Some say that presentation is everything. As a writer, working on substance more than looks, I disagree; I think that when it comes to startup websites and startup blogs, there’s a lot to be said for content. But I will concede this: I think writing is helped along by presentation. I see that in my own copywriting work - if a site has a smooth, simple, and well-planned layout, my job is so much easier to do, and to do well. If a site doesn’t have a clear design, it’s hard to form a clear message. Simple as that.
I don’t think it’s just me, either. Take a recent example, my buddy Andrew Hyde. He’s somewhat of a startup celebrity… he’s done some good stuff within the community, and has developed a good following for it. He runs a blog at http://andrewhyde.net, and just launched a new design with it. The old one was alright, but it was a generic template, and frankly, it had a scattered feel - lots of information, not a lot of space. Andrew’s writing reflected it too… he was kinda all-over-the-place (I even hassled him about it in this podcast). The new design, though, is great. And Andrew’s writing has followed along - it’s more refined, more purposeful, and more exciting now. In fact, I think his is one of the best “new” blogs anywhere on the web.
Of course, Andrew has a lot to do with that. But I don’t think there’s any doubt it has a lot to do with the design change too. Simple lesson, then, that I don’t think Andrew would argue with: Better design=Better writing. Remember that.
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