Skip to content

WordPress development

Custom Gutenberg blocks your team can actually edit

No Elementor. No Divi. No plugin sprawl. We build lightweight WordPress sites on native Gutenberg blocks, reproduced faithfully from your Figma designs, so your marketing team can update pages, cards, quotes, FAQs and references without waiting on a developer.

Why we stopped recommending page builders

We spent years building on Elementor. We know exactly what it does well, and exactly where it hurts once a site has to be maintained by an in-house team, pass an accessibility review, or hit Core Web Vitals on mobile.

Page builders wrap every element in layers of markup and script. They lock your content into a proprietary format. They make simple edits risky, because moving one widget can break a layout. And they add a dependency you never asked for.

Gutenberg is WordPress. Content lives in clean HTML your team owns. Custom blocks give editors exactly the fields they need, nothing more. The result is faster pages, a simpler editor, and a site that is still easy to maintain three years from now.

Page builders
Custom Gutenberg blocks
Editing experience
BuildersHundreds of options, easy to break
GutenbergA handful of fields per block, hard to break
Page weight
BuildersHeavy CSS and JS on every page
GutenbergOnly what the page needs
Accessibility
BuildersDepends on each widget
GutenbergBuilt into every block
Ownership
BuildersProprietary content format
GutenbergStandard WordPress content
Long-term maintenance
BuildersBuilder updates, licence renewals
GutenbergCore WordPress updates

What we build

Custom blocks

Every element in your design system becomes an editable block: heroes, info cards, quote callouts, data and terminology tables, resource directories, CTA sections, accordions, breadcrumbs, footers. Built with ACF Blocks or native block.json, depending on what your team will maintain best.

Block patterns and templates

Reusable page layouts so a new page starts 90 percent finished. Editors assemble from approved patterns rather than rebuilding from scratch.

Design-faithful themes

A lightweight custom theme driven by theme.json: your colours, type scale and spacing as global styles, reproduced from Figma on desktop with responsive tablet and mobile layouts.

Accessibility built in

WCAG 2.2 AA is the baseline, not an add-on. Keyboard-operable accordions and menus, focus management, correct heading hierarchy, colour contrast checked at the design stage before a line of code is written.

Technical SEO and analytics

Clean URLs, canonicals, XML sitemap, Open Graph, Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList and WebPage schema, working with Rank Math or Yoast. Google Tag Manager and GA4 events configured, with Consent Mode v2 wired to your cookie platform.

Performance

Responsive images in modern formats, minimal JavaScript and CSS, caching and asset optimisation, tested against Core Web Vitals. Compatible with WP Engine, Cloudways and Cloudflare.

Who this is for

  • Marketing teams who need to publish and update pages without a developer in the loop
  • Regulated industries where every word is reviewed: pharma, healthcare, finance, legal
  • Companies that want to leave Elementor, Divi or WPBakery without losing their design
  • Agencies looking for a white-label Gutenberg partner
  • Anyone tired of paying for plugins that do one thing badly

Case study

A patient education website built on Gutenberg

A US biopharmaceutical company needed an unbranded patient and caregiver education website for a rare cancer. The brief was clear: reproduce the approved Figma designs exactly, make every piece of content editable by the internal team, meet WCAG 2.2 AA, and avoid page builders and unnecessary plugins.

patient-education-site.org/understanding-treatment/
UnderstandingTreatmentCaregiversResources

Treatment options depend on the stage at diagnosis and how the disease responds over time.1 Your care team may discuss a combination of approaches.2

References−
  1. National guideline on rare cancer staging, 2025. ↵
  2. Peer-reviewed review of combination approaches, 2024. ↵
Material code: XX-XXXX-0000Reviewed: Month 2026

What we delivered

  • A custom theme and a full set of ACF blocks matching the Figma design system: hero, info cards, patient quote callouts, terminology tables, resource directory, CTA sections and footer
  • A citation system where every inline reference number is superscript and links to its entry in an accessible References accordion, with a way back to the text. Numbering and reference relationships preserved per page, editable by the client
  • Three variants of an external-link exit modal, each triggered only by its mapped link category (independent sites, the corporate site, a branded product site), with an editable list of exempt domains
  • A 14-question FAQ accordion built on native HTML details and summary elements, keyboard and screen-reader operable, with FAQPage schema matching the visible content
  • Per-page editable material code and review date in the footer, plus sponsorship and medical disclaimers on every page
  • Rank Math for titles, meta descriptions, canonicals, sitemap and schema; GTM with GA4 events for outbound clicks, modal interactions, accordion opens and campaign tracking
  • Password-protected, no-index staging on WP Engine, with cross-browser, responsive, accessibility, link and citation QA before handoff

The client’s team can now update copy, images, quotes, resources, FAQs, references, menus and modal rules without touching code.

How we work

  1. 01DiscoveryWe review your designs, copy, brand assets and technical requirements, and agree scope, timeline and what you provide.
  2. 02Design reviewBefore development we check the Figma files for contrast and other accessibility issues and send a short list of adjustments to approve.
  3. 03Block architectureWe map every design element to a block or pattern and define what is editable.
  4. 04BuildCustom theme, blocks and patterns, populated with your approved content.
  5. 05QACross-browser and responsive testing, accessibility review, link and citation verification, performance and technical SEO checks.
  6. 06HandoffProduction deployment, admin access, all source files, content-update documentation, a recorded walkthrough, backup and rollback instructions, and a 30-day post-launch warranty.

You own everything: the site, the code, the configuration and the data. Paid plugin licences are registered in your name.

Frequently asked questions

Do we still need a page builder?+

No. Custom blocks and patterns cover everything a page builder does for a designed site, with cleaner markup and a simpler editor.

Can our team edit pages without a developer?+

Yes. That is the point. Every block exposes only the fields your editors need. Adding a new page means choosing a pattern and filling in content.

Can you migrate our existing Elementor or Divi site?+

Yes. We rebuild the design as blocks and patterns, migrate the content, and set up redirects so nothing is lost in search.

Do you use ACF Pro?+

Usually, yes. ACF Blocks are the fastest, most maintainable way to build custom blocks for most teams. Where a client prefers zero paid dependencies, we build with native block.json and React.

What about accessibility and SEO?+

Both are built in from the start. WCAG 2.2 AA is our baseline, and every site ships with a technical SEO foundation ready for Rank Math or Yoast, GA4 and Search Console.

Which hosting do you support?+

We work with WP Engine, Cloudways, Kinsta and most managed WordPress hosts, with or without Cloudflare.

How long does a build take?+

An eight-to-fifteen-page site from approved designs typically takes four to eight weeks including QA. We will give you a realistic timeline at scoping.

Ready to leave the page builder behind?

Tell us about your site, your designs and your team, and we will come back with a clear scope and estimate.

Related services WordPress maintenance and support WooCommerce development Elementor to Gutenberg migration