A New Look for IBC

This is such an exciting day, my friends. As you may have already noticed, Inspired by Charm is looking a little different. I am thrilled to share this all-new site design with you today!

Because technology and the Internet and the way we use them are constantly changing, it’s important for me to stay up-to-date. With the continued growth of IBC, I’ve taken note of what you search for most, ways to stay connected with you, and how you experience the blog overall. So late last year, I began working with Mike Trobiano, Owner and Creative Director of the Tampa-based design firm Dash Creative Group, on the redevelopment of the IBC website and brand image. I seriously couldn’t have done this without Mike and his team. He took my vision and turned it into a design that is intuitive, clean, and beautiful.

His company specializes in brand development, web design, visual merchandising, and the overall customer experience – bridging the gap between design and functionality.

I knew I wanted the aesthetic to feel personal yet clean and simple, so when we began considering ideas for the new direction, I worked with Mike on developing the blog into a cohesive brand. To help achieve this, we chose a fresh color palette with lots of white, pops of mint, and – of course – gold! By removing the background patterns and vibrant colors, the photography and content become the star of the site and allowed my personal style to come through.

This new uncluttered look keeps the site evolving every day since the photography and content make up most of the site’s visuals. As the seasons change, so will the content and look of the site. It’s a constantly changing experience that I hope will keep the reader (that’s you) coming back each day.

With all of that in mind, I decided that the IBC logo also needed an update. Mike hand lettered the logo and chose a similar typeface to repeat throughout the blog. Naturally, the final, official logo was done in gold. Big surprise, right?

In addition to the logo and updated look and functionality, let me point out a few of my favorite new features.

Updated Homepage:

The main page of IBC received the biggest overhaul. A decluttered design allows you to access all of the newest posts or dive deeper into the site by choosing a specific category. The homepage also integrates new social media features so you can easily see what I’m Instagramming and pinning. Each of those images are also linked to the source, so you can click any one for more information.

Responsive Design:

This is probably one of my favorite features. Our research showed that over 60% of IBC readers are visiting the site on their phones or tablets. Once, I knew this, it was so important to me to incorporate a responsive site design. Basically, with the introduction of the responsive design, mobile users can now experience IBC anywhere without sacrificing its quality or new features. Images, features, and text will automatically resize to make viewing the site easy and enjoyable.

Take a look at the site on mobile. Details like accessing the menu bar are now at the touch of your finger without having to zoom in and out to make sure you’re clicking the right word.

Organized Archives:

I’ll be the first to admit that finding past posts on IBC was a bit challenging. Not any more. Mike and his team at Dash Creative Group adjusted the site to create more direct access to primary categories (recipes, interiors, DIY, entertaining, and life) and secondary filters which makes the site much more intuitive to both new and returning readers. Recipes can be filtered by type, interiors can be viewed by specific rooms, and so on. Pretty great, right?

In addition to all of that, there are a lot of other fun new features. So grab a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) and poke around the site for a while. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.

As always, I would love your feedback about the new design. Feel free to note in the comments what you love, what could be better, or weird issues you’re encountering. Your patience is appreciated as we fix any bugs that may arise and continue to fine tune the site.

Another huge thanks to Mike and Dash Creative Group. Do show him some love for putting up with my insane and microscopic requests over the past few months. He was such a trooper and true professional. You can visit the Dash site here or follow along with their creative work via Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks to each of you for your continued support. I sincerely hope you love the new look of Inspired by Charm!