If you’ve visited recently, you’ve probably noticed things look different. Valerie’s Kitchen launched a custom redesign just over a week ago, and I’m excited to give you a tour of the refreshed site. I believe these updates will make the site more useful and enjoyable for you, and I can’t wait to walk you through what’s new.
I’ll share some behind-the-scenes details about the process that brought the redesign to life. If you’re a blogger considering a new site look and want to discuss details, feel free to email me. Redesigning a site is a big project, but when it’s done well it’s absolutely worth the effort.
The Logo – The Design
The Development
Rather than hire a single designer/developer to handle every part of the project, I split the work into separate pieces and collaborated with specialists for each area of the site. That approach let me work with people who excel at the particular skills needed for a high-quality website.
The Logo
We began with the logo because it set the tone for the rest of the visual direction. I worked with Laura Missioreck and the team at The Graphic Element, a woman-owned design studio in Manhattan Beach, California.
After completing a questionnaire, Laura spent about an hour on the phone with me to discuss the personality and goals of Valerie’s Kitchen. Translating a brand’s voice into a logo can be tricky, but Laura asked the right questions and clearly understood the direction I wanted.
Choosing a logo is fun, but it’s also a decision worth taking time over. Laura recommended I “live with” the initial options for a week, which was excellent advice. I taped the designs around my office and evaluated them over several days before making a final choice. I wanted a fresh, simple, classic logo, and the final result fit that vision perfectly.
The Design
Next, I needed a designer to translate the logo and vision into full site mock-ups. I partnered with Courtney Kirkland of Sweet Southern Media, whose aesthetic matched mine. Courtney created detailed layout mock-ups for the entire site, covering each page type.
After many rounds of feedback, Courtney delivered a design that balances beauty and practicality and selected a color palette that complements the new logo.
Ingredient Tip
Store unpeeled fresh ginger root in a small resealable plastic freezer bag. When you need it, grate the frozen ginger with a microplane zester or fine grater. Frozen ginger stays fresh for about a month and is easy to grate when needed.
You’ll spot these Ingredient or Kitchen Tips sprinkled throughout posts when I have a quick kitchen hack or helpful suggestion. Some tips reference equipment or ingredients I recommend.
Courtney also suggested new features to make finding recipes easier and more enjoyable. I’ve included details about those features further below. She worked tirelessly on this project—even over the holidays and while caring for a new baby. I’m grateful for her patience and creativity.
The Development
Choosing the right developer was crucial, and I’m so pleased with the person I hired. Lauren Gray of Once Coupled turned the static designs into a clean, fast, fully functional custom WordPress theme built on the Genesis framework. It’s important to involve your developer early so you can secure their schedule, as good developers are often busy.
After Courtney finalized the designs, Lauren translated them into code. We began with a thorough video call, then moved our coordination into Asana to keep tasks organized. Having Asana made it easy to track decisions and reference past communications instead of searching through numerous emails.
Lauren is patient and highly skilled, which made the technical process approachable. She explained things in plain language when I needed it and kept the project moving forward. On launch day the migration was seamless: I was able to keep working while Lauren completed the switch, and there was no interruption in site traffic.
If you’re planning a redesign, she’s an excellent developer to consider.
The Recipe Box
The Recipe Box contains a detailed category index where you can search, view, and sort recipes by every available category.
Printable Recipe Card
The new recipe card lets you adjust serving sizes with automatic ingredient recalculation and includes a prominent Print button. Nutrition information is being added and will appear at the bottom of each recipe card as recipes are converted to the new format. This transition is happening carefully and gradually—thank you for your patience as we update the archive.
Beyond the Kitchen
The Shopping, Travel, and Critters sections remain active, and I have plans to expand those areas in the coming months. Stay tuned for updates and new content.
Video Gallery
A new, more powerful Video Gallery is in development and will be rolling out toward the end of the month. Until then, the existing Video Gallery remains available.
A Look Back
This is the third incarnation of Valerie’s Kitchen. Here’s a quick look at how the site evolved.
If you’ve followed the site since the start, you might remember the original look from August 2011.
A major redesign took place in 2014, which remained in place until last week.
And now we’re live with the new design. I’d love to hear your thoughts—take a look around and let me know what you think!