That’s it. It just happened again. I have no choice. I must say something.

Every time I find a blog I want to follow, nine times out of ten, the blogger has chosen a design identical or very similar to mine.

Surely, this is no coincidence.

So I ask you.

Do those with similar ideas share similar spatial preferences for how to convey them?

From my study of psychology, I know that correlation does not mean causation, but still…Could it be? Is it possible? Do similar minds think alike, not only in substance, but in form? (Yes. I think so!)

As a former marketing manager, I, for one, concentrated considerable time and energy on layout and design, certain that how the message was conveyed was as important as the message itself—maybe, initially, even more important.

First, capture the reader’s (consumer’s) eye and attention, make it pleasant and easy for the reader (consumer) to find the message, and voila! the message then speaks for itself.

As reader-consumer, on a personal level, I am as adverse to visual noise as I am to its oft-times partner: aural noise.

As I shared with my library students: I admire those who can appreciate and devour the new genre of graphic fiction and nonfiction. Sad to say; embarrassed to admit, I am not one of those readers.

Graphic presentations are just too exceedingly busy for me. My eyes are never sure how to travel. I begin to feel overwhelmed. To get a headache. I want to close my eyes. Turn away from the page to seek relief.  I need to end the dizziness. Help! Someone.

More importantly, I love words. I want to savor them—peacefully. I don’t want to have to work so hard to find and appreciate them. I like the graphics to showcase the words, to be a non-intrusive background, like a silver tray presenting tasty confection treats, but I certainly do not want the graphics to obliterate or overpower the words. No. Never.

As a librarian, I was a fussy picture book consumer. Sometimes I absolutely loved the story, but the visuals… They screamed, and I wanted to scream back. (I didn’t. With limited funds and so many other choices, I just didn’t order them. …Take that!)

As much as I am heartbroken that my dream to become a children’s picture book author has not (yet) been realized, I console myself with the notion that I would rather never be published than have my words illustrated in a way that makes want me to deny any relationship with them. (Who me? …No, I didn’t write that book. Horrors!)

Back to the blog designs and my hypothesis.

Surely there must be some foundation or some doctoral candidate needing a fresh topic to originally research who might be willing to investigate this potentially ground-breaking social media phenomenon.

Until disproved, I remain convinced. It is no coincidence. I gravitate to reading ideas when those ideas are presented in my preferred layout and design. Assuming my blog reflects my preferred layout and design, then it stands to reason that the blogs I am drawn to follow have designs that match mine. The end.

What say you? Have you noticed yourself favoring or disfavoring blogs that match your blog’s visual presentation?

(If not, what are you waiting for? Check it out. Now that you are retired, what more important things could possibly demand your time and attention?)