Advent of Bloggers 2021: Day 4

I am writing a blog post every day from December 1st to December 24th, 2021, about a blogger whose writing or site I follow. My aim for this series is to help you discover new blogs and to help get the word out about content creators whose blogs I appreciate. You can read more about this series in the inaugural Day 1 post.

@ohhelloana.blog

ohhelloana.blog, run by Ana Rodrigues, is one of those many websites on the web that reminds me how creative we can get with web design. The site has a jotted note background, reminiscent of the squared paper that I used to use when learning maths in school, and is designed to feel like a notebook.

The home page is styled as nine links, each with their own delightful and eye-catching illustrations. The links take you to different parts of the site, from information about the website itself to the blog posts Ana has written. I haven't seen a structure like this for a home page. It's easy to explore all aspects of the site starting from the home page.

Ana's blog was one of the earlier blogs I discovered that was run by an IndieWeb community member. Each blog post maintains a similar "notebook" feel in its design. If you scroll to the bottom of some blog posts, you'll also learn a bit about what Ana was doing, thinking, or listening to when writing the post. This adds an extra layer of character and background to each post that I love.

If you're looking for a good place to start, go to the website home page and click around. Here are some blog posts I would recommend checking out if you're looking for somewhere to start reading:

• Mood, doing, thinking, listening
• Blogging and me
• Ana's Bookmark Posts

Wrapping Up

Ana's website is the epitome of the idea that owning your own site gives you control over how you represent your content. The only limit to the design of your site is your imagination, as long as you're willing to spend a bit of time working to craft the design that is in your mind. I love websites that have a standout theme, just like I love looking and thinking about buildings that have their own character.

We're already on day four of this series. Time is flying by. I am using this series as an excuse to surf the web a bit more in the search of new blogs to follow. I have found some interesting sites that aggregate links which I will share later in this series. In the mean time, if you run a personal website or a blog, let me know by emailing me at readers@jamesg.blog. I am always looking for new sites to browse.