Custom theme development
Your design, built as a fast, accessible block theme.
We turn your Figma, XD or Sketch files into a custom WordPress block theme — with a theme.json design system that keeps every page on-brand, WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility and a performance budget every template has to meet.
Figma to WordPress
theme.json design system
Performance budget
Why the theme matters
Most of the web still fails basic accessibility checks.
Contrast, focus states, skip links and form labels are decided in the theme. Get them right there and every page your editors publish inherits them; get them wrong and every page repeats the mistake.
Theme vs page builder vs custom
Four ways to build a WordPress site — and when each makes sense.
There’s no single right answer. Tap a card to see who each approach suits and where it starts to cost you.
Source: Web Almanac 2025 — CMS
The design system
One theme.json file. Every page on-brand.
WordPress’s theme.json decides which colours, fonts and spacing editors can choose — and which options they never see. We use it to turn your design into rules the editor follows.
- Your palette and type scale, built inPresets WordPress converts into CSS custom properties, used by the theme and the editor alike.
- No off-brand surprisesCustom colours and font sizes switched off where they’d break the design, per block if needed.
- Editable in the Site EditorBlock themes let you edit templates and global styles without a developer.
Block Editor Handbook — Global settings & styles (theme.json) · WordPress Theme Handbook — What is a theme
Accessibility check
How close is your current theme to WCAG 2.2 AA?
WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation in October 2023 and added nine success criteria. Tick what your site already does — the new criteria are grouped separately because most older themes predate them.
The basics that fail most
New in WCAG 2.2
W3C — What’s new in WCAG 2.2 · W3C — Understanding Contrast (Minimum) · Web Almanac 2025 — Accessibility
Built for your content
A theme that ships only what your design needs.
Drag the divider. On the left, a multipurpose theme loads sliders, icon fonts and layout options for sites you aren’t building. On the right, a custom block theme loads your templates and nothing else.
Each template is held to an agreed performance budget, with Core Web Vitals checked on key templates before launch.
Multipurpose theme Features for every kind of site, loaded on yours; layouts shift as late scripts arrive.
Custom block theme Only your templates and styles, with space reserved for every element.
From design file to live theme
Four stages, reviewed in batches.
You see templates on staging as they’re finished, not all at once at the end.
Days 1–3
Design review
We go through your design files, flag gaps such as missing mobile states, and confirm the template list.
Week 1
Design system
We set up theme.json with your colours, fonts and spacing so the editor matches the design.
Weeks 2–6
Templates and patterns
Templates, template parts and patterns built on staging and shared for review in batches.
Final week
Testing and handover
Accessibility and performance checks, fixes, then the theme and its documentation are yours.
Performance budget
Fast is a requirement, not a hope.
Before we build, we agree limits for page weight and scripts. Every template has to meet them — and Google’s Core Web Vitals targets — before it ships.
- LCP within 2.5 secondsThe main content of each key template renders inside Google’s “good” threshold.
- INP of 200 ms or lessMenus, filters and forms respond quickly to taps and clicks.
- CLS of 0.1 or lessImages, embeds and fonts have their space reserved, so nothing jumps.
Who builds it
Theme developers who ship themes of their own.
We have built and maintained more than 40 WordPress themes. Your project gets the same habits: clean structure, tested templates and documentation.
- Pixel-checked templatesEvery template and template part compared with your design at each breakpoint.
- Patterns and block stylesReady-made heroes, features, testimonials and calls to action editors can drop into any page.
- Update-safe code and docsWordPress coding standards, plus notes on how to extend the theme later.
Questions, answered
What changed in WCAG 2.2?
The W3C added nine success criteria in October 2023 — including a 24 × 24 CSS pixel minimum for tap targets, focus that isn’t hidden behind sticky headers, alternatives to dragging and easier logins — and removed 4.1.1 Parsing. We build and test to the AA level.
Do we legally need an accessible website?
It depends on where you operate and what you sell. In the EU, the European Accessibility Act set a June 2025 deadline for many websites and apps to meet EN 301 549, which references WCAG. We’re not lawyers, but building to WCAG 2.2 AA puts you on the strongest footing.
Do you build classic themes or block themes?
We recommend block themes for new projects because editors get a true preview. We still build classic themes when a project needs them.
What if we do not have a design yet?
We can start from one of our existing themes as a base, or work with your designer. We do not offer full brand design.
Will the theme work with page builders?
It will work alongside them, but a block theme gets the most out of the core editor. If you want to move away from a builder, see block and FSE development.
How do you test accessibility?
We use automated tools plus manual keyboard and screen reader testing on each template, and share a short report of what we checked.
Can we sell the theme we commission?
Yes, if that is agreed in the scope. Commercial theme projects include extra work on settings, documentation and licensing.
Get a free quote
Let’s build something great.
Tell us about your project and goals. A WordPress engineer — not a salesperson — will reply within one business day with a plan and a fixed price.
- Free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours
- NDA available on request
- Fixed price — you approve the scope before work starts
