Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need for this workshop?
- Access to the internet
- A copy of Adobe Photoshop (if you don’t already own the program, you can subscribe to Adobe’s Creative Cloud for an affordable price, or take advantage of their free trial)
- Pens, pencils, paints, and a scanner if you’ll be hand-drawing your designs
- A Facebook account
What can I expect to achieve by the end of the workshop?
By the time we wrap on the seventh week, you’ll have created a totally signature look for your blog and brand.
You’ll have a polished and perfected Photoshop file of your custom design, complete with a gorgeous header, stylized typography, flawless social media buttons, an easy-to-follow nav bar, etc. From there, it’s just a matter of implementing it beautifully onto your website.
I’ve never been much of a designer. Is this course still for me?
Yes! This course will walk you through the basics of balance, layout, textures, patterns, and usability. So even if you’ve struggled to create designs you love in the past, this workshop offers you all the most important knowledge, tips, and tricks you’ll need to create the blog of your dreams.
It’s all about helping you get focused, and awakening your passion (and potential hidden talent!) for design.
Will I get direct feedback from you about my work?
While the YDB Facebook group is always available for members to showcase and discuss their work, I won’t be offering in-depth feedback via that medium.
HOWEVER – starting in week 4, you’ll have the option to register for one-on-one critiques with me as an add-on to the course. That means my inbox will be open to you for email support over the following three weeks, so we can discuss, hone, and perfect your design together. This is one of the most valuable aspects in the workshop, so if you’d like me to lend my two cents to your project, I highly recommend opting in!
Will this workshop teach me how to code my blog?
No. This is a strictly design-focused workshop and does not cover html, css or theme implementation. I’m here to help you design a beautiful blog that you love – not one that’s limited to your coding skills.
I’ve included a number of online resources if you want to learn more about the development aspects of blog design. But I recommend hiring a professional web developer to bring your creation to life after the course finishes!
I just want to learn to change my header, or make changes to a WordPress template. Is this the course for me?
Your Darling Blog is about creating a fully customized design for your blog from scratch. So if you’re only looking to make little tweaks, this may be a bit too in-depth for you.
But I’ve got good news! I’ll soon be offering a series of mini courses based on the YDB modules, which will be perfect for smaller projects. Keep your eyes peeled – they’ll be up and running for you in a few months time.
What if I’ve never used Photoshop before?
Unfortunately, this isn’t really a beginner’s Photoshop course. As this workshop is geared toward a specific outcome, we’ll be focusing on learning design principles and techniques. A familiarity with the program will help you keep pace!
Of course, if you are new to the program, you are still welcome to register. You’ll be given small assignments at first to help you get your feet wet, followed up by more and more significant tasks. Please keep in mind that there is a steep learning curve, and you may need to dedicate much more time to the workshop to stay on track.
How do I register?
Registration will open on this website on Monday May 13th, 2013 at 9am AEST (London 12am GMT Monday May 13th, New York 7pm EST Sunday May 12th, Los Angeles 4pm PST Sunday May 12th).
Want to make sure you don’t miss the big day? Sign up for the mailing list, and you’ll be the first to know when the doors are thrown open for sign ups.
What happens after I register?
Once payment has been successful, you will receive an email which contains your username and password and a link to access the private course site. You will have immediate access to the private course site to read the introduction post and to browse through the Photoshop, HTML + CSS Basics Guides and the collection of Resources. The sooner you sign up when registration opens, the more time you will have to look through these guides and resources before the course begins.
You will also be required to confirm your subscription to the private mailing list as this is how you will receive the daily content and any other important emails.
Will I be able to communicate with others in the class?
Absolutely. This course comes with a built-in Facebook community, and a students-only website. You’ll be able to communicate via comments on the YDB website, and in our private FB group where you can share your work and challenges with fellow students. I’ll be popping in from time to time to answer questions, and offer my thoughts where needed.
Can I ask questions during the workshop?
Yes, you can comment on any blog posts with questions you may have, and I’ll be sure to answer them! However, all personal questions to me relating to feedback on your work should be emailed directly.
How and when can I register for feedback from Jo?
Only students who have already signed up for the full Your Darling Blog course will be able to opt in for one-on-one feedback. In Week 4, you’ll be invited to purchase three weeks of personal email consultations (Weeks 5-7) via the private workshop website. The cost? $100 AUD.
Why the add-on? So you can be sure you have work you’re ready to show me before spending the extra money! If you do choose to register, at the start of Week 5, I’ll ask you to send over all of your assignments and drafts so far, and we’ll get right down to it.
Will Jo’s feedback and suggestions for my work be shared with the others in the workshop?
No, feedback from me will only be provided via private email communication. But I encourage you to share your designs with your classmates in the Facebook group!
Do I need to have a blog?
Not necessarily. Some course participants are seasoned bloggers, but we also welcome newbies with open arms. It’s not necessary to currently have a blog as long as you’re starting out with the new design you create. However, you should have a clear idea of what the blog will be about, and what audience you are aiming for in order to create the best look.
Does it matter what blogging platform I’m using now?
This depends on your own knowledge of html and css, and understanding the restrictions some blogging platforms have. You can customise most elements of a blog with WordPress, Typepad and Blogger, but WordPress will give you the most flexibility when customising your design. This design focuses mainly on WordPress blog styling for that reason.
How much time will the workshop take?
Good design isn’t achieved at a breakneck pace — it takes time and revising! You will get out as much as you put in. It’s best to set aside a few hours each week to work on the assignments in weeks 1 and 2, and increase those hours over weeks 3-7 as you work on your full design.
Will the content be available after the workshop has ended?
Yes. After the course wraps on July 12th 2013, you’ll have access to all materials for 6 additional months, so you can catch up on anything you’ve missed, and continue to perfect your skills. However, one-on-one feedback from me will only be available between weeks 5 to 7 of the course. I also can’t guarantee the Facebook group will stay active, but you’re welcome to keep participating after the workshop comes to a close!
Do I need to be online during specific days and times?
As YDB students are located all over the world the workshop is designed to be easy accessible online at any time that suits you. All new daily content will be automatically sent to your inbox at 10am AEST, these contain a snippet of each new post and a link to continue reading the content via the private course site.
