In my short time in design and programming sites, I’ve had the opportunity to search FOR HOURS for great examples of WordPress and how people are using the CMS for their benefit. Now that I have a decent amount of experience with it, here are my TOP TEN.
10. It’s a tie!! – All Things Digital and WordPress Jedi
So I had trouble deciding which to pick for last place. 
WordPress Jedi is a beautiful site that has administrators that are entirely focused on communication. WordPress IS an amazing source and medium for communication in a CMS that asks users to stay involved and contribute. Also its organization is worthy of taking note (something I feel is difficult for designers to deal with). As for All Things Digital, the site is a branch of The Wall Street Journal gives an abundant amount of information in the tech industry and web culture. The only thing the site lacks is a more Web 2.5 design.
One last bit of indulging with WordPress Jedi… TOOLBAR! It reminds me of FB’s toolbar and gives the user the opportunity to take what WPJedi has to offer and share it with others. Little items like this really make a website take it to that next level and showcases the real WP usability.
9. WordPress.com (WTF?!)
Well I’ll tell you WTF I chose .COM (just calm down!). WordPress.com’s old site lacked any type of REAL interactivity and understanding of the Web 3.0 purpose…. until they did a redesign about 6 months ago. Their front page is FULL of new and popular posts. The activity is ENDLESS for .com and gives the less knowledgeable blogger an awesome visual to what exactly what .com has to offer.
WordPress.com obviously uses WordPress MU, but I think that they’ve really hit on a really important note: centralizing content for users. WP.com gives bloggers (from beginner to advanced) an outlet that can/will/should be read and commented to be a comment-ready community. Tags and searches help further this along. One last highlight of .com is that, as a user, you get the backing of WP, it’s team, their updates and promises.
8. Swampland
With me being a political nerd, I look all over the net for great resources. Obviously, the big names in news are great sources, but now, with bloggers being added as legitimate journalists, these news sources have started using WP for their op-ed sections for those who update multiple time in a week or day.
I chose Swampland for using WP exactly how it should be used. Multiple users, multiple topics, effective use of categories, feeds, and comments. Part of its effectiveness is the design. It is simple and straight forward. If you’re on a single page, they don’t hide where sharing options are which gives the spread of news and ideas to get out more quickly. The use of third party Twitter and blog writers are picking up, but the sharing features should never go away for every other moment that you’re not at your own PC.
7. WebdesignerDepot
WebdesignerDepot is a oldy and favorite of mine. WDD is known for taking open-source idea, systems and products and sharing the crap out of them. I know that this may be a shallow reason to add it to the list, but I’d like to add that they aren’t just thieves from the open-source world. They have great writers that don’t just let you design for your pleasure.
The anonymous writers give you great theoretical pieces like, “10 Writing Tips for Web Designers”, “To School or Not to School”, or “Apple vs. Microsoft – A Website Usability Study”. I (and so many designers I know) really appreciate the time that it takes to punch out an analysis of a certain design or coding topic.
One last item about WDD, is their design. I can’t tell you how much I love the full-size, integrated background image. I know this has been around for a while, but I know for sure that WDD was the first site that I had ever seen it flawlessly done. Also, WDD is built on WP and is quite possibly the CLEANEST coded site I’ve ever seen.
6. CNN-PoliticalTicker
CNN’s PoliticalTicker is another great example of a news magazine style CMS built on WordPress. Again, the idea of having a part of a news site dedicated to the use of a more commentary purpose, CNN gives their authors the ability to update… RAPIDLY! Again, their structure of posts (tags, categories, twitter) is superb and the design is beautifully clean. I find this site to be different only because it’s backing by such a large corporation, but yet they’ve chosen a basic platform that even a dummy like me to work with it.
5. CSSRemix
CSSRemix is a site that isn’t like too many others with HOW they deliver their content. They’ve taken javascript screenshots of submitted sites and reproduced them on their front page giving the user over 25 different choices to evaluate.
I will say that CSSRemix is a designer’s site, but the concept could be used in different mediums and tweaked to incorporate video clips. But the reason why it’s so high on the list, is because of the use of CSS. WordPress is useless without CSS. Any designer knows that the aesthetics DOES matter, ESPECIALLY with WordPress.
4. Six Revisions
Six Revisions is an awesome site! Wow, where do I begin!!?? The biggest reason why Six Revisions is number four is because… it’s BIG! The amount of articles that this site pumps out… is endless. The freebies and tutorials that the SR gives to the public is absolutely worth every minute spent on the site.
With designers from Vandelay Design, the site is backed by some of the most seasoned designers. The site itself isn’t too amazing, but has the usual Web 3.0 features.
Here’s some of the great articles from Six Revisions:
- Color: The Next Limited Resource?
- Top 20 Essential Firefox Add-ons for Web Designers
- 16 WordPress Sites to Help You Build a Better Blog
- 50 Stunning Video Game Concept Art
- Announcement: UPrinting Business Card Giveaway Winners
- Digging into WordPress: WordPress insight and a specific resource for a specific CMS.
- Script & Style: A showcase site providing a plethora of different sites and examples of design and functionality.
- Quotes on Design: Fun!
- HTML IPSUM: The utlimate Lorem Ipsum resource. Don’t go anywhere else.
- Are My Sites Up?: Wondering if you’re sites are down? Hate your server? AMSU is like a server “nanny cam” for you.
3. ScoopDaily
ScoopDaily, formerly Scoop08 and Scoop44, was designed to cover the new Obama Administration and the political arena that surrounds them. Being comprised of almost ALL Harvard grads (just like Mark Zuckerberg) and is ran fabulously with WordPress.
It’s easy to say that this site is pretty normal and just another opinionated WP blog, but I must stop you there and disagree. Again, the nerd in me searches for sites like this. I have yet to come across such a site that has a team that is YOUNG (younger than me?) and has a successful site with countless authors. The readership is through the roof and offers a community in which discussion is non-stop.
The current/new design of the site pushes the user to be more involved (ie. allowing you to create your own WP user account!). Lastly, the new design to trash one item I loved… DISQUS!. I love Disqus and the ability to track comments all over the web, but alas, no more for ScoopDaily.
2. Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine is an all-encompassing community design site. Forums, freebies, tutorials, jobs, books and more!! The articles are sssooo good… chock-full of info on how to do things and where to get things to get the job done.
Here are two great examples of how Smashing using their internet tentacles to not only drive you to their network sites, but also to show case that the experience that they have working for them.
Smashing may be like other interweb design sites, but Smashing’s network pulls in information and articles from outside of its border which makes it a leader in problem/solution articles.
1. The Chris Coyier network
Ok, ok, ok… so I knew I was waiting to put this one up. I found CSS-Trick through a friend and I’ve NEVER looked back. The forum has been an amazing asset to designing… ESPECIALLY with WordPress.
Chris Coyier is a MASTER at design and functionality. I’m not 100% sure how Chris makes his money, but he deserves every penny he makes. The focal point in his network is CSS-Tricks, but he has multiple sites. But before moving to those, let’s look at CSS-Tricks first.
I can’t stress enough that the articles that Chris writes and produces are phenomenal and relevant. This is the first valuable point that I want to make.
Second, the actual design and function of CSS-Trick. The side bar has a FAQ section and the footer is Chris’s gateway to the rest of this network.
Lastly, the forum is big and the users are knowledgeable and they actually HELP!! Here’s some of my issues that I’ve gotten help with: PROBLEMS.
If we look at Chris’s network we have CSS-Tricks, Digging into WordPress, Script & Style, Quotes on Design, HTML IPSUM, and Are My Sites Up?.
Summation
Don’t ever give up on WordPress. These sites should give encouragement that great things are possible with WP. There are no boundaries when incorporating functionality and design for your WP site. Also, in case the obvious isn’t so obvious for you, make sure to utilize these for your own benefit.
