Busy Bees

Written by Mark Forrester on December 8, 2008 Product News.

What a year 2008 has been, WooThemes is only 5 months old, yet we’ve launched 17 themes, answered about 2 400 support queries (14 000 forum threads!), and replied to a heap of sales/administration emails. To put it lightly we’ve been busy bees .

Today is a very special day as we are launching the much anticipated 19th theme of 2008 appropriately named – Busy Bee . BusyBee was masterminded by Magnus “Flash Gordon” Jepson , after much research into the reasons for our most popular theme – Fresh News .

Busy Bee caters for a huge variety of users, it can be used as a news based or magazine based theme. Alternatively you can use it for your personal blog, or your business website. It is packed full of useful features, with Magnus revising a good chunk of the theme options.

9 dedicated advertising blocks, with an easy to integrate Adsense option, 13 pixel perfect colour styles and completely widgetized sidebars and footer space, with some lovely custom-built widgets.

Go taste the honey here , constructive feedback most welcome as per usual.

Update: We’ve added a video player widget because of popular request. Grap version 1.0.1 if you already downloaded the theme. Check out the docs for how to setup video posts.

cta-banner-10-product-page-v2_2x

53 Responses

  1. Oliver Nielsen
    December 8, 2008 at 5:59 am #

    Looks like a real winner guys!

    And it seems like Mr. Jepson is developing a signature style;-)

  2. Adii Rockstar
    December 8, 2008 at 6:12 am #

    @Oliver – Yup, Magnus definitely has an unique signature style, which has proven to be very popular with our users.

  3. rastaman
    December 8, 2008 at 6:13 am #

    A good site! What is the name of u theme? I want the same)

  4. Magnus Jepson
    December 8, 2008 at 6:33 am #

    @Oliver – Thanks! 🙂

  5. bjorn
    December 8, 2008 at 6:44 am #

    nice work, Magnus! I can see this reaching Fresh News popularity! 🙂

  6. Aaron
    December 8, 2008 at 6:49 am #

    Very nice, that’s definitely going on my next to buy list 🙂

  7. Armin Talic
    December 8, 2008 at 6:54 am #

    Signed up to woocommerce.com just to purchase this theme.

    Totally new to the wordpress world and I think that this theme will give me the best possible platform for growth.

    Excellent work Magnus. Purchased! (possibly first :))

  8. Magnus Jepson
    December 8, 2008 at 6:56 am #

    Thanks again guys! Means a lot

    @Armin – You were actually second… beaten by 3 minutes earlier first purchase 😉

  9. Ganesh - Online Bull
    December 8, 2008 at 7:12 am #

    This theme is just awesome! You guys always release the best themes. I’m currently using one of your Fresh News themes and I love it. But Busy Bee looks even better. 🙂

  10. Tiago Noronha
    December 8, 2008 at 7:15 am #

    As I told you before, great work Magnus! 😉

  11. River Girl
    December 8, 2008 at 7:20 am #

    Oh SWEET! Gonna have to get this one too!

  12. Premium Theme Info
    December 8, 2008 at 7:28 am #

    Thanks for your inform. I have post this theme in my blog!

  13. Lucrecer Braxton
    December 8, 2008 at 9:01 am #

    I am loving the evolution of the themes. You have done some excellent work.

  14. Whittfield Holmes
    December 8, 2008 at 9:03 am #

    While I can criticize the design at all, I am a bit disappointed that yet another blog layout appears so soon. It’s quality but not that imaginative or unique enough from the other offerings in my opinion. Love the work but would like to see more CMS flavored themes with a flexible and robust news “section”. Just a thought, anyway like I said it’s another quality theme from Magnus.

  15. Max Schleiffer
    December 8, 2008 at 9:44 am #

    Pretty cool 🙂 Fresh News was an excellent WordPress theme but this one is the greatest ever made !

  16. lathifulamri
    December 8, 2008 at 10:01 am #

    wow, i love it…

  17. Adii Rockstar
    December 8, 2008 at 11:14 am #

    @Whittfield Holmes – Point taken. That’s why we’re working on some new business themes. Have a look here –> http://bit.ly/wR0o

  18. Karrine Her MEdia
    December 8, 2008 at 12:03 pm #

    I like the layout, I haven’t had an opportunity to install it and check out the code yet.

  19. loswl
    December 8, 2008 at 12:29 pm #

    Excellent theme, love the clean yet detailed and polished look :o)

  20. scottywic
    December 8, 2008 at 12:47 pm #

    I know i am supposed to praise it, but i think this theme is really lacking. There are many free themes you can download that look very similar to this. You guys have to go above those themes as you have done in the past, and failing to do that kinda makes me lose a little faith.

  21. Magnus Jepson
    December 8, 2008 at 12:51 pm #

    @scottywic – mind telling us what is lacking in this theme and how it falls short of what we have done earlier?

  22. Jason
    December 8, 2008 at 2:12 pm #

    Awesome theme. I’ll be sure to purchase it once those Christmas coupons come out 🙂 (hint hint). I think the theme is probably one of the best so far, but I would also have to agree with Whittfield on the similarity.

    I’d like to see more themes not so focused on the same blog layout, for different websites. The flickr contest had a ton of great variety, so hopefully that will produce a few winners as well.

    I’d personally like to see a portal page design, something like msn.com or yahoo.com maybe?

  23. Magnus Jepson
    December 8, 2008 at 2:24 pm #

    @Jason – Thanks 🙂 I’ll try to focus my next design on something different than before. I just had to do a fresh news “killer” before I set out on that path 😉

  24. Chris
    December 8, 2008 at 4:44 pm #

    I like the larger horizontal images above the stories. Makes me want to do it to my site, but there’s something about it I can’t quite put my finger on.

    Maybe it’s just so simple and I’m looking for it to be a bit more spiced up?

    I dunno, the story area I like, but the remainder doesn’t scream “news site” to me.

    Just my $.02
    ~Chris

  25. Jhay
    December 8, 2008 at 6:47 pm #

    Great job!

  26. Schmitty
    December 8, 2008 at 6:54 pm #

    I purchased Fresh News and was frustrated a bit that I could not have more control over the column widths, spaces between areas, etc – a general lack of easy customization. I saw the email for this theme and it does look a bit better, but seems to really be Fresh News with a slightly different layout. Not worth $70, especially w/o source files.

    What I’d really like to see is much more customization in the admin menus within wordpress, including option to changes fonts, colors, etc and have much more control over the theme without editing code or CSS

  27. mR_r0b0t0
    December 8, 2008 at 7:36 pm #

    Hey guys!

    I definitely agree with some of the other commenters that the theme feels like Fresh News all over again. However, that being said, I love the fact that you have listened to your fans and community and introduced a wealth of new features, especially the Adsense support and the extra video options now.

    I would love to see the Adsense options included in most of your forthcoming themes, and if we are lucky, maybe you could add it to some of your previous releases (THiCK, Flash News) *hint hint*

    Great job otherwise Magnus 🙂

  28. Robin Citrin
    December 8, 2008 at 8:57 pm #

    Overall, I think it is a great improvement over Fresh News, and is a really beautiful, highly customizable theme. Magnus, your design sense is impeccable… well done!

    I do think it is indeed quite similar to Fresh News, and it might have been nice to offer the theme for $40 to those who have a valid license for that theme, but that aside, once again… great work!

  29. Rudi
    December 8, 2008 at 9:05 pm #

    cool, clean, simple, and eye catching
    nice combination man, truly an awesome theme

  30. Jason
    December 8, 2008 at 11:45 pm #

    I’m also going to need to purchase a wordpress ecommerce theme soon. Any chance we might see one from you guys in the next few months? I’ve only found a few through Google…decent on the features but none of them impressive in the design area. I’m sure you guys would rock out something sleek!

  31. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 5:39 am #

    I like this theme, but I think you should provide more “blog like, less magazine” themes. I mean like you site, Adii: http://www.adii.co.za/

  32. Magnus Jepson
    December 9, 2008 at 5:41 am #

    @Dias, You can easily make this theme “less magazine” by disabling the featured post, and setting the option for 1 column news + show full content (all within the options panel)

  33. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 5:52 am #

    @Magnus Jepson

    Oh, rly? That’s great.

    I believe you should demo that, I know few people who would be interested in this. 🙂 Btw, is there a way to put a twitter stream in header in place of ad-space?

  34. Magnus Jepson
    December 9, 2008 at 5:55 am #

    We would need to put up another demo for that which is going to be confusing. I might put up a screen shot instead.

    I did actually design a twitter feed in the header instead of ad, but never coded it. I will consider adding it in a update.

  35. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 6:00 am #

    @Magnus Jepson

    Please: screenshot and twitter for next update. 99% I’ll became a Woo-subscriber. 🙂

  36. Magnus Jepson
    December 9, 2008 at 7:27 am #

    @Dias – Your command is my wish 🙂

    Version 1.0.4 sports a twitter option and I’ve included a screenshot on the theme info page (http://woo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/busybee-blog.jpg)

  37. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 8:40 am #

    @Magnus Jepson

    Holy Kaw, nice. I guess I have no other choice but to buy this one in next few days. 🙂

    p.s.: just curious about how twitter header works. Is a TwitterBird Icon a hyperlink to your account? I’m obsessed with usability stuff so it would be nice to have that link, so users can easily see my twitter_page/follow_me.

    Thank you again

  38. Magnus Jepson
    December 9, 2008 at 8:41 am #

    @Dias – Yep, The icon links to your account 🙂

  39. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 8:53 am #

    Glad to hear that, I’m definitely gonna buy it.

    Btw, are your previous advise “disabling the featured post, and setting the option for 1 column news + show full content” works on all themes you published on WooThemes?

  40. Magnus Jepson
    December 9, 2008 at 8:56 am #

    All themes are different, but all magazine themes have a “blog” layout. Check the documentation and see the theme options available.

  41. Dias
    December 9, 2008 at 8:59 am #

    Nice, thank you for the info. 🙂

  42. Woody Carr
    December 9, 2008 at 2:47 pm #

    This a great new theme. It’s indeed a Fresh News “killer”. I love your style Magnus.

    Looking forward to “The Station” too. Another business style CMS will be a welcome addition.

    Keep up the terrific work.

  43. MQ
    December 10, 2008 at 7:25 am #

    Wow..
    The elegant theme.

  44. Diseño Ciudad Real
    December 10, 2008 at 12:29 pm #

    Really a nice template. Compared with subscriptions to other clubs such as joomla templates is somewhat expensive but I’m thinking to join in your club.

  45. Whittfield Holmes
    December 10, 2008 at 11:43 pm #

    Since I was maybe the first to criticize this offering, I’ll follow up by saying that the link Adii provided looks great. Keep em coming. BTW a little off topic but I absolutely love Jquery in the feature secion!
    Thanks for taking my comment seriously you guys.

  46. GRL
    December 10, 2008 at 11:48 pm #

    You guys do excellent work. I’m going to blog about you soon. And thank you for the free themes.

  47. Woody Carr
    December 11, 2008 at 4:36 pm #

    Just a suggestion… Adding a social profiles option/widget like the one in THiCK would be REAL nice in Busy Bee. I know the same thing can be done with a text widget but the icons for the list items in THiCK are ideal for profile lists.

  48. Izuddin Helmi
    December 12, 2008 at 8:25 pm #

    Hi,
    Some of the preset colors bad (some too dark, some too bright). Perhaps you guys can do some grunge version of it instead of plain version only

  49. Ronnie Spitzer
    December 14, 2008 at 12:40 am #

    great theme, visually stunning and clean. Nice admin options panel. I’m developing my organization’s website with it, and the feedback’s been very complementary.

    Only issue I’ve seen is the generous header/white space makes laptop viewing require more scrolling.

  50. Foxinni
    January 2, 2009 at 4:35 am #

    Nice work guys.

    🙂

  51. Judy Asman
    January 5, 2009 at 9:54 pm #

    Thanks, Magnus. The Busy Bee theme is crazy good.

  52. D1rect movies
    May 19, 2009 at 11:43 pm #

    Excellent theme, love the clean yet detailed and polished look :o)

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