Static Sites vs WordPress: Designing and Customizing the Blog - Part 6

When I rebuilt my blog with Hugo, one of my goals was to strike the right balance between simplicity and identity. I didn’t want to spend weeks obsessing over fonts, colors, or pixel-perfect layouts. At the same time, I wanted the blog to feel like mine, not just another copy of a default template.

The design process ended up being refreshingly straightforward, especially compared to my earlier WordPress experience.

Previous posts in this series:

• Part 1: Static Sites vs WordPress: Rebuilding My Personal Blog After a Hack
• Part 2: Choosing the Right Static Site Generator
• Part 3: Hosting My Static Site
• Part 4: Analytics Without Breaking the Bank
• Part 5: My Content Workflow (Powered by Cursor)

Starting with a Theme

One of the best parts about Hugo is its ecosystem of themes. There are dozens to choose from, ranging from minimal one-column blogs to complex documentation sites.

I started by picking a theme that already had the essentials I cared about:

• A clean, uncluttered layout
• Good typography out of the box
• Mobile responsiveness
• Easy navigation

Instead of reinventing the wheel, I looked for something that gave me a strong baseline. From there, it was just a matter of tweaking.

Customizing Without the Headaches

In WordPress, customization often felt like wrestling with someone else’s code. Change one element in the CSS and suddenly a widget would break. Digging into PHP files was always messy, and plugins added more weight than they solved.

Hugo made customization a lot simpler. Everything is plain text: templates, CSS, partials. If I want to change how a header looks, I edit a file. If I want to add a favicon, I drop it into the static folder. There’s no fear of breaking the database or getting stuck with plugin conflicts.

The biggest difference is psychological. Instead of worrying about “messing up” the site, I feel like I have control. It’s empowering.

Design Priorities

I kept my customization priorities simple:

Clarity over flash

The blog is meant for writing. Content should stand out, not get buried under design tricks.

Professional but approachable

I wanted the site to look credible, but not corporate. Clean typography and subtle styling set the right tone.

Performance matters

Every design choice impacts speed. Fancy animations or heavy frameworks weren’t worth it. The lighter the design, the faster the load times.

Personal touches

Small details like a custom favicon, consistent color accents, and layout tweaks make the site feel personal without overwhelming readers.

Lessons from WordPress

I can’t help but compare this experience to my WordPress days. Back then, I’d spend hours looking for the “perfect” theme, only to end up frustrated. Themes were bloated, customization required plugins, and updates would undo half the changes I’d made.

This time, I realized something important: design should serve the writing, not the other way around. Hugo’s simplicity makes that easier to achieve.

The Result

The blog is not flashy, but it’s exactly what I wanted: fast, clean, and easy to maintain. It reflects my voice without distracting from it. And maybe most importantly, it feels sustainable. I won’t dread making updates or worry that a theme update will break everything.

Takeaway for Readers

If you’re building or rebuilding a blog, here’s my advice:

1. Start with a simple theme that already does 80% of what you need
2. Customize selectively - focus on changes that add clarity or personal identity
3. Don’t chase perfection - good design supports the writing; it doesn’t replace it
4. Think about sustainability - pick an approach you can maintain without headaches

The goal isn’t to impress people with design. The goal is to create a space where your writing can shine.

Final Thoughts

Designing my blog with Hugo wasn’t about flashy visuals or reinventing web design. It was about creating a space that feels professional, personal, and sustainable.

That balance is something I didn’t manage to find with WordPress, but I have it now. And it makes me more excited to keep writing.

Series navigation:

• Part 1: Static Sites vs WordPress: Rebuilding My Personal Blog After a Hack
• Part 2: Choosing the Right Static Site Generator
• Part 3: Hosting My Static Site
• Part 4: Analytics Without Breaking the Bank
• Part 5: My Content Workflow (Powered by Cursor)
• Part 6: Designing and Customizing the Blog (this post)
• Part 7: Security by Design
• Part 8: Should I Monetize?
• Part 9: Driving Traffic - My Next Step
• Part 10: Wrapping Up and What’s Next

What’s your approach to blog design? Do you prefer starting with a theme or building from scratch? I’d love to hear about your design philosophy and what works for you.