Headway 1.5 Changes the Game… Again – Meet Your New Visual WordPress Theme Editor

Nov 3, 2009
35 Comments

If you can’t see the Headway Sneak Peek video below, please visit the Remarkablogger blog to watch it.

UPDATE: Headway 1.5 has now been released. Get it here.

When Headway 1.0 was released, it shook up the WordPress premium theme market. Why? Because we gave bloggers what they really wanted: visual control over their blog designs with little-to-no complex coding.

Well, now we can add the word total to that description. You now have total visual control in Headway 1.5, which you can now get as a developer preview (which means you have to have the developer’s license).

For all you non-developers, though, Headway 1.5 is going to be your home for do-it-yourself design. The Layout editor in Headway 1.0 was great, but it was just the start. We know that what bloggers wanted — and what they thought they were getting with other themes, but didn’t — are easy drag & drop and control panel-driven design tools. In other words, bloggers want an easy design environment that’s more like a program than a web page.

Interestingly enough, those same features also make Headway 1.5 the best friend of every advanced WordPress designer on the planet, because the sheer speed with which you can work will plaster a grin on your face. Hardcore coding applications are great (I used Notepad++ myself), but Headway is the Dreamweaver of theme design.

Headway 1.5 is not available just yet, but it will be soon. I’ll be making more videos to show you the cool stuff it does and explain how you will benefit from these features. If you want to try your hand at a developer license now, head over to the Headway Themes site and get yours.

I’m not an affiliate for Headway because I’m a partner. But if you want to earn money as a Headway affiliate, sign up here so that you’re ready to promote 1.5 when it officially releases.

  • I actually have a question similar to Annes. I want to offer 3-4 website (styles) for web design clients in my niche. Can I use Headway to create and save "templates" that I can use again as needed?
  • remarkablogger
    You can copy CSS files and the database tables that hold the leaf
    information, but your clients need to buy their own copies of Headway.
  • when is this released
  • then don't waste time chatting to me release this thing so i can use it
  • If things go according to plan? Today. If they don't, then soon, very soon. Releasing new versions takes some coordination. It may or may not happen today.
  • Have had thesis for about two months, & have had some problems with it, like when I set up my blog in firefox, it looks good & everything lines up, BUT when I open it up in Internet Explorer, the whole theme goes out of wack. For example, the header in IE goes past where it should be & sometimes the widgets drop below the site. But in firefox, all is good.

    Now I watched some vid's on Headway & I'm sold, but also hoping I don't have the same problem as with thesis. Or maybe I just did something wrong on thesis.

    Question is, will I have the same problem with Headway?

    Egon
  • Egon, if you stick to Headway's visual tools and don't go creating custom CSS, you should be fine.
  • Hey Michael,

    Thanks for the reply. Looking forward to the Headway 1.5 release.

    So if I understand you correctly, I can upload an image or picture on to the headway theme without custom css, using the visual editor. If your answer is yes than WOW I'm lovin it.

    Example, here is the Thesis blog I was talking about that the header looks OK in Firefox but not in IE7 www.luxurybeachresorts360.com

    Thanks again
    Egon
  • Egon, the answer is a definite YES. Uploading header images is a piece of cake. It's one of the most basic things, but it's amazing how many themes out there complicate this or don't even include it.
  • Sheldon
    Ahh Breath of fresh air. This is much more efficient. We will have to keep this hush hush... If my clients find out about this theme they might just cut me out and do it themselves...
  • Sheldon, I won't tell anybody if you won't. Oh, wait, I already did...
  • I've head a look at the Headway website. If I understand correctly, this is something you install on a domain and then work from there? Sounds good for someone with a blog or two.
    I'm looking for a way to quickly create themes that I will distribute for other users. I guess I still need to hire a designer for that ;)
  • Anne, Headway is a WordPress theme, which used to mean simply a design template and nothing more. You took what you got with whatever theme you had. But Headway goes way beyond that, actually allowing you to design the blog yourself. It's got programming built into it so that instead of being just a design, it's actually a design tool.
  • Grant Griffiths
    As a designer you can limit the amount access a client can have to the visual editor. Thx everyone for all the great comments. We are getting excited to get 1.5 in your hands soon.
  • Technologically, this is very cool. But this is a lot of design control to give to clients whose frame of reference is using MS Word to make "pretty documents" with different colors, styles, and sizes of text. How do you manage that aspect of this theme? Do you sometimes fear to go back and look at the Headway sites you've installed?
  • Ray, you're absolutely right. And with great power, comes great responsibility. You'll notice I referenced Dreamweaver, not Word. :)

    Even though I and everyone else at Headway appreciates great design, we are not design snobs. The great thing about Headway is that anyone can design their blog, now. The bad thing about Headway, is that anyone can design their blog, now! We're here to offer people what they want, not pass judgment on their design chops.

    But we'll do our best to provide the best guidance we can through video tutorials, documentation, and community support.
  • Do you have any plans to provide for administrative global settings that limit "design freedom" for users? For instance, I routinely remove the ability to underline text (as well as some other capabilities) from text editors.
  • Ray, there are no such plans. Headway isn't about administrating the actions of others in that way.
  • Joniel
    thank you. I'm gonna use it in my blog. nice one.


  • Joniel, make sure you tweet about it with the hashtag #headwaywp when you do, so the whole Headway community can see it! (Assuming you're on Twitter, which, of course, you should be. :) )
  • Michael,

    Sorry for being kind of dense, but as a Headway Version 1.0 user, can I upgrade to version 1.5?

    Cheers!

    George
  • George, if you have the developer's license, I believe you can, but unless you're technically inclined, you should hold off until the easy-to-upgrade-for-everyone version is available. Won't be long! :)
  • This will be perfect for my non-techie clients who want to blog but don't like looking behind the scenes.
  • Wow..It will be exciting to use version 1.5..
  • Danial, it has been pretty exciting to use it, so far. :-)
  • Michael, that's some very fine client side scripting there - very smooth, nice drag-n-drop implementation. It's definitely nice to see changes in real time rather than changing in control panel, saving, going and looking, heading back to control panel, rinse repeat ad infinitum.
  • Mike, exactly. It helps both non-techies and experienced pros get things done efficiently. Thanks for your comment!
  • Wow! Really interesting- nice work.
  • We try, Devin. Thanks for taking a look and for commenting.
  • Michael this is amazing

    I often see blog posts where people claim something is "game changing" - but until I saw this video, I was a little skeptical.

    This is insane. The visual editor you're demoing is the new bar that any premium theme is going to have to beat, and you guys are way ahead of everyone else.
  • Sid, thanks for the compliments. I can't think of anything better than "insane." :)
  • Beyond awesome. I can't wait to get my hands on version 1.5
  • Charlotte, thanks! You won't have long to wait.
  • wow, I'm speechless, this is really cool
  • Paul, thanks! "Really helpful and easy" is what we were shooting for. I make no claims to "coolness!"
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