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Disclaimer; While this post is sponsored by A Chronic Voice, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Regular readers of my blog will have noticed some big changes in the website design. It’s still the same content you love but it’s had a stylish makeover thanks to Sheryl Chan from A Chronic Voice.

Sheryl is a web designer, writer and fellow chronic illness blogger. I was given the opportunity of a website redesign in exchange for an honest review, and I hope you are as pleased with the results as I am.

Please have a browse and let me know what you think.

The following post is an introduction to the new website, and a review of the process and my thoughts on end result.

New look ‘A Journey Through the Fog’

A Journey Through the Fog - Mental Health | Chronic Illness | Hope

I started my blog about two and a half years ago now, firstly as a Facebook page, and then a simple website. It was always my aim to design a more professional website but I have limited ability, and even less energy, so it’s been on hold until now. 

When I was approached by Sheryl from A Chronic Voice with the offer of a website revamp, I didn’t hesitate in saying yes. She is a fellow blogger, and I have always admired the design of her own website. And I liked the idea of working with someone I already knew as this made the process seem a lot less daunting for me. 

Identifying my website needs

The process started with a questionnaire so Sheryl could ascertain exactly what I was looking for in terms of design and function, and also what I was currently unhappy with in my existing website. 

Sheryl then talked me through step-by-step what would be included in the service and how the redesign would proceed. My foggy brain finds anything technical challenging, but Sheryl made the whole design process simple and straightforward. 

Sheryl was professional throughout and helped guide me with design choices. I settled on a template that was simple and stylish, and I’m extremely pleased with the end result. The uncluttered design fits well with my blog image, but it also makes the content easy to read for anyone like myself who struggles with fussy web pages.

Brand new logo

I also took the opportunity to redesign my logo using Looka logo maker. I found the design process challenging but a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the creative process. I did search for free logo design websites but the quality of the finished product was poor. With Looka (£50) you get high resolution images and the program is a lot easier to use than others. 

New website design choices

I would like to take a moment to talk you through the reasoning behind some of my style and layout choices in the new design.

When choosing the design it was important that it was accessible to everyone. I personally find it impossible to read text on a coloured background, and flashing images or pop-up designs cause dizziness and can trigger a migraine. I know many of my fellow spoonies struggle with these things too. Also, I find fussy, crowded web pages distracting, and not a pleasant experience to read.

Therefore, my new design has the following features;

  • Plain white background 
  • No flashing images 
  • Subtle colours
  • Simple font style
  • Uncluttered 
  • Simple menu options
  • Easy to navigate with clear headers

Newsletter 

Sheryl has also set up a newsletter for me, something which I have been meaning to do for ages. Please head over and subscribe (Button at the top of page), I promise not to spam you with emails, but it will allow me to share new posts with you, and keep everyone up-to-date with A Journey Through the Fog news.

Final Thoughts

I find technical stuff like website design quite daunting. If I’m honest my foggy brain doesn’t adapt well to learning new tasks. But Sheryl made the whole process painless, and fun.

I had a very specific idea with what I wanted for the look of my new website, and Sheryl certainly delivered this. I have learned a lot of technical stuff through this process, and Sheryl has been a patient teacher.

I’m thrilled with the finished design, and I can highly recommend Sheryl from A Chronic Voice if you are looking for help designing a website. Maybe you have been thinking about starting a blog too? 

If you would like to find out more about the professional services offered by Sheryl at A Chronic Voice, please sign up to her newsletter here.

Thank you for reading. I would love to hear your thoughts on the new design – please comment below.