What a custom theme should do

Since Online Store 2.0, templates are mostly JSON files that list sections, and merchants arrange those sections in the theme editor without touching code. A strong theme is built from sections and blocks your team can safely reconfigure, rather than hard-coded layouts.

If your theme is several years old, heavily patched or built on vintage (pre-Online Store 2.0) architecture, you may be fighting the foundation. A modern, lightly customized theme with a disciplined app stack is usually faster than a heavily patched older one.

What I build into a theme

  • Sections and blocks

    Reusable building blocks your team arranges in the theme editor.

  • Structured content

    Metafields and metaobjects for product details and content, instead of hard-coded copy.

  • Built for speed

    Images, fonts and scripts handled with Core Web Vitals in mind from the start.

How I build themes

A safe workflow

  1. Architecture plan first

    Which templates, sections and data the store needs, written down before code.

  2. Development theme, never live

    Work happens on a development or duplicated theme, previewed with real store data.

  3. Version control and checks

    Changes go through Git with Shopify's GitHub integration, and Theme Check lints the Liquid and JSON.

  4. Design input

    I build from your designer's Figma files, work alongside your designer, or handle layout myself from your brand guidelines.

How to work together

Theme builds are part of Store Architecture & Build.

  • Build

    Store Architecture & Build

    For: Entrepreneurs launching, brands replatforming or on old themes

    An architecture plan first, then a store built on it.

    What's included

    • Architecture plan: data model, apps, integrations and Markets
    • Online Store 2.0 theme build
    • Data migration
    • Launch QA
    Pricing
    Fixed price, from
    Price
    $8,000
All services

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need a custom theme, or will a Theme Store theme do?

Often a Theme Store theme, lightly customized, is the right call. A custom theme makes sense when your catalog, content or brand needs sections no ready-made theme provides.

Can my team edit the theme after launch?

Yes. That's the point of Online Store 2.0 sections and blocks: your team rearranges pages in the theme editor without touching code.

Do you do design?

I focus on architecture and development. I can build from your designer's Figma files, work alongside your designer, or handle UX and layout myself using your brand guidelines.

Related specialties and guides

Related specialties

Further reading

← Back to Shopify Expert: every location and specialty

Fighting an old theme?

Book a 20-minute architecture call.

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