Concluding Tour of Sites Entered in Best WordPress Design 2009

Today I conclude my tour of nominated sites in Best WordPress Design 2009, sponsored by Fresh eVenture. A few brief remarks on site design elements or content I found intriguing:

• LaughTub – One of my favorite free WP themes, Titan by Jestro,  is used at this site. An iconographic trash bin filled with paper “ha-ha’s” effectively stands out against generous white space. Check out the teacher/student anecdotes.
• DanaSlatkin.com – Find a luscious landing page for this food site with a focus on seasonal cooking. Large pictures of Dana make the site feel personal and engaging. Don’t miss her recipe for Roasted Purple Cauliflower.
• Pocket Money Finder – The landing page of this site is inviting. A lot of white is used, with vibrant spots of color, on a background of chocolate browns. The site talks about earning money online, and is owned by Sourish, a professional coder.
• NewMediaBloggers - This site, home to the Famous Bloggers Club, is owned by Hesham Zebida, who aims to create a healthy community for bloggers. He is a former web designer, yet the theme was designed by Elegant Themes. The site commands your attention with a striking dark header.
• Fazreen.com – The spotlight of this design by Woo themes is on Fazreen’s personal branding: EenRockstar – Created to embody the idea of  ”energetic, active, sporty, cool.”
• SEOMarketing – The slightly grungy design, by Elegant Themes, features a soft, warm brown header. Brian, site owner, also owns BlogEngage (blogging social network) and Blog Serp (voting-based blog directory).
• SimplyFearless – Zinmag Futura is used here, another one of my favorite free WP themes. Logo area and colors have been customized. A life coaching site; found a great motivational video.
• Sarukura.info – The lovely Japan Style free WP theme is used here. The site owner is trying to find information about her ancestors in Japan. Anyone know about genealogy?
• Green Or Nothing – This site uses a magazine-style design from Woo Themes. It’s well organized and easy to navigate. An eco-site from the UK.
• Life Potential – Daria Verjans has a beautiful site using a custom theme designed by WebKitchen. She’s a life coach with a great deal of experince in self-development. Check out the laughter video she posted.
• Making Money Online – I don’t know what theme is used at this site, but it certainly supports a lot of advertising, and doesn’t look too bad doing it.

Once àlaBuzz entered the Best WordPress Design 2009, I was curious to visit the other sites competing in this promotional event. I’m glad I took the time:

• Observing is learning; my thinking buds have been stimulated. Could àlaBuzz do something like this in the future?
• While visiting sites, I sometimes left comments. This has led to making valued connections with several fellow-bloggers.
• Some of my tour remarks have been retweeted, generating new traffic for my site.
• I discovered TWO cool sites I’m eager to review at àlaBuzz.

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