While it hasn’t been particularly long since the recent layout revision, I felt an impulse to redo everything again. The simplicity factor was in the right direction, but something about having a sidebar didn’t click for me. I thought a sidebar essentially added clutter, and displayed redundant information. On that note, I decided to go with a single-column design, effectively promoting further minimalism. Also, a white colored background also wasn’t cutting it anymore, thus the switch to a black one.
For me, design is meaningless if it doesn’t persuade functionalism. In the modern age of websites, we are constantly flooded with noise that distracts the user from the essence: accessing & reading the content. It’s easier than ever to fill a site with flashing, scrolling things or a plethora of images and buttons. So much so, I typically find it difficult to actually focus on what to read.
I would say my affinity towards cleaner design is part of a larger principal: less is more.
For what it’s worth, I hope the new layout proves adequate.