The Blog Overhaul

Me and building blogs go way back. This time, I conducted an overhaul (again) but I swear its for the better!

If you need better context, I have another post about the the previous time i worked on the blog.

Addressing the Old Blog

The previous iteration of the blog was already fine. It utilises the build-in blogging features of Jekyll and features a simple, no-brainer, easy to work with structure… but it does not look aesthetic. As quoted from the previous post on the topic, “i still am not fully satisfied with the design, but it is a good start. it can be improved in the future, and i look forward to doing so.” Well, the “future” is the present.

Additionally, the structure could use more work. Previously, each category has is represented by its own folder. In each folder, is a markdown file for listing all the posts in the category. There is also a /_post folder for the actual posts. Let’s say there’s a lot of folders in the project now. Its a mess. Its horrifying.

The New Iteration

I believe I have reasoned with you enough on why the blog could use some work, hence let us have a glimpse on what changed.

Exceptional Aesthetics

The largest change is obviously aesthetics. The blog is basically a copy-paste of my portfolio website - of course, with slight adjustments made to cater it towards looking more like a blog. You can say it is developed in parellel with the portfolio, hence both websites are designed to consistently look and feel the same with each other. A good example is the “Portfolio Blog” links found beneath the header, which acts like a text-based toggle switch between the two websites.

Rethinking How Categorising Works

All posts are now located in a single /_posts folder in the main directory, with each post having its category specified in the front matter - hence everything is now in one place! This should not be an issue, as each post has a name thats supposed to be meaningful and relevant.

I have also simplified the list of categories to only the following: Updates, Coding, Books and Semiconductors - which should include everything I plan on posting here. Of course, changes can be made when needed. Each category has its list of articles in its own markdown file, which you can find in the /indexes subfolder.

The Summary

With certainty (full certainty this time), I can say that I am happy with how this blog turned out. Its simply a redesign of how it looks, not so much after all. It looks and feels like something I would make. I look forward to writing more posts in the coming weeks, especially since the exams are over. Stay tuned!

Thanks for the read and I will see you when I see you again.