A Simplified New Year

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Happy New Year! In celebration of 2010 and my resolution to keep this blog up-to-date again, I decided to redo the place. I wanted a fresh new look to go with my fresh new posts. It's another Drupal Zen subtheme, and I'm calling it "Spare" because, well, it is.

I love the clean, classic look of minimalist design, and it's a perfect fit for another of my (intended) 2010 rallying cries--"Content is king!" With minimalism, there's no hiding behind a snazzy graphic. You've either got it or you don't. And if I don't, I'd certainly like to know about it.

"Spare" is also about simplifying things. I don't know about you, but with kids, dogs, a well-used house and a more than full-time job, simplifying my life sounds pretty darn good. To do that, I had to take the new design more than skin deep. I disabled almost all the contributed modules that I've accumulated over the years, with the exception of CCK and Views, which let's face it, are practically core anyway. I'll probably flip the switch back on for a few modules, but I'm surprised and pleased with how few of them this blog really needs to keep running.

Simplify. Minimize. Cut the deadwood. Get to the chase. Meat and potatoes... Well, you get the idea.

If you're thinking about designing a minimalist site, here's a couple of nice showcases to inspire you. SmashingMagazine has a really lovely collection of screenshots. speckyboy's list is all WordPress themes, but don't let that stop you.

Happy simplifying!