Smashing Magazine has posted their latest picks for 50 Beautiful Blog Designs. In their words:
In the showcase below we present 50 beautiful blog designs that literally stand out — either through their layout or through their design or through their attention to little details. Below you’ll find a variety of designs: clean designs, grunge, retro, graphics-heavy designs etc. Most designs presented below risk unusual approaches in the choice of design and content presentation. That’s what makes them different.
There are indeed some amazing sites there. Perhaps the most interesting thought is the idea of risk. As in, the riskier the site, the less intuitive it may be. Designing corporate sites for clients can sometimes be a real balancing act between what conforms to an accepted standard of user interface design and innovation, real innovation. So, the measure really does become one of risk. Risk of misinterpretation, missed navigation, intent, content delivery, usability, legibility, etc that some clients simply aren’t willing to take. Fair enough.
There’s always more to lose when you are a corporation vs. an artist or individual making a statement by bucking convention, but that should not mean boring, conventional same-same design by any means. Hope these inspire you to take things one step further.