10 Fresh Redesigns from the Design World
Posted on 09. Mar, 2010 by Shawn Ramsey in Inspiration
Every so often there comes a time when you need to sit back, take a look at your website and start asking yourself if the time has come for a facelift. Web standards are constantly evolving and usually for the best interest of the reader and the site developer/owner as well. Taking advantage of new and upcoming trends both visually and for SEO optimization is key for keeping your site at a healthy stance.
I have recently noticed several redesigns taking place in the design community, many of which have one-upped their previous design by a high margin. Luckily, the designers of these sites have taken the time to spell out in detail many of the changes that have taken place, why they have taken place and the thought process behind the whole ordeal.
If the thought has crossed your mind for a redesign of your website or maybe just a few small updates to give it a clean new look, check out these 10 fresh redesigns from the design world for a little inspiration.
Note: Click the image for a look at the current design. Click the link for complete details behind the redesign.
Process of Redesigning N.Design
n.design studio
“After 3 years of using the Phoenix theme on N.Design Studio, I finally redesigned it with a Koi theme. The new look has improved a lot in terms of design and WordPress implementation. Every section has a unique layout which gives you a refreshing feeling.” - Nick La
Redesign Details >
Behind the Scenes of the Design Informer Redesign
Design Informer
“One of the hardest decisions that I had to face with this blog thus far is determining when it is the right time for a redesign. To some people, it is clear that their site is old and outdated and in need of a total makeover. To others, it is a lot harder to realize their need of a redesign since their site is doing well and have received great compliments about their current design. That is my case…” - Jad Limcaco
Redesign Details >
Redesign of the Tuts+ Network
tuts+
“Over the last three days we’ve been steadily rolling out a new Tuts+ theme across all 8 sites. The new design is a refinement more than a big change, with lots of little improvements in usability and more suited to big screens. Read on to learn more about the redesign and lots of news about Plus!” - Collis
Redesign Details >
Behind the Scenes of the DesignBump Redesign
designbump
“The eagle eyed amongst you might have noticed a revamp of the design specific bookmarking site DesignBump.com. John Campbell recently got in touch to ask if I’d be interested in helping out with the redesign. Being a site I’d been subscribed to since its launch I jumped at the opportunity. Here’s an overview of my design process for the project.” - Chris Spooner
Redesign Details >
Some Cool New Updates to Blog.SpoonGraphics
“Every now again I’ll get busy with a design refresh of Blog.SpoonGraphics. I’m proud to release this latest version (V5), along with some extra cool features I’m looking forward to developing. As many people know, this blog has been around since April 2007, let’s take a look at what’s new!” - Chris Spooner
Redesign Details >
Smashing Magazine’s Redesign and Smashing Network
Smashing Magazine
“Smashing Magazine has shaped up. We know that extensive design changes usually create a split echo: some readers are happy and appreciate the additional features and benefits, while others don’t want to see anything change because they’re comfortable in their old habits. However, publishers have to update their websites from time to time to improve the user experience and add new features. And that day has come for Smashing Magazine.” - Smashing Editorial
Redesign Details >
Process of Redesigning Janko At Warp Speed, Explained
Janko At Warp Speed
“Since I put a lot of efforts and time into the redesign of JankoAtWarpSped (it wasn’t fast as warp speed, it was rather a snail speed) I would like to share my experience, thoughts and working process. The redesign process took several months (I can’t even remember when exactly I started) because I am always overloaded with work and often have only a couple of hours weekly to work on blog.” - Janko
Redesign Details >
About the CSS-Tricks Redesign
CSS-Tricks
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve done a bit of a design overhaul around here. I thought I’d take the opportunity to go over some points and features of the new design. Why? Because it was fun. Because I’m a designer and we never stay satisfied. Because I think websites should always get a little design refresh at least every year or so.” - Chris Coyier
Redesign Details >
Welcome to the new Creativity Den
Creativity Den
“I am proud to announce the redesign for CreativityDen is complete, it has been a crazy couple of weeks but I think I am finally done. The design is completely different from the last but not to worry I have explained every last detail.” - Liam McCabe
Redesign Details >
MyInkBlog Reinvented, About the New Look
MyInkBlog
“The redesign/rebranding of my blog has proven to be one of the most challenging design jobs I’ve ever had to complete. I’m not at all surprised that most designers are their own worst enemy, and I was certainly no exception to that theory. I mocked up a new design, threw it out, then started again about 5 times before completing the design iteration you’re seeing now. I’m pretty stoked with the final result, but I’ll never be fully satisfied; more tweaks and changes are sure to come.” - Andrew Houle
Redesign Details >
Feedback and Info
Do you think that these particular websites did a good job in creating a new look and feel for their site? If you are familiar with them, did they pick a good time to choose a redesign or should they have waited longer to burn their brand into the memory of readers before attempting the change? Please leave your feedback in the comment section below.
I would also love to hear about your redesign if you have completed one in the recent past. Tell us a little about the process and if you have received positive feedback proceeding the change. Thanks!
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7 Responses to “10 Fresh Redesigns from the Design World”
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Jessie Bardsley
09. Mar, 2010
I absolutely love the majority of these redesigns Design Informer, CSS-Tricks, Smashing Magazine and N.Design are by far my favorites. Thanks for hunting down the analysis of each. It helps to understand where and why they made the changes. Excellent post!
Allie Coby
09. Mar, 2010
The illustration of the koi is simply amazing. The color and detail blows me away. Thanks for this post.
Hian Battiston
09. Mar, 2010
Awesome! Amazing sites! Thanks for sharing!
Design Informer
09. Mar, 2010
Hello Shawn, thanks for featuring the Design Informer in this post. I really appreciate that.
By the way, these design processes are really some of the most interesting articles to read.
Oh, and BTW, one more that you might consider adding is the redesign of Mix Online. It’s really an awesome process.
http://visitmix.com/Articles/The-Anatomy-of-Web-Design
Keep up the great work on the blog. You are doing great! :)
Shawn Ramsey
09. Mar, 2010
Hey Jad,
I must agree that having the ability to get the inside scoop of a high-quality redesign is worth it’s weight in gold.
I want to thank you personally for really going in-depth in the description of your redesign and for asking for my input of the sneak-peak before the launch.
That’s a great link that you posted and I would advise others to check it out. Thanks for the encouragement on my blog as well!