Tweaking is a design term that is defined as making changes to the overall appearance of a design. However, I found myself randomly looking it up on Urban Dictionary and this is how the urbanites define it:
tweaking:
Frantic, compulsive behavior often associated with methamphetamine abuse (crank). People who regularly abuse crank may find themselves unable to stop a particular random activity like searching drawers, having sex, or putting things apart. This is called tweaking.
Now, being a Christian, I sincerely urge you to use my definition when I refer to tweaking my theme – although late last night (and probably for days into the foreseeable future) I might find myself wrapped up in compulsive behavior and the inability to stop while making changes to my current design.
As I told one of my great friends Cory, my biggest downfall as a designer is never being happy with designs for my own site.
I am my own worst client.
Sometimes I find myself late at night getting frustrated while designing my own themes, and see the design grass much greener on the other side of the fence most of the time. I swear one day I’m going to shell out the money to hire Chris Pearson or Theron Parlin (two of my favorite designers) to do a theme for me.
But seriously, I doubt that would be good marketing for myself. So once I get back from my weekend trip to Indianapolis, I forewarn you, the design tweaking will begin!
I completely understand your “disorder”. I am the same way with my sites. I spend so much time wanting to “tweak” the design, I fail to write a lot of content.
However, I find it weird that Theron Parlin is running Derek’s Grid Focus WordPress theme. I can’t blame him though, I love that theme.
I really like the new design here. Keep it up!
Thanks Will, and yes, at times designers find it difficult to come up with a really good design for ourselves. It’s a combination of designer’s cramp and not a lot of free time, normally for me. Theron actually test drove a theme of mine for is E5Media blog, so I’ve had correspondence with him – he said that he was so busy and didn’t have the time to build it custom yet. And I agree Derek’s theme is WAY cool – thought about using it (with a major overhaul for differentiation) but I’m partial to modding my themes, since I know the language they are written in!
By the way Will… just checked out your site, and love the design. Way to go, you should be proud!
Thank you Brian. I have enjoyed it for a few months now and have release the theme to the public. So now I am itching for a realignment. Hopefully, I will have some time soon!
Welcome to the crowd. I envy you for keeping it for a few months – my previous theme was actually online for a few months, which was probably a world record for me!
BG, I think it’s your perfectionist mindset that makes you such an outstanding designer.
CM, I think it’s my perfectionist mind that makes me a pain in the ass! Like I said, I’m my own worst client.
I totally feel your pain. I look at sites I’ve done, after a few weeks, and say, “I could’ve done this” or “I could’ve done that”, but in the end, it’s your reader who is the client and we must design for them, right?
I’m not a designer but I tweak my themes all the time. I just want to make sure that my blog looks pretty to me. Is this a kind of disorder too??? LOL.
Yes, to a point Chris, but when you look at your site everyday, you want it to look nice, right?
Pelf, it’s not a disorder – it’s normal. I guess we all go through this!
Good site!