Hi there, my name is Charles Wu and every once in a while, I write about some of my recent thoughts or projects.

This site looks different!

Posted: March 24th, 2010 | Author: Charles Wu | Filed under: Uncategorized |


In case you didn’t notice, or if this is your first time visiting, I’ve made some changes to the site in the last two days. In an effort to enhance readability and blog-ness, here’s what happened:

  • The biggest change is that the theme is flat out different
  • Changed the font, increased font size, and spacing between each line
  • Added the ability to ‘like’ a blog post
  • Random texts will turn red when you hover over them
  • Added recent comments and recent posts to the sidebar on the right
  • Removed and added some sites for ’suggested clicking’
  • There’s a picture of me in the ‘about’ section

    • Knowing my obsessiveness, the site will likely undergo many more subtle changes in the next couple of days–maybe even the next couple hours. I hope not though, I need to get some sleep. I think this new layout speaks to my changing philosophy about web design. As much as it hurts to admit, the web is all about content and interaction these days. As a graphic designer, I need to realize that. Remove the busy background, tiny text, confusing rollovers and let the content speak for itself. Now, that doesn’t mean we’re totally out of jobs. I’m studying to be an electrical engineer, what’re you talking about?

    Just kidding. It just means our approach to web design has to be different. This is old news but even more applicable nowadays: don’t treat a website like a regular piece of artwork. A painting–digital or traditional–is just there: it isn’t jabbed at with an arrow, highlighted, copied and pasted, or read line by line. Basically, it doesn’t change. A website can still be a work of art, but only when content, interface, and form-factor masterfully all come together. Ahhh, now that’s some Leonardo da Vinci-type stuff.

    Feel free to still call it Wugru, though.

    4 Comments on “This site looks different!”

    1. Charles Wu
      1 Charles Wu said at 1:56 am on March 24th, 2010:

      Just curious, was the increase in readability and decrease in busyness worth the loss of site unity (the portfolio and blog no longer a like)?

      Your feedback would be greatly appreciated :)

    2. Duncan Leung
      2 Duncan Leung said at 3:32 am on March 24th, 2010:

      I don’t know…

      Maybe this layout just has to grow on me for a bit.

      I understand the desire to tailor to readability- but, since you’re posting up editorials or what not; it feels a lot less personal. But; then again, I’ve only met you a couple of times =p And maybe this is… ‘you’.

      Am I making sense?

      Either way- mad jealous that you actually know how to code all this stuff up =)

    3. Charles Wu
      3 Charles Wu said at 12:52 pm on March 24th, 2010:

      I feel ya, Duncan. I think in my next post I’ll reveal maybe why this change actually happened, and it’s not for as glamorous reasons as the content above hehe.

      Just to clarify, are you saying that posting up an editorial like this makes the blog feel less personal? Hmm, that would make me think.

      And don’t worry, I really don’t know how to code this stuff up. I’m learning everything along the way. It’s mainly just dragging folders around. Actually, my lack of coding knowledge kinda led the blog theme here :P (you’ll see)

    4. Misha Ponizil
      4 Misha Ponizil said at 3:06 pm on April 24th, 2010:

      I think it looks awesome! Doesn’t bother me at all that it’s different from the portfolio. Good looks.

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