DO it

As I was driving home from Minneapolis Sunday, something was going through my head. I had heard time and time again that “The bigger the chance, the bigger the payoff.”  As I was thinking about this, I passed a casino.  It is one of the smallest casinos in Iowa, and when I went in, finding a slot machine I liked was difficult. People say the slots are a waste of money, but I kept thinking, “the bigger the chance.”  I put $20 in and played all “lines” on the machine.  $20 gone in 10 seconds.  Another $20.  Same deal.  Finally, I realized what I had to do, I slipped the $100 I had into the machine, played all lines. First pull, nothing, second nothing, third… it wasn’t a jackpot, but I made the initial $40 and then enough for gas money for the road trip. I cashed out.

Risk Does Not Equal Money

Not all risks have to be monetary things, it can simply be stepping out of your comfort zone. In 2005 I had just published a book on acting, with an entire chapter dedicated to auditioning. The local community theater was havign auditions for “The Fantasticks” – a musical, and I thought about trying out.  Not because I wanted to, but because I thought “I wrote a book on acting – how hypocritical would it be to be scared of auditioning.  So I did it.  The next year I was on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, and then served 2 years as President.  I have seen a lot of great shows, met a lot of great people and have made a difference in a few people’s lives.  That’s my “big reward.”

Consequences of never starting

If you have an idea and never start it, you will always be on the lookout for someone who “stole your idea.”  It’s human nature.  In reality, for every new idea you think of, chances are somebody else thought of something similar.  What makes your idea unique is simple.  You! Never underestimate the unique value that you, yourself, bring to a seemingly simple idea.  The trick is taking that idea, making it yours, and doing it.

Otherwise, just sit back and tell your family and friends “I thought of that first!”  They are the only ones who will listen.