Custom theme
Purpose-built PHP templates, responsive frontend styling and reusable theme components instead of an off-the-shelf theme.
CASE STUDY · WORDPRESS
Kumu
A custom WordPress implementation built to give editors flexible page-building tools while keeping the frontend maintainable and connected to external content.
THE BUILD
WordPress used as an editorial platform, not just a page builder.
The project used a custom WordPress theme rather than relying on a pre-built visual theme. The goal was to keep the public-facing experience tailored to the brand while still giving content editors a practical way to update structured sections in the CMS.
Advanced Custom Fields was used to model reusable content and page-level configuration. PHP templates translated those structured fields into the frontend, while API-connected content allowed parts of the site to communicate with data outside WordPress.
TECHNICAL APPROACH
ACF content model
Structured fields gave editors controlled flexibility while keeping presentation logic inside the theme.
API integration
External data could be incorporated into the WordPress experience without turning editorial content into hard-coded markup.
Maintenance
The implementation also required ongoing publishing, optimization and support work beyond the initial build.
EDITORIAL MODEL
Separating content from presentation.
The editor experience was designed around structured content rather than asking non-developers to manipulate layout code. ACF fields captured the information a section needed; the theme decided how that information appeared across desktop and mobile.
That separation made the site easier to maintain and reduced the chance that routine content changes would break the design system.
ORIGINAL SITE ARCHIVE
What the site looked like during the build.
Kumu's website has since been redesigned. These archived desktop and mobile captures document the version I contributed to and preserve the visual context of the original implementation.
Original Kumu homepage
Responsive homepage
Newbies Corner
Newbies Corner editorial page
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