Regular readers here may have noticed my blog has a fresh new lick of paint in the shape of the Headway premium WordPress theme. This replaces the Thesis theme that I was using previously.
While I’m a big fan of Chris Pearson’s Thesis, I found it wasn’t quite so user-friendly for making major design changes (unless you were a decent level of coder). Because of this, many of the blogs using Thesis have a very similar look. Enter Headway.
Developed by Clay Griffiths, Headway takes some of the best ideas from Thesis, adds a whole bunch more, and mixes it all together in a powerhouse WordPress theme. Ideal for everyday WordPress users as well as intermediate and advanced coders, it’s one of the most flexible themes I’ve ever used.
I’ve only just started customizing my blog and already I love the way each page has a different feel. When I really get to work expect some real changes! (Note: the redesign took me around 6 hours from basic framework to fully customized, with no CSS or HTML coding – this is all from out of the box).
Some of the features include:
- Drag and drop design.
- No two pages the same.
- SEO customization on no-index, no-follow, do-follow, meta, tags, posts and pages (everything, then!).
- Unique “Leafs” system that lets you add text, media and widget boxes on the fly.
- Easy visual color and font editor for making your own completely personalized skins.
- In-house Twitter synchronization and social network options.
I could keep writing about how cool Headway is, but you’d get really bored of my praise, I’m sure. Instead, check out the Headway site, watch the videos, and check the theme out for yourself. Or, mosey round my blog and see the different designs for different pages.
Just a note. Since I’m a Headway affiliate, any sales of the theme result in a percentage for me. So, here’s a deal – for any theme ever purchased through one of my links or banners, I will donate 50% of the affiliate payment to the current 12for12k charity in your name. Sound fair?
- Update Tuesday November 3 – the game just changed radically with Headway 1.5 and its visual editor. Check out all the details here.
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Hi Danny,
I like the new look. Nice work sir!
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Cheers Jim – more goodness to come in the next few weeks
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Thats one of the things I never liked about Thesis – all of the sites I seen using it looked the same, or you could tell they were the same.
I like your site a lot by the way. Clean, easy to read and not cluttered with ads and stuff.
Oh, and you're mentioned in the new #GreenStarTV episode
Twitter: jimconnolly
Hi Danny,
I like the new look. Nice work sir!
Yep, there just seemed to be something about the framework. It's a great theme, don't get me wrong, but from my early playing with Headway compared to the behind-the-scenes messing about I did with Thesis, looks a world of difference.
I guess I better mosey along to Chez Greenstar then
Cheers Jim – more goodness to come in the next few weeks
Twitter: igobydoc
You've done a mighty fine job here my friend.
Excited to see how you further customize your site with Headway.
Once I get a site or 2 of mine converted we will have to trade notes!
Doc
Twitter: DavidSpinks
Definitely going to check this out. Good timing as I am in the market for a new theme…haven't decided if I want to pay for one though.
Thanks Danny.
Great to see another good option. Plus Thesis is just about everywhere.
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ah, it's not live yet. I guess I failed to make that known
I'm uploading it now.
Great to see another good option. Plus Thesis is just about everywhere.
RT – Why @dannybrown switched from Thesis to Headway: http://bit.ly/fQJsl
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RT @johnhaydon: RT – Why @dannybrown switched from Thesis to Headway: http://bit.ly/fQJsl
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Danny – check out what I did with my navigation bar (see under “social good”).
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RT @DannyBrown Making the Switch to Headway | danny brown http://bit.ly/4jsHld
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RT – Why @dannybrown switched from Thesis to Headway: http://bit.ly/fQJsl (via @johnhaydon)
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RT @GrantGriffiths: RT – Why @dannybrown switched from Thesis to Headway: http://bit.ly/fQJsl (via @johnhaydon)
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RT @GrantGriffiths: RT – Why @dannybrown switched from Thesis to Headway: http://bit.ly/fQJsl (via @johnhaydon)
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Great job on your redesign, Danny! Like you I get tired of all sites using popular themes looking the same. I was floored when I saw how much flexibility Headway offers. Even the examples sites the folks at Headway are already highlighting as examples look vastly different from one another. Headway rocks!
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For my followers who have asked me about the best WordPress theme. Easy: use Headway http://bit.ly/fQJsl
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RT @DannyBrown Making the Switch to Headway | danny brown http://bit.ly/4jsHld
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This is cool! Even a code moron like me could get in and start dancing with this new theme without having to take years and years of ballet class! Viva La Danny Brown!
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Thanks @DannyBrown! This is something I want to get in on: http://is.gd/1XPMi Freedom of Feng Shui -! Check it out @NikisNotes!
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Hi Danny! Very cool – love the new look. But I like just looking at you, babe, anyway
Thanks for sharing.
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RT @DannyBrown Making the Switch to Headway | danny brown http://bit.ly/4jsHld <GREAT stuff>
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Twitter: johnhaydon
Danny – check out what I did with my navigation bar (see under “social good”).
If you and Niki need dancing lessons just holler!
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I guess you never discovered http://wpbandit.com or http://thesisthemes.com – we both specialize in skins for Thesis and have quite a few new themes coming soon!
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"Ideal for everyday WordPress users as well as intermediate and advanced coders…" @DannyBrown http://bit.ly/PGXQp #headwaywp
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Great job on your redesign, Danny! Like you I get tired of all sites using popular themes looking the same. I was floored when I saw how much flexibility Headway offers. Even the examples sites the folks at Headway are already highlighting as examples look vastly different from one another. Headway rocks!
Cheers Chris – I agree, and it's one of the things that really attracted me to Headway. So many blog designs can look the same, which can be a bit disconcerting. I saw your site (after John Haydon pointed me in your direction) and that looks way cool with the separate boxes and background image (which I'll have to learn to do!). I think Clay and Grant have something that any blogger is going to love if they switch over.
Twitter: CTK1
This is cool! Even a code moron like me could get in and start dancing with this new theme without having to take years and years of ballet class! Viva La Danny Brown!
Hi Danny! Very cool – love the new look. But I like just looking at you, babe, anyway
Thanks for sharing.
If you and Niki need dancing lessons just holler!
I guess you never discovered http://wpbandit.com or http://thesisthemes.com – we both specialize in skins for Thesis and have quite a few new themes coming soon!
Not bad Jermaine (although obviously the benefit is when you go for the premium skin over the free ones). Unfortunately it still doesn't solve the lack of style options available for Thesis, which are pretty standard.
Maybe Headway will give Chris the incentive to up the game on the next redesign? Have to be pretty good to compete at the minute though
Hey Chris,
How much work went into the coding of your site, over “out of the box” Headway, or what did it cost you if you outsourced it?
This is the kind of info that I think most theme buyers want to know and I wish Headway would take the lead in this area under the concept of “full disclosure.” I'm lobbying for this on their site and time will tell if Clay and Grant are up to it.
Nice work.
Jerry – Danny did no custom coding to my knowledge on this site and we have other examples of blogs that did no custom coding too. John Haydon's at http://johnhaydon.com is another one.
We are up to any “full disclosure” you want. The great thing about Headway is you can have a site like this or John's or anything you can dream up. You can DIY it with no coding or do some custom CSS. Or you can hire it done. We also use Headway to develop and build our client sites too. Happy to get you some of those domains if you would like.
As for Chris' site, he did it himself and did do some custom CSS. How much, you would have to ask Chris.
Thanks, Grant. I'd like to see any sites you can suggest.
I'm definitely interested in Headway. Like a lot of people it's not spending $160 for another theme, it's the endless hours spent with something else.
So, I'll take a little time to get to know this one before I make that purchase. I need to see what can be done w/o coding and what I can get for a minimal amount. Then, I'll make my decision.
Regards,
Jerry
Hi Jerry,
I can definitely attest that this redesign was done completely out of the box with no CSS coding. It took me around 6 hours of messing with layout and configuration to go from basic framework to completed design. I will be tweaking over the coming weeks to highlight different pages and posts even more and will probably use some CSS, but nothing major. One of the reasons I love Headway over Thesis (and I was a die-hard Thesis fan).
I'll be over at the forums or you can always just holler if you need any “tips”, always happy to help. And feel free to buy from here – half goes to charity in your name so everyone wins
Seriously, though, I would say Headway has to be one of easiest and yet most comprehensive themes around, and I don't give away praise like that lightly – it simply is that good.
No custom CSS
http://www.johnhaydon.com/
http://www.legalpracticepro.com/
http://www.technoesq.com/
http://technoesq.com/presentations/
These are the recent sites we launched for clients with custom CSS
http://www.massachusetts-prenuptial-agreements….
http://nyrealestatelawyersblog.com/
http://ellenvictor.com/
I am sure there are more brand new Headway blogs being built since we released it on Friday. And we have made a spot in the members' forums for people to put their URL's so we can all see their sites.
Looks like a neat theme Danny. I'm in the middle of looking for a new theme — I'll definitely look at this one further and consider it. Nice and clean!
@dannybrown actually talks about this new "Headway", supposedly better than Thesis http://tr.im/vd5Q
#blogchat
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@dylanspencer No, did a post on why I was moving from Thesis to Headway http://bit.ly/8pNhA #blogchat
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RT @dannybrown: @dylanspencer No, did a post on why I was moving from Thesis to Headway http://bit.ly/8pNhA #blogchat
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Making the Switch to Headway, by Danny Brown – http://sn.im/okwmj
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Twitter: ariherzog
Thesis-powered websites only look the same if its users don't customize it to their liking. Most don't. But, for instance, if you compare http://copyblogger.com, http://chrisbrogan.com, http://kristarella.com, and http://ariwriter.com, you will see four different styles.
That's the main problem, Ari – Thesis needs a decent bit of work to make it stand out from the other Thesis frameworks. And of course it helps when you get the developer of the theme to customize it personally for you…
What I like about Headway is it allows non-coders to come up with pretty unique designs, without the need for HTML or CSS coding skills. And for “novices”, that's a pretty attractive option.
You're such a floozy, Shelly
@zenatplay Hi Lisa – check out this Headway post I did http://bit.ly/8pNhA – happy to help with any questions
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@mpisauro Hi Michael, I use Headway for my blog – very slick: http://bit.ly/8pNhA Happy to help with any questions
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@nbostic http://bit.ly/PPdT9
I posted about it after changing themes
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how does it do for built in SEO and other wordpress tweaks that were built-into Thesis?
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Danny, the fact that you did this only 6 hours is flat out amazing. It really shows the power of Headway.
I admire you giving your affiliate commissions to charity, too. Very big of you.
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Thanks, I love Thesis, but I've been looking for other options, something a bit more flexible for not so tech savvy clients. Thanks!
how does it do for built in SEO and other wordpress tweaks that were built-into Thesis?
Hi Cathy, the built-in SEO is easily on a par with Thesis. I've already had page 1 results on Google. As well as the SEO for the theme itself, and the separate pages and posts, you also have separate fields for noindexing the page and nofollowing links within the post. The same goes with comments, if that was your choice.
Basically, it's a WordPress theme on steroids that a normal, non-coding blogger like me can make pretty, and a real coder can let rip with. I'm messing on a dummy sub-domain at the minute and it's throwing me some really cool designs out!
Plus with the update that Clay is working on…. it'll surprise a lot of people (and will be a free upgrade for existing, obviously).
Danny, the fact that you did this only 6 hours is flat out amazing. It really shows the power of Headway.
I admire you giving your affiliate commissions to charity, too. Very big of you.
Is that the polite way of saying “Wow, if a noob like Brown can do it…”
Hehe, jesting Michael. Cheers fella, appreciate it – it was really just to get something decent up-and-running as quick as possible. The Leaf options and the drag and drop made it a cinch. As I mentioned to Cathy in the previous comment, now that I'm sitting down with Headway and playing with it off-site, I'm really starting to see just how much it can really do, and I think the blog will have a fairly radical makeover in the not-so-distant future. Can't wait to see what you come up with when you make the switch
And it'd be remiss of me to not try and help my own charity project where I can
Love Chris Pearson's themes, he makes awesome designs for awesome bloggers.
Oh for sure, and you'll see everyone continue to praise Chris's theme. I'm not a coder, though, and for that reason, Headway is a better option.
No disagreement there. It does have its shortcomings for the average user and I am thinking Chris has something really big planned for the 2.0 release. I'll definitely continue to stay tuned on the Headway front as well. I love how WordPress theme developers are pushing to make it easier for the average user to create a fully functional website in less than a day.
Agreed – it's cool to see so many great designs really push the envelope on what a blog actually is. I don't think there's any doubt that it can be a blog, website and full-on CMS all rolled into one.
I've heard Chris has some big stuff planned for Thesis 2.0, definitely be interesting to see what the big changes are. And with what Clay is working on at the minute on Headway, September should be an interesting month for sure…
@BestsBets Hi, I changed over last week, here is my thoughts on Headway http://bit.ly/PPdT9
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Shame I have already bought Thesis and done a lot of customisation on a new blog… If a knew I would have checked both out before purchasing…
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Shame I have already bought Thesis and done a lot of customisation on a new blog… If a knew I would have checked both out before purchasing…
Hi Vito. Thesis is a great theme, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with it. Who knows, maybe down the line you might re-look at Headway. Particularly with the news they'll be sharing with their next version, due anytime
Thanks. I like Thesis, definitely, and am having fun with the customisation, but there are no doubt a number of things that don't work exactly as they should, IMO.
But it has already saved me a lot of time – I had started to code my own blogging engine but I don't have enough time to reinvent the wheel, so I am not disappointed so far with the couple Wordpress+Thesis. But this Headway seems very, very cool.
Hi
Im trying to understand if Headway would be useful for tweaking a premium theme I have already bought? Thanks! Sebastian
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Hi
Im trying to understand if Headway would be useful for tweaking a premium theme I have already bought? Thanks! Sebastian
Hi Danny, Thanks for your reply to my question.
Sebastian
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Hi Sebastian,
Headway is a premium theme in its own right, so it couldn't be used to tweak another theme, since only one can be active on your blog at any one time.
Hi Danny, Thanks for your reply to my question.
Sebastian
I have purchased the headway, and the studiopress genesis theme looks great for newbies.
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