Designer or me?

A few months ago I asked some friends for recommendations for a designer. I was feeling like my site needed a little help. it needed a fresh set of eyes to maybe spruce it up. I still wanted it to center on type and words, but I wasn’t sure what else. I asked for and received some names. But then I just sat on them.

So what was going on? Why didn’t I talk to anyone about helping me? This weekend I thought about it again as I redid the layout for my index page. (A new layout for the index page exists, exciting!) Last week I tweaked the type on the site, and many times when I go to post something, I tweak a style here or there. I feel completely comfortable doing this, because it’s just my crappy design (this is what I think in my head, at least).

That was it. If I hired a designer, what would happen then? Would I still feel like I could tweak and make changes? Would it become precious? But, most importantly, would it still feel like mine? I’m coming to the conclusion that maybe it wouldn’t.

I lack a lot of confidence when it comes to my ability to design. But I read a lot on the subject and am learning as I go. So maybe this site, this little corner of the web, it’s OK that the design isn’t perfect, but rather that it’s mine. And as I learn more, make adjustments and live with them, hopefully it gets better.