• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Clever Dude Personal Finance & Money

Family, Marriage, Finances & Life

  • Toolkit
  • Contact
  • Lunch
  • Save A Ton Of Money
  • About Clever Dude
  • Our Editorial Commitment

Finances & Money

Did you notice the new site design?

December 13, 2007
By Michael Townsend
- Leave a Comment

I decided to try out a 3-column design again, but modified from 1 left, 1 right to both sidebars on the right. I’m surprised I was able to get it up and running in only about 2-3 hours tonight, but if you notice anything quarky, let me know on this post. Also, feel free to leave your own comments about the design in general (likes, dislikes).

If you’re wondering why I decided to change, It’s so I could get more sidebar content above the fold and in your eyes! I don’t have major plans for it yet, but I’m working on it.

Related Posts

  • when to walk away from love
    7 Times You Should Absolutely Walk Away From Love Regardless Of How Good It Seems

    Love can be all-encompassing. Sometimes, it is difficult to see beyond the rose-colored glasses, but…

  • negotiating for a home
    Can You Ask A Homeowner For Their Car When Negotiating For Their Home?

    When it comes to negotiating for a home, most buyers think only in terms of…

  • forgiveness culture in relationships
    9 Ways 'Forgiveness Culture' Is Letting Toxic Partners Stay

    There should be a certain level of forgiveness in relationships, without a doubt. However, "forgiveness…

  • masks come off
    12 Secrets Women Share When the Men Walk Out—and the Masks Come Off

    Relationships, friendships, and even casual encounters often involve unspoken expectations and hidden truths. Many women…

  • FREE Software That Can Save You Headaches and Money

    My dad doesn't talk much during my weekly phone calls with my parents, but he…

  • Losing a Pet Helping Kids Cope With Their First Big Grief
    Losing a Pet: Helping Kids Cope With Their First Big Grief

    Few things prepare a child—or their parents—for the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet. That…

Avatar photo

About Michael Townsend

Michael Townsend founded CleverDude.com in June 2006 while working as a technical analyst in the Washington, D.C. area. A Penn State graduate, he built the site as a side project alongside a white-collar career that included earning a master’s degree and multiple promotions.

In five years he wrote nearly 1,300 articles on personal finance and life lessons drawn from his own experience. The blog grew from a hobby into a recognized early voice in the personal-finance community and generated meaningful revenue. He sold the site in 2010, continued as a guest contributor through 2015, and returned in 2023 after further career advances, paying off his home, and extensive travel.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kacie says

    December 13, 2007 at 10:51 pm

    “above the fold”? Are you a current or former newspaper person?

    I think the design looks good but there doesn’t seem to be much in your far right column right now. I bet you have plans to add more in the future, though.

    Reply
  2. Mrs. Micah says

    December 13, 2007 at 10:55 pm

    On the whole it’s good…

    With such fat sidebars, though, it feels like it might be better to have the text in the middle. It looks kinda skooshed on the left…

    Reply
  3. Alison says

    December 13, 2007 at 11:23 pm

    I agree w/Mrs. Micah. If you place the text in the middle with a side bar on each side, the page would be more balanced..

    Reply
  4. John Fiala says

    December 14, 2007 at 1:13 am

    Yeah… I agree, it’d be better to have skinnier sidebars or else center the text between them…

    Although I usually read your rss feed.

    Reply
  5. Clever Dude says

    December 14, 2007 at 6:38 am

    Kacie: It’s actually a term used in website design too (although yes it comes from newspapers).

    I’ll try to tweak it, but I think I like having the sidebars both on the right instead of on either side (for now). My old design before 2 columns was 3 columns with the content in the middle. Personally, I just don’t want to look like everyone else 🙂

    Reply
  6. King of Debt says

    December 14, 2007 at 6:44 am

    I would definitely shrink the two columns. They’re both pretty wide, and your content could use some more space. Overall, it’s good though.

    Reply
  7. Eden says

    December 14, 2007 at 9:23 am

    I just changed my home page from 3 columns to two (my interior pages were already 2). There isn’t a magic formula, but scrolling isn’t always a bad thing- people expect to scroll down.

    Half the page for sidebars is maybe a bit much, but that’s just my opinion.

    The beautiful thing about the Web is that you can experiment and tweak as much as you want.

    Reply
  8. Double Journey says

    December 15, 2007 at 8:26 pm

    I went like you, and recently went from 2 to 3. Both my columns are to the right of my content. I liked putting all my stuff to one side and then having my content stand by itself. I like it this way but know a lot like it the other way. To each his own.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Most Popular Articles

Are you feeling the call to be a Clever Dude? Then, let's get down to brass tacks and explore what it takes to be one. Get ready for an in-depth look into the anatomy of someone who exudes cleverness!

There's nothing like hearing you're clever; it always hits the spot!

Footer

  • Toolkit
  • Contact
  • Lunch
  • Save A Ton Of Money
  • About Clever Dude
  • Our Editorial Commitment

Copyright © 2006–2026 District Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us