At first glance there seems to be a lot going on; it's a bit busy, and bursting at the seams. The large, landscape picture greets its visitor, along with the set of eyes on the front cover of the second book from the left.
Digging Deeper
However the more you scroll down, the more you realise that there's method to Larry's madness. Below the picture, from left to right, everything is compartmentalised into four columns: date stamp, blog post, miscellaneous and self promotion. The latter appears to be a continuous theme throughout, which seems to imply that, to a certain extent, Larry is using this blog as a platform to showcase his achievements and to advertise his success stories within ELT.
Aesthetics and Navigation
The white background makes everything else seem more prominent, and the colour scheme is extremely easy on the eye. He uses pages at the top to good effect, and everything appears to be very well signposted. Moreover, the archives and categories (gadgets) appear in the far right column, along with an email subscription which makes life simple for its visitor.
Content
There is an abundance of content within the blog, as it covers topics and stories, since 2007, from both inside and outside the ELT hemisphere. Therefore the search function comes in very handy indeed! In the lead up to Martin Luther King Day, Larry has commemorated the great man by posting various things such as the jovial song above. Furthermore, he also provides links to authentic materials that could be used in classrooms around the world. There really is something for everyone in this blog as Larry's very active, often posting more than thrice a day. Although there are links to his other social media platforms, this seems to be the lynchpin of his online life.
Yeah haha, I totally agree that Larry's gone a bit overboard with his personal branding. On another note, he is so dedicated on updating his blog content with new posts, so I guess this blog is his baby for now.
Hi Gary, It is quite surprising to find that you like Larry's blog. I left his blog when I saw his picture(Just kidding XD)! But his blog is, as you say, quite messy, or too informative as he has put on so many things. You must have an eye for beauty to be able to find the aesthetics from it. In addition, I have learnt a lot from your blog, for example, putting youtube video and make an email subscription. Thanks!
Like others, I could not focus on an item due to the "mess" at first. Reading it closely, I realised that it is rich in new, helpful information. Also, I do like how you review this blog. Reading your words is just like visiting the blog again.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteYeah haha, I totally agree that Larry's gone a bit overboard with his personal branding. On another note, he is so dedicated on updating his blog content with new posts, so I guess this blog is his baby for now.
Hi Gary,
ReplyDeleteIt is quite surprising to find that you like Larry's blog. I left his blog when I saw his picture(Just kidding XD)! But his blog is, as you say, quite messy, or too informative as he has put on so many things. You must have an eye for beauty to be able to find the aesthetics from it. In addition, I have learnt a lot from your blog, for example, putting youtube video and make an email subscription. Thanks!
Hello Gary,
ReplyDeleteLike others, I could not focus on an item due to the "mess" at first. Reading it closely, I realised that it is rich in new, helpful information. Also, I do like how you review this blog. Reading your words is just like visiting the blog again.