5 Design Tips for a Fresh Start in 2020

New year, new (virtual) you. January is a fitting time to give your website a refresh. Here are five visual tweaks to freshen up your online home.

Welcome readers with a new header

Your site’s header is often the first thing a visitor sees, and it’s one of the simplest design elements to update — but can make a big visual impact. Compare these very different headers on three sites using the same theme, Independent Publisher 2:

In your site’s header, you can introduce yourself, your brand, or your business immediately and establish the look and feel. Update your header in My Site → Customize → Header Image. Ideal dimensions are suggested based on your current theme. (Don’t see this option in your Customizer? Your theme may not support this feature.)

Wipe the slate clean with a new background

Another way to freshen things up? Tweak your site’s background. Some people display solid colors, patterns, or images behind their site text. For a clean and minimal look in 2020, why not remove your background for a plain white palette?

White backgrounds work especially well with art and photography portfolios, like the grid-style website of Tokyo-based illustrator and surface pattern designer Yuka Osaka Miller.

Find your background settings in My Site → Customize → Colors & Backgrounds. (Don’t see this option? Your current theme may not support this feature.)

Show your personality with a fresh font

The typography we come upon in real life, on storefronts and signs, makes a statement. Likewise, the fonts we display on our own websites reflect who we are. Every site on WordPress.com comes with a selection of free Google fonts. If you’ve never changed your font, now is the perfect time to experiment.

Tinker with your fonts in My Site → Customize → Fonts and preview different fonts in the Headings and Base Font fields.

Build awareness with a custom logo

A personalized logo is essential to make a strong first impression on new visitors and to establish your brand or business on the web. Your site logo may be small but bold (like these letter-based logos) or full-width and banner-sized (like some of these examples). If you don’t have one yet, dive into this step-by-step logo tutorial and create one from scratch.

Add or update your site logo in My Site → Customize → Site Identity.

Enhance your posts with professional photographs

The most beautiful and engaging sites out there use high-resolution photographs to draw readers in. On WordPress.com, you have access to thousands of free-to-use stock images right in your Media Library. Use these photographs for your posts’ featured images, your site’s header, and more. We’ve also partnered with Pexels and other partners to include a more diverse collection of images that represent a wider range of experiences.

To browse these images when creating a post or page, click Add and select Free photo library to open the gallery.

Power your site this year with custom WordPress plugins and themes, real‑time live chat support, Google Analytics, unlimited storage, and more with WordPress.com Business.

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