6:57pm…
(wow, writing these posts really slows down this process)
I needed a simple, looks-nice-out-of-the-box template to use while I begin designing my own, so I went to the site I consider the go-to source for finding quality resources fast — Smashing Magazine. They’ve published a few great articles cataloging free Wordpress Themes:
- 83 Beautiful Wordpress Themes
- 21 Fresh, Usable and Elegant Wordpress Themes
- 10 Fresh, Elegant and Clean Wordpress Themes
I found a bunch that I liked, but I was most taken with:
I ended up going with Modicus, because I liked it’s three full-column layout, which is the basic format I’m planning to use in my redesign.
In the midst of my theme search, I was distracted by a newer Smashing Magazine post called 45 More Excellent Blog Designs. That was really the inspiration I needed to get psyched up about working on my own site. These four designs are really beautiful, and have something atmospheric that I’m looking for on my own site:
Only difference: all of these are dark background designs, and I’m leaning toward something a little more old-paper, weathered and natural feeling. The actual graphic work on ISO50 feels something like what I want. This’ll be a fun challenge… I’m going to have to keep reminding myself to KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.