Over at Wisdump, Scrivs encouraged us a while ago to ‘eat your own dog food’ in the sense of using your site and seeing what it’s like. As many of you will have seen it’s been one of those insane months for me, not a bad thing (nope this isn’t a toooo busy to post post), however during this time I’ve also been eating some of my own dog food. No, we didn’t run out and decide puppy chow was the best option. Whilst doing the dog food test (I think that’s a great way to call it), I discovered one glaringly obvious thing. I actually don’t like this version of Diary of a website.

I am not saying I hate it, nope I am not some do one week then detest the next design freak - it takes at least 2 weeks often. I don’t hate it, to be honest that is one of the reasons for re-thinking it. It doesn’t give me any emotion and in my book that isn’t a good thing. I am not after people crying or buying my website flowers - this design has been featured in a fair few showcases, so I am not unhappy I did it. Overall people have received it well. However, again I appear to be my own worst critique in my decision.

There is a slight feeling of reluctance as a new flavour isn’t officially due out until january - yes, I am glad I have the flavour thing going on as my option when it comes to feeling like this about a design. I have even toyed with the option of putting on the second ever design of Diary of a website. I found it again the other day and actually felt more positive about it than this one. However, there are a few things I want sorted out on this site and I feel that before I move on those and add more functionality along with build on some I’ve not used to it’s fullest; I need to change the look of it.

Over at Simple bits and Avalonstar there is a far more dramatic site design going on. I’m not going to be removing all styling and putting up something from that point. Although, I do like that idea for motivating yourself to design. I am slowly working on the design for the next flavour which will be coconut.

There are a few reasons for choosing coconut. The first is that this site has gone through a fair few colours recently, a lot of them on the darker side. I feel it’s about time Diary of a website got a bit calmer and brighter. I am going to play my minimalist card with the next design in some respects. I doubt it will be a full on minimalist design, mine usually aren’t. I’ve been thinking a lot about content and this site I feel doesn’t deal with content as well as it could. I want to change that with the next flavour and focus on the way it’s presented.

All this being said, I’ve got to hold my hands up to a bit of a work load glut over the past month and as a result a lot of the changes that I had planned were put up but never followed through. The next flavour will be about making a point of using these and rather than just putting them up there actually doing something with them.

I have a pretty solid idea of what I am wanting to do, so don’t anticipate too long before the next flavour, I am also not being silly and committing myself to a date. I don’t want to rush anything as that won’t result in me being happy with the next flavour. I am not so unhappy I feel the need to put an old flavour on and feel that would actually de-motivate me. I always said that I would keep every flavour no matter what I felt, it’s up to you as the reader how you see this blog. I feel much happier for deciding to do an early flavour and to me that is important. I also hope it makes it better for you as the reader.