13 Sweet Looking Sites Powered by Headway

13 Sweet Looking Sites Powered by Headway (but Mainly Me Rambling About Headway)

November 1st, 2010 77 Comments

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Battle of the Biggies

Slide over and make room for HEADWAY!

In the ongoing race between the 3 premium WordPress theme titans – Headway, Thesis and Genesis – Headway, in my opinion, has managed to drastically differentiate itself from the others making it the preferred choice for many. Not to say that Thesis and Genesis don’t have their own awesome perks, loyal followers and claims to fame – for they certainly do and more. They’re both unbelievable themes/frameworks in every aspect and come highly recommended from all sides of the blogosphere.

I know Thesis is an all time favorite for many A-list bloggers and I can totally see why. Heck, I was pretty much set on purchasing Thesis until I came to terms with how CSS challenged (CSS being the operative word here) I really am. That’s when a cool blogger pal of mine, Mars Dorian, suggested I check out Headway.

I watched a few idiot proof tutorials from Danny Brown and others and BAM! That was that.

Why I Want to be Powered by Headway (From A Non-Coder’s Perspective)

I’m going with Headway for 2 (of many) obvious reasons.

1. Easier to customize and play around with

Headway is the only theme to have the Visual Layout Editor; a simple and intuitive drag and drop method of customization with minimal if any CSS/HTML/PHP coding. You can actually build the exact site you have in mind, without having to know any kind of programming or design codes. Plus, you get to see the changes as you’re making them.

Whether you’re a newbie or a professional developer, Headway has some killer features for you, including a Quick Start Wizard, Strong Built-in SEO, Easy Hooks, Leaf Templates, Free and Automatic Updates, Extensive and Easy to Follow Documentation and Video Tutorials and a heck of a lot more.

You see, as I previously mentioned, I’m what you call a “technically (coding wise) challenged but otherwise intelligent (very) individual”. So when I came across these super benefits as well as the overall simplicity factor, I was pretty much sold and hooked from the getgo. I was also up till 6 am toying with the darn thing – 2 nights in a row!

Two words: Frikin’ Awesome!

2. Top notch support and customer service

Headway has an active online community and customer service that is as present and hands-on as the Interpol! Okay, maybe a poor analogy, but you get what I mean. All you need to do is mention Headway on Twitter (with or without the #) and POOF – the friendly genie that is Grant Griffiths (Co-Founder of Headway) or another of his many dedicated team members magically appear to assist and advise. And if you don’t believe me, ask my blogger friend and distinguished entrepreneur, Olin Hyde, who also recently went with Headway.

Now, when I say POOF, I’m not simply talking post-purchase. I hadn’t even bought the theme yet when “Super Grant” came into contact with me. All I did was merely imply that I was interested and he was just as willing and available to answer any questions I had.

You may be thinking, “of course they’re gonna’ help and pamper you, they want you to buy their product.” Well, you know what? It worked and good for them! Who the hell doesn’t like to be well taken care of? Talk about promptness and efficiency; Headway has just redefined the meaning of superior customer service in my book. Actually, they should write an eBook on the subject and send it to all the TeleCom companies out there – for free, with a repetitive message that reads, “please hold, the next available download will be with you shortly.” Just a thought :).

“If you’re CSS/PHP challenged like me…AND you don’t have the time or patience to learn coding… AND you don’t plan on having your blog designed by a tech-savvy webbie… BUT you want an awesome lookin’ site…Then Headway is the right framework for you.”

What Headway and a Famous Country Singer Have in Common

Uhh…not much. But here’s how I’m bringing them one step closer.

They say that in order to succeed in Marketing and business in general, “you either have to be first, best or different”. Actually, this quote is accredited to country singer Loretta Lynn. And I don’t care how funny she talks, she’s spot on! Take your pick, cause Headway fits any one of those 3 adjectives.

Me Persuading You that My Rambling is Useful and Entertaining

Alright, I’ve gotten a bit carried away. I know. I often tend to do that ;).

This post WAS NOT intended to be about me and why I chose Headway Themes. Although so far it has been. In all honesty, the thought of writing about my experience with Headway once I’m all set up, is lurking in the back of my brain – even though I’ve pretty much covered a good chunk of if here. Mind you, all this talk and I still haven’t properly learned to master it nor has my blog been upgraded to Headway – YET. Not because I don’t want to, quite the contrary; I’m so excited to have a kick-ass looking site (to match my content), that I’m considering hiring a creative pro to help me get my theme, style, look and feel just right for nittyGriddy!

This post IS, sorry, I mean WAS SUPPOSED TO BE simply what the title implies – a showcase of some sweet looking sites and blogs that were designed using the awesome Headway Premium WordPress Theme. So, without further ado and blah blah (I’m officially coining this phrase since I pretty much use it in every other post), I present you with 13 rockin’ Headway’ers; from the wildly creative to the simple and classy.

Damn It, I Lied! I’m Not Presenting Diddly Yet, There’s More Further Ado and Blah Blah

While surfing the net to find my top 13, I came across 4 very helpful sources – amongst many others.

The 1st is Owen Greaves, who lists over 200 links to sites that have been designed using Headway (and yes, I went through 95% of them).
The 2nd is AJ Morris, who displays his 10 favorite Headway sites.
The 3rd is Cats Who Blog, who showcase their top 10 Headway theme customizations.
And last but certainly not least, is Rent a Geek Mom (aka Caitlin), a creative web designer with a vast portfolio of Headway powered sites & blogs. Actually, a few of the Headway sites that caught my eye were created by this Geekalicious mom.

Teeny Discovery About Rent A Geek Mom and Me Being Slow…er than Usual

Immediately after writing the previous paragraph, I went ahead and contacted Caitlin to inquire about her “geek to the rescue” type packages. I then proceeded to tweet @GrantGriffiths telling him I sent @RentAGeekMom an email to see about her services since she seemed to specialize in Headway. Part of my exact words to Grant: “she has some “A++ rockin’ #headwaywp web design skills.” As if I was informing him of something he didn’t already know. Well, it seems I may have made a public ass of myself on Twitter for not putting 2+2 together and realizing that Mrs. MommyGeek is actually part of the awesome Headway Team. I guess the odes, posts and banners plastered around her site should have been a dead giveaway. Obviously, they somehow flew right over my head.

Turns out, Caitlin even wrote some documentation for Headway’s latest 2.0 version which was released only days ago. I really hope she mistakenly deletes or blindly zaps the part of my email where I idiotically suggest to provide her with my new downloaded version of the theme if she were to need it – if all worked out and we were to work together, that is. Please God, let her not think I”m a complete ditz who simply thought she was the most loyal, devoted, enthusiastic, fanatical, Headway cheerleader. Actually, with this post, it kinda seems like I may have joined that cheerleading squad myself :).

If I Don’t Show the Sweet Designs Now, My Readers Will Personally Show Me THEIR Top 13 Kick-Ass Martial Artistic Moves

Come to think of it, this article really should have been entitled “Random & Endless Ramblings and Musings about Headway” since that’s what this is. But because I’ve gotten you to read this far, I may as well show you the 13 good lookin’ designs I was suppose to moons ago. But one thing you can’t hate me for, at least I hope, is that I managed to write a rather original and not so dull and monotonous post. Yes, that would be me tooting my own horn ;).

Final Note: I decided not to include the personal Headway blogs to some of my favorite A-list bloggers – Danny Brown, Chris Garrett, RemarkaBlogger, Jim Connolly and John Haydon. Not because their sites don’t rock, for they sure as heck do and then some! But because they’ve been used quite often as examples and are already extremely popular. But you should most definitely check them out for yourself.

On another note, I used this fabulous little Firefox add-on called Screengrab! to capture the home pages with one simple click.

Phewww…it’s finally your turn to share. What other great looking Headway sites did I miss? Feel free to add a link to your Headway site.

1. Socially Responsible Media

2. Hats for Bald Guys

3. Sparky Firepants

4. Wangaratta Primary School

5. Frugal Fun and Fortune

6. Be Awesome Online

7. Gareth Chidgey

7. Antz in Your Pantz

8. Secondhand Karl and the Temple of Tryptophan

9. Bonsai Interactive Marketing

10. Blog Tech Guy

11. Edge of David

12. Smart Shine

13. Productivity Junkies

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Posted in Blogs to Blog About!, Top 10 | Tags: best headway site designs, grant griffiths co-founder of headway, headway customer service, headway from a non coders perspective, rent a geek mom website designer, sites designed using headway, sites powered by headway, top 10 headway designed sites, visual editor for headway theme, why headways theme is awesome

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About the Author

Ingrid Abboud aka 'Griddy' is a whole lot of things with a ridiculous amount of interests. For one, I'm a Social Media enthusiast with a tremendous passion for writing and blogging. I'm also a pretty cool Copywriter but a more serious MarCom Consultant. But most of all, I'm the proud owner and driving force behind nittyGriddy.com - A Kinda Social Media Journal with Net News & more.

Visit Griddy's Website Follow Griddy on Twitter

Rose

I am looking in the process of building a travel website on Thevacationrental Theme (Redfactory) but after reading this I was impressed & looking at the option of switching to Headway. Is this a good idea? Can you name the travel websites built using Headway?
http://divorcehelpworld.com/ Divorce Help World

After read a few of the blogposts on this website today, and I really like your way of blogging.
http://www.bestofmultivitamins.com/ Best of Multivitamins

Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post.
http://twitter.com/adsemwal amit

Hello ingrid …2 years on…headway has gone what its name suggests…check this one ….http://www.india-heritage-hotels.com powered by HT 3.4.4
Alex Shaikevich

Hi!I too got hooked on headway when I used it. Maybe if you update your site, you can include some of my works as well…For example, inspired in part by the old look of Bonsai Interactive, I’ve created the http://www.MobileCellPhoneTracker.com.Then after I got even better with css, I made a very cool niche site. I’m really happy with the way it turned: http://www.LittleGuyLogos.comAnyway, headway is awesome, I’m completely hooked!
http://www.whoownsphone.net/ Dom

I thought it was going to be some boring old post, but it really compensated for my time. I will post a link to this page on my blog. I am sure my visitors will find that very useful. Hrmm that was weird, my comment got eaten. Anyway I wanted to say that it’s nice to know that someone else also mentioned this as I had trouble finding the same info elsewhere. This was the first place that told me the answer. Thanks.
http://www.theskooloflife.com Srinivas Rao

Ingrid,

I had been using Thesis for quite some time and I wasn’t thrilled with the look of my site. I also didn’t have the budget to hire a designer. Fortunately after an interview with Grant, I decided to give Headway a test drive and now I recommend it to almost everybody who is starting a blog. I’m not even close to being a graphic designer but I was amazed at what I could do with Headway. Like anything new, it definitely has a learning curve, but if you’re willing to put up with that, in about 24 hours I’m convinced that anybody would be a fan of headway. I personally love it )
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Srini,
  
  Good of you to stop by and share your thoughts on Headway here :).
  I know Thesis is the preferred choice for many bloggers – but it requires a bit of coding – something that I can’t do to save my life. Therefore – after having connected with Grant and seeing how friendly and hands on their support team was – my decision was easy to make at the time.
  
  I’m glad it worked out for you so well. My blog is currently being redesigned and transferred to Headway – it took a little longer than I thought but it should be done soon. I toyed around with a bit was too scared to mess things up plus I did want a little coding involved so I hired one of the Headway coders to help me out. So basically – I’m telling her what I want and like and she does the execution.
  
  And you’re right – Headway would be the easiest and funnest theme to use for someone who doesn’t do much coding or someone who is starting a blog.
  
  I’m excited to see what it will look like.
  
  Thanks again for your comment Srini.
  Talk soon.
  
  Cheers
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Jusf34

I love the bonsai site done by danny brown. Do you know the framework of the site? I am learning the ropes of Headway and am looking forward to getting over that hump and utilizing the program to the fullest! As someone who is a lot more experienced with headway do you know how he accomplished that site? Thanks so much and awesome article
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi there,
  
  I’m glad you enjoyed this post and I appreciate you stopping by to comment. Thank you :).
  
  Danny’s Bonsai site was in fact Headway at the time I wrote this but it’s recently undergone a redesign (about 2 weeks ago or so) and I don’t think he used Headway this time round – both on his personal site and his company one. I know his personal site was custom made by Lisa from Scene Stealer Graphics but I’m not 100% sure who or what he used for Bonsai. I would be more than happy to ask him though if you like as he is a friend.
  
  My site here should be running on Headway within the next 2 weeks or so. It’s being redesigned at this moment.
  
  If you need assistance – although I’ve toyed around with it a bit – I’m still not the greatest expert so I would prefer to refer you to people like @grantgriffiths (the owner) – you can tweet him and he is sure to respond with any questions. Or even @rentageekmom – her name is Caitlin and part of the Headway team. She is currently working on my site here. I would also definitely take a look at http://headwaytoolbox.com/ – Caitlin, AJ Morris and a few others do a ton of tutorials on this site and it might come in handy for you.
  
  Hope this helps you out a bit. Best of luck with your site.
  Cheers
  - Jusf34
    
    Thanks so much! Yea I really like the layout of the bonsai site that you have listed. I like the rounded corners and triple area at the bottom, just below a nice picture. I would be so grateful if you were to ask him. I’m wondering especially how he got the triple area at the bottom, whether it is a widgetized footer or what. I’ve been immersing myself in videos from headwaytoolbox and headway tips to keep those learning juices flowing. Thanks again!
    - http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
      
      Hola!
      
      Both versions (the one Ingrid showcased here) and the new design are built on Headway. The original design was simple Leafs with some custom CSS to round the corners.
      
      With the new version, it’s a widgetized footer as covered by Paul Coughlin:
      
      http://headwaytips.com/creating-a-widgetized-footer/
      
      This is a fluid footer (as is the header). There is some custom CSS for the header to allow social icons in there, but everything else is pretty much out the box.
      
      Hope that helps
      - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
        
        Danny,
        
        Thank you so much for stepping in here and taking the time to reply. You da man! 😉
      - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
        
        Danny,
        
        Thank you so much for stepping in here and taking the time to reply. You da man! 😉
http://franstips.com/2011/03/Creating-Best-Ranking-Post-With-Content-Writing Fran Aslam

Hi Ingrid:

I some how landed at this post today. I enjoyed going through it, reading your comments more focused than the content of the post. So here I am writing a comment for you also. Enjoyed this post about Headway. I like your presentation here.
Fran A
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Fran,
  
  Glad you liked this post. I think Headway has some great advantages for people who don’t do any kind of coding.
  Thanks for the comment.
  Cheers
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http://johnhaydon.com John Haydon

Nice one, Ingrid! Also check out a recent project from Inbound Zombie: http://goodworksco.ca
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi John,
  
  It’s great of you to take the time to stop by here – thank you, much appreciated :)!
  
  I’m glad you liked this post. I think we both agree (as well as many others) that the Headway support team – especially Grant and Clay – surpasses our expectations! They’re doing a hell of a job and I can’t wait till my new Headway site is finished :).
  
  I’ll make sure to check out the link you left asap. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
  
  Cheers Mr. Haydon
Anonymous

Thanks for all this great information! Headway has been a lifesaver for this “boomer” not born “cable ready”. Thanks to rent-a-geek mom and Headway I have a great WP site.
http://reelsisterscolorado.com
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Avril,
  
  Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your great looking Headway site and 2 cents! Rent a Geek Mom is indeed super talented.
  
  Your site is warm and welcoming. Although I know nothing of fishing and fly tying :(, I think I’m gonna’ get my feet wet and learn a few things from you.
  
  It’s nice to see people blogging about things they’re passionate about. Good for you.
  
  Cheers
  - Anonymous
    
    Thanks Ingrid,
    Step into the water anytime!
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http://www.mikepedersen.com Mike Pedersen

Well…hmmm??? I don’t know if I want to switch from Fresh News, but if it is easier to use and I can keep most of my look and feel, I may take a gander. Why are you adding more stress to my life Ingrid LOL 😉
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Mike,
  
  Sorry for adding that extra bit of stress to your life hahahaha. Welcome to mine!
  
  I really like the design of your site the way it is actually. It’s clean and has a nice professional tone to it. If you don’t need to switch, then don’t. But if you do decide to at some point, then I would recommend Headway. It’s definitely fun to work with and learn on – I’ll tell you that much.
  Once again, I do know that Thesis and Genesis rock as well, but for me, Headway was the better choice.
  
  It’s been easier to use for me anyways – as I’m sure for many. In my case, it’s because I can’t code to save my life. But I’ve still decided to go with a pro designer to snazz it up a bit.
  
  Thanks for stopping by :).
  
  Good luck.
  Ciao
http://golfgpsguides.com golf gps

very good looking sites
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Thanks :).
  Cheers
http://golfgpsguides.com golf gps

very good looking sites
http://golfgpsguides.com golf gps

very good looking sites
Anonymous

Hey Ingrid, Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I’ve never heard of Headway but I’ve heard of Genesis and I use Thesis.

I’ve been using Thesis for just over a year now and even though it does have it’s niggles it does serve it’s purpose for now. Even though I’m tempted to change the design of my blog I don’t quite think it’s a pressing issue just yet but when the time does come I’ll definitely look at Headway.

After a brief look at some of the sites showcasing Headway a couple of things that immediately spring out is the fonts that people have used, they seem very basic and old fashioned and the designs seem quite generic.

I’m like you Ingrid, I’m not really a coder but having Thesis from 1.5 onwards forced me to learn a bit which isn’t a bad thing, even though I’d really love a GUI drag and drop…, the geek in me really loves to tap away at the keys pretending to look like a real computer hacker!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey Amit,
  
  Thanks for stopping by and sharing your 2 cents. Much appreciated.
  
  I have no doubt that Thesis rocks and that it can do amazing things. I haven’t had the chance to work with that theme yet as my coding knowledge is beyond limited lol :). But I am planning on learning at least some basics if not more.
  As for your blog, it indeed does look great. Very clean and elegant look :).
  
  As for the themes provided here, I don’t know whether I would rate them as generic. It’s just my personal opinion but I do think that they all have some kind of unique touch and are visually attractive, easy to navigate and rather creative. As for the font – to each his own, I suppose – but you do have a choice of several.
  
  Besides the fabulous and innovative drag and drop method that Headway provides, you can also go all out with the CSS/PHP if you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately, I don’t yet lol and that is why I’m highly considering professional help to get my site just the way I want it. But I’ve been having a blast playing around with it and I would highly recommend it to anyone – from the beginner to the advanced developer. But again, that’s just my opinion – and many people’s too :).
  
  Let us know what you think, the day you do give it a go.
  Wishing you continued success.
  Cheers
Anonymous

Hi Ingrid.

Great article and great list.

You had show cased some Really great Headway Themes sites here.

I also opted for Headway Theme due to the quality service Grant Griffith provides. To me he has delivered above and beyond. I first started out with a single license, but I realized very fast that this will lead to something unique.

Headway Theme is a really unique Framework that makes it easier then ever to design a professional blog in any niche. I have learned more in 1 year then I learned in 8 years working online after I started use Headway Theme.

And I had the pleasure to meet Grant and Clay Griffith at Blog Expo 2010. I know they will keep developing this already revolutionary theme to infinity and beyond.

Next time Mashable showcase top WordPress themes Headway Theme will rank #1.

My Headway Theme pride you can find at http://aremorch.com

Cheers.. Are
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hi Are,
  Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about Headway with us here. I’m happy that your experience with them so far has been impeccable and that you enjoyed the site examples provided here. They definitely give some good ideas.
  
  Even though I’m still relatively new to Headway and still learning the ropes and tips and tricks, I’m gonna’ have to agree with you on everything you pointed out, especially about their quality service. Grant and his A+ team have truly been and continue to be an exceptional support.
  
  I haven’t had the pleasure of personally meeting Grant or his son yet as I was not able to attend the Blog Expo this year (but hopefully next for sure) but I have been in continuous contact with him. All in all, I cannot but say what a gentleman and great help he has been.
  
  Your blog looks great and some very insightful information regarding the hotel industry and social media. I look forward to reading your future posts.
  
  Best of luck,
  Cheers
John Burton

Headway has changed the way I run my web design biz… I love it! Most everything I design for clients now is done in Headway.

I’m moving my print design page from html over to Headway today… my web design page is up and running: http://www.burtonsites.com

Some others I’ve designed in Headway:

http://www.nickpagano.net
http://www.johnburton.net
http://www.detroitrevivalchurch.com
http://www.newrenaissance.us
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  HI John,
  I appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts and great looking designs with us. They’re clean, classy and easy to navigate around. Nice!
  
  I can’t wait till my site is switched to Headway. So far I’m having fun toying around with the framework but am gonna’ go with a pro to get it just the way I want.
  
  Keep up the great stuff!
  Cheers
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http://www.famousbloggers.net Hesham Zebida

Hey Ingrid,

Nice post like always, enjoying your writing style while having my morning coffee

mmm.. one thing you should know about me, I am not a drag & drop guy hehe! probably this is why I prefer to go the hard way, this is where I find problems and I can solve them!

I see you’ve mentioned three platforms, so I must say that I love working with Thesis Theme, probably because I’ve learned a lot about it and it’s that kind of framework that teach you, so.. it’s kind of easy for me to handle it now

That doesn’t mean I don’t use other frameworks, although I haven’t got the chance to try Headway yet, but I know it’s an excellent choice for many, so.. maybe one day, actually maybe very soon I will get myself a copy and dress up a few of my coming blogs!

Keep rocking!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hey there Hesham,
  Really appreciate you stopping by here and sharing your thoughts :). I’m glad you enjoyed the post as well as the writing style :). I do my best to keep it entertaining.
  
  I can completely understand why you like working with Thesis so much. Your advanced skills are certainly evident in your sites! Great looking! Plus, I’m sure the techie/webbie knowledge that you possess must help a lot and make it enjoyable when working.
  
  You should definitely try Headway sometime soon. Again, I’m a newbie and far from knowing all or even half what the framework is capable of. But one thing for sure, is that it’s fun – even if you don’t do the whole drag/drop thing lol. There’s tons of advanced CSS/PHP/HTML coding waiting for you at Headway as well ;).
  
  Always great to see Mr. Famous Bloggers himself around these woods. Thanks again for sharing your views. I’ll be looking forward to seeing those new upcoming blogs of yours!
  
  Cheers
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http://www.nakeva.net nakeva

@nittyGriddyBlog this is a great post! I just changed my site to #Headway 2.0! Didn’t like the previous version but the 2.0 rocks so far. I’m still learning my way around. The fact that you listed all the resources to see other sites in action makes me want to get pro work done later down the line!

Thanks for the post. And Danny Brown rocks too
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Nakeva,
  Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts here. I’m glad the resources were useful to you and yes, I can see how they’d make you want to get a pro to help out at some point. I know, I want to.
  
  As for Danny Brown rocking, what can I say to that? He most certainly does and then some :)! His work is truly insightful and inspiring, especially for a newbie like me – actually, pretty much for anyone at any level. His charismatic writing (and personality I’m sure) just make you want to read more of what he has to share.
  
  Oh, and obviously I think Headway 2.0 is pretty much the Bomb. Kinda the driving force behind why I wrote this long, but hopefully useful and witty post ;).
  
  Good luck with the learning.
  Cheers
  - http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
    
    Haha, both you and Nakeva are making this old guy blush – thanks for the kind words, ladies.
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      Nothing like a little extra tone of pink on the cheeks Danny :). And old? I sincerely doubt!
      
      You are most welcome. And I think I speak for Nakeva and myself when I say – every word is true. And that’s not me brown nosing, I’m not into that. That’s me saying it like it is! Nothin’ more, nothin’ less!
      
      Wishing you a wonderful weekend. Hope to see the pinkish and youngish likes of you here again soon :).
      
      Ciao
http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

Hey there Ingrid,

What – you didn’t include my blog? Grrr… 😉 I jest, miss – great overview of a great theme framework. I’ve had my problems recently, but that still doesn’t take away from Headway being an awesome product, and like you say the support team and the community plain out rock.

And thanks for including three of my designs here – the SRM Group and SmartShine I think run from version 1.66 and 1.5 respectively, and the Bonsai Interactive site is from 1.7 (I need to update each, hehe).

Cheers, and look forward to seeing what you come up with!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Danny Brown here? YaY :)Thanks so much for taking the time to read this post and even more so for commenting Danny. Much appreciated indeed. Well, I couldn’t possibly include all your sites now, could I lol? Cmon’ it’s just the personal one haha. Your sites rock Danny, as do you and as does the content you provide on them. And I’m not simply referring to the Headway ones! I’m an avid reader and learner – of your work, that is!The 3 of yours that I included here are clean and classy and I like that aspect. They are visually appealing and make you want to click to see the next page.I’m really hoping you enjoyed this post – it’s a bit unusual from the regular Top XX style posts – but hopefully just as useful and even more entertaining.As for their support team – INTERPOL – as I said lol. They’re everywhere and they’re good to say the least!I’ve been toying with it for several days now, and I’m simply having fun learning :). I think that’s the best part. Not sure if I’ll be able to come up with something great on my own, so I may fall back on some pro help, but will make sure to holler at ya when I do. Thanks for those great video tutorials which played a big part in my purchase decision :). Anyways, I’ve written a novel here, so I’ll zip it now :).Thanks again for your time and input.Cheers
http://twitter.com/TristanHigbee Tristan Higbee

What the… Where have I been all these years? How have I never heard of Headway before?? I’m rocking Thesis on my blogs and I’ve considered Genesis before, but Headway has inexplicably escaped from my attention… You know, sometimes it’s kind of depressing just how much information there is on the Internet!

Anyway, it looks like an awesome theme and I’ll look into it in the future. Thanks for such a thorough and comprehensive post!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Hiya Tristan,
  
  Well, that’s changed now hasn’t it? lol 😉 Like I said I know Thesis is a fav for many people but seriously, Headway is just awesome. For me, it was hands down – seeing that I’m CSS/coding challenged :). I think I mentioned that a few times already lol.
  
  You should definitely take a more in depth tour of the framework because it really is worth it. And let me not start bragging about their support team again!
  
  Speaking of the plethora of info on the net – I’m just overwhelmed. Everyday I read, learn, discover, share…more and more. It’s simply incredible. At this rate, we may eventually turn into human encyclopedias of random knowledge!
  
  I’m glad you found this post useful and most of all comprehensive – although, trust me – there is a lot more to know and see for yourself.
  
  Cheers to your very cool comment :).
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http://www.edgeofdavid.com/blog Edge of David

Thanks for the props

I’m going to email this to my sister because she is a graphic design artist and will love it… especially because her big brother is featured!
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  David,Thanks for stopping by here and taking the time to comment.
  
  You’ve got a kick-ass lookin’ site – including the content :). Little sis is already very proud, I’m sure :). But thanks for passing it along! Much appreciated.Cheers
http://twitter.com/ajmorris AJ Morris

Great post Ingrid! It’s great to see others with lists like this as well as new users come to appreciate what Headway is all about.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  AJ,Very kind of you to stop by and comment – thank you:)! I know it was a rather long post – and an unusual one at that – but I hope it was useful and thorough all while being entertaining at the same time. Headway is indeed pure genius. They’ve done a heck of a job. Hats off to Grant and the entire HT team!Cheers
  - http://twitter.com/ajmorris AJ Morris
    
    I’ve been using Headway as one of my themes in development since Sept. ’09 and honestly love it. I work with the theme just about every day now, and have love that I’m building a business around it. I have a few personal projects I’m trying to finish up right now that I think will help contribute to the Headway community and am excited to get them off the ground now that 2.0 is out.
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      I’ve only been toying with it the last few days and I already love it :). The best part is that it’s fun. I used the theme test drive plugin to practice so as not to completely demolish my blog by accident hahaha.
      
      I’m awfully excited about getting set up – but am considering getting some pro help just to spice it up even more.
      
      I’ll be looking forward to seeing your new completed projects – so please keep us posted and best of luck with them. I’m sure they will be a great contribution to the HT community :).
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Olin Hyde

A long posting is worthy of a long comment.

Wow. Great information. I started reading this blog because my name was mentioned — during a conference call and knowing the my day is packed with un-fun work (e.g., contractor and employee issues). Thanks to Ingrid, I now have 15 tabs open to see really cool Headway themes — knowing that I will probably be up all night trying to figure out how to modify my site to be a bit more sexy (in a very business kind of way).

Two of the issues that I have with all CMS system (not just WordPress) are: 1) load times, and 2) RDF. Load times are painfully slow with WordPress. I have yet to find a host that can break the magic 50 ms barrier for loading a WP site. RDF (rich data framework) is a bit more geeky. Currently only Drupal 7 supports it — although RDF appears to be evolving as a dominant factor in SEO and SERP rankings as it is a more accurate way to evaluate relevance than links and other factors that can be gamed by SEO wonks.

It would be amazing if anyone has insights on how to RDF-ize a WP site while concurrently improving load times.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  And a long comment is worthy of an equal reply lol ;). Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and insightful techie observations Olin. Much appreciated.First and foremost – I hope reading this post was more entertaining than your conference call – although not as productive I’m sure lol. Now imagine how I felt with over 200 designs open all over the place. Good luck with the all nighter and join the club :). No worries, I’m sure your site will have all the sexy/business appeal that you’re aiming for, while portraying professionalism and credibility at the same time. As I mentioned, I’m considering asking for professional help just to give it that extra umph that I may not be able to implement myself.Regarding those insightful tech observations and questions of yours – Uhhh…Like I said in the post, I’m a bit “technically challenged” and therefore may not be the best person to ask for advice regarding how to RDF-ize a WP while boosting loading times. But I sure hope someone here in the comments will be able to help you out. So this is me SHOUTING OUT TO COMMENTATORS OF THIS POST – PLEASE SEE OLIN’S COMMENT AND ADD YOUR INSIGHTFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR HIM!As for hosts, I’m currently with JustHost.com (for this blog). Not sure if they have what you’re looking for but check them out anyways – they’ve got tons of UNLIMITED features to offer when you host with them.Thanks again for your super feedback and thoughts. Hope you get a kick-ass geek that can provide you with useful insights.Cheers to you Mr. Distinguished Entrepreneur
Gareth Chidgey

Hey,

Thanks for including a couple of mine in there… always nice to see.
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Gareth,
  I love both of those sites – yours, I mean lol. They scream creativity! Nice job! Thanks a lot for coming by here :). Much appreciated.
  Cheers
http://www.marsdorian.com/ Mars Dorian

Those are some kick-ass examples – and you make me even more drool over Headway. Lol !
The only problem that I have is how I can get my current Thesis blog converted to Headway, while keeping the basic layout !
- http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
  
  Glad you like em’ Mars!
  
  Yeah, I’m kinda drooling myself for I’m super anxious/excited to transfer to it. But I’m thinking of falling back on some help. Maybe that’s a suggestions for you – or there’s Danny Brown who makes it look really easy in his tutorials – although I’m sure it’s not as easy as it looks. Or, and here’s a thought – say headway on Twitter and POOF the magic genie! Grant Griffiths or any other forum member/online community can help you out big time!
  
  Thanks for stopping by Mr. Cool :).
  - http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
    
    Ha, it is actually as “easy” as it looks, Ingrid – the videos you see are “filmed” as I work, without any editing, so if it looks easy on video, that’s because it is.
    - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
      
      Danny,
      I know they’re filmed as you work – I watched all of them lol. What I meant is that what you were doing – a direct copy/paste style thing of your blog to get it to look as close as possible – looked easy because it was. But maybe trying to do more (complex things) might require a little more practice/knowledge.
      
      I apologize for not wording my thoughts better on that one. My bad :(.
      
      Let me try again…it’s easy, it’s easy, it’s easy – i swear it looks easy because it’s easy lol Heck, you showing us just how easy – as well as your fabulous accent – is a big reason for why I went with Headway.
      
      Cheers
      - http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
        
        Ah, gotcha – my bad.
        
        Yeah, there’s a lot more complicated stuff you can get your hands dirty with for sure. And I’ve had some frustrations lately, as I’m using a designer for the first time to have a bit of a snazzy look, and there have been some challenges along the way.
        
        BUT…
        
        That takes nothing away from the fact that Headway is an awesome framework and one that I’d highly recommend to most bloggers and site-builders.
        
        http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
        
        Danny,
        
        In order to avoid using the Lol this time round – this is me telling you that I’m smiling out loud :)But it is in fact my bad – I should have worded what I meant slightly better, cause I totally get how it can be misunderstood.I hear ya about the frustration, but hopefully those challenges – once overcome – will end up by being a great learning experience (at least I hope) plus the outcome will rock, I have no doubt! As I mentioned before – I think I will be going with a designer as well as I doubt I can get my site to look the way I want it to. I’m having a blast trying but…Snazzy? Can’t wait to see it :)! Best of luck.I’m far from having learned all the different things you can do with Headway, but with what I learn more and more everyday, and the overall experience I’ve had with them, I certainly recommend it.Wishing you a pleasant and productive day.Thanks again for all your insightful feedback and kind support. Hope I see you around these parts more often.Cheers
        
        http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
        
        Just as well you didn’t feature my personal blog, since it’s not on Headway anymore. Currently running a Genesis child theme, but that’s just a placeholder. My designer Lisa has an awesome redesign coming on plain old WordPress in the next cpla weeks, looking forward to unveiling.
        
        http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
        
        Hola Danny,
        
        I gotta’ tell you – I really love the placeholder you have now as it is. I’m sure it’s gonna’ look even better once Lisa is done with it but still. Doesn’t matter if whether it’s GeneThesis (my witty combination of the 2 lol) or Headway – as long as it’s visually attractive – cause let’s face it we all judge a bit on appearances; user-friendly – so we don’t need a PhD fro Harvard to figure it out; and representative of you or your brand: I think many sites say a little about the person that owns them. My sure as heck does ;).
        
        I’ll be waiting to see the new Danny Brown redesign. I’m also waiting to see the new nittyGriddy redesign lol. I was pretty straight forward in requesting everything I wanted in the new design (I left tons of notes, examples and requests for the designer) as I want to make sure I don’t change the feel or style of what it is now. Cause even though I am redoing it I kinda’ like the way it is now – but of course – there are many things that need improvement!
        
        Thanks again for stopping by and keeping us updated. Looks like Genesis is working out for you quite well. Like I said earlier in this post, all three biggies are equally awesome – each in their own way. No argument there.
        
        Cheers
- http://www.famousbloggers.net Hesham Zebida
  
  This is one thing I would never do! Never switch Themes unless you know what you are doing and you have nothing to lose.. But you can always use them on a fresh blog! (just a personal opinion)
  
  P.S. it’s not hard to make look the same as your Thesis skin, but probably it’s hard to make it function exactly the same, especially for those who have a heavy loaded skins! Plus it could heart your blog SEO after switching!
  - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
    
    That’s a good point Hesham. That’s why I think I’m gonna leave it for a pro to do. My biggest concern actually was whether it would affect SEO and so forth.
    - http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown
      
      Headway pulls over the SEO from your Thesis blog. Or, you could use the very cool SEO Transporter from Studiopress:
      
      http://www.studiopress.com/plugins/seo-data-transporter
      
      That’s the beauty with the best of the premium frameworks and developers, they make it easy for the user to keep their hard-earned settings
      - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
        
        Good and relieving to know.
        
        Thanks for sharing that info Danny. Just went and downloaded the link now for future use :).
        
        Cheers
- http://internetmarketing.ricklapoint.com Rick LaPoint
  
  Here is my Thesis site: http://internetmarketing.ricklapoint.com/
  
  Here is my Headway site: http://internetmarketing.ricklapoint.com/blog
  
  Same site, separate directories, same look.
  
  Rick
  - http://nittygriddy.com/ Ingrid Abboud
    
    Hey Rick,
    Thanks for stopping by and leaving your site examples for Mars :).
    Indeed, same look!
    Cheers

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