New Template Design (Free)

It might be free, but I am not sure this one is worth the price.... The first one that I downloaded and tried to apply I couldn't get to work. So, this was my second choice, and I sort of went for a simple one so that the chances of it working would be better. So, it did work, but not without a few glitches. At quick inspection, they included a completely blank left link column (it ended up below and to the right), no blogger icon on the page making it difficult for me to find the "add new post" page, and the subtitle is just gone. I downloaded this free blogger template from:

http://mashable.com/2008/05/17/70-plus-new-and-beautiful-blogger-templates/

Now for the design low down:

Columns: I think this is a three column design, where the two right hand columns are merged into one. Leaving the layout with 1/3 for links on the left and 2/3 for blog posts on the right.

Grid: In terms of a grid - I don't know that they used a grid....?

Design principles:
Contrast: The contrast is strong from the white background to the dark post and title fonts. In the header, they used white font contrasting with the saturated blue.

Size: The size of the text definitely corresponds to each specific element. Of course they are all the same for each element - all the post titles are the same size, the post text is the same size etc. The title of the blog "Grafik Grl" is the largest font as it is the brand for the blog.

Space: There is extra space around the title of the blog, separating it from the rest of the page. As a result, they are highlighted by the space around them. There is also nice space to separate the columns and the posts without using big lines or distracting marks.

Proximity: The post tile and the post text are in close proximity, illustrating which title goes with which post. The date of the post is less important, so it is in a low contrast and small, however it is in close proximity to the post of each day.

Repetition: The use of the blue color from the background is faded in and around each posting.

Screenshot: