As the year came to a close and the holidays approached, I planned to take a break from client work and focus on my own projects. This included setting new year plans, personal and business goals, and taking some time to relax and clear my mind.

As a web designer and owner of a digital agency and hosting company, I have several websites, including my personal blog where sell my fonts and and infrequently posted. It had been almost three years since I last considered redesigning my site, but I had been too busy to address it. However, during the last week of the year, I finally decided to redesign my website.

Despite many suggestions from friends, my busy schedule had prevented me from taking action, but the need for a redesign had become increasingly apparent. I had been contemplating it for some time, but had yet to take any steps towards it. The old blog posts and outdated design had rendered the site totally stale and stagnant.

During the last week of the year, I had some free time to work on personal projects. I decided to finally write a blog post, but as I did, I couldn’t help but notice my outdated website. It was like a loose thread on a shirt, begging to be pulled. I decided to take the opportunity to address it and began the process of redesigning it.

It was time for a redesign.

Just like a fresh coat of paint can bring new life to a room, every website needs a little sprucing up every so often. And my website was in dire need of a makeover. You could say I was like a plumber with a leaky faucet, or a cobbler wearing worn-out shoes – it was time for a change.

In order to achieve a successful redesign of my website, it was necessary for me to take a step back and establish clear goals for the project. These goals included:

1. Refresh and rebrand the website to align with my current brand identity and aesthetic.
2. Increase font sales by showcasing them prominently on the website.
3. Share my industry insights and expertise through a blog or resource section.
4. Utilize the redesign as an opportunity to be more creative and push the boundaries of my design abilities.
5. Promote my business and brand through the website by highlighting my services and portfolio.

Planning and implementation.

With the goals for the redesign established, it was now time to begin the planning and implementation process. The first step was to create a comprehensive list of all the necessary elements and sections that needed to be included on the website. This served as a foundation for the next step, which was to create a wireframe outlining the layout and organization of these components.

Additionally, I established new colors and font pairings that align with the refreshed brand identity and aesthetic. I also identified underutilized areas of the website, such as the categories section, and added descriptive content to enhance the user experience.

By taking these steps, I was able to ensure that all the necessary elements were included in the redesign and that they were arranged in a logical and user-friendly manner. This helped to lay the foundation for a cohesive and effective website.

Time to design.

It was now time to move on to the design phase. One of the benefits of using WordPress for my website was the ease of rebranding by switching out the existing theme with a new one. Additionally, there are several powerful layout builders available, such as Elementor, that provide a high degree of flexibility in designing the website.

The first step in the design process was to create a new home page on a hidden page, which allowed for testing and final adjustments before making it live. I added archive loops by selected categories, carefully selected a new hero image from a pool of options, found a suitable background image, and incorporated the new branded colors. This approach enabled me to ensure that the final design met the established goals and was visually cohesive before making it available to the public.

Content overhaul and fresh content.

One of the challenges that arose during the redesign process was the presence of older blog posts. The new layout, which displayed posts by category instead of by recent date, highlighted the age of the content and made the website appear even more outdated. To address this issue, I decided to write several new blog posts to provide a fresh perspective and current information for visitors. This also inspired me to set a new year’s goal of regularly blogging on a weekly basis to keep the website current and engaging for my audience.

Conclusion

Redesigning a website is an important process that can enhance the user experience and align the website with the current brand identity and goals of the business. The key is to establish clear goals for the redesign, plan and organize the elements and layout of the website, and choose appropriate colors and font pairings. Furthermore, addressing the presence of older blog posts by writing new content and setting a goal to regularly blog will help keep the website current and engaging for visitors. By following these steps, the redesign can be a success and bring new life to the website.