Mikel Daniel
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- Jun 8, 2026
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For many years, I used Elementor for most of my websites. It worked well, and I have nothing against it. But recently, I reached a point where I realized I no longer really need it.
I wanted to redesign three of my websites, but I wasn’t interested in manually designing everything myself again. So I tried hiring website designers and freelancers. I spoke with many people, but most of them made big claims without a clear process. Some didn’t really understand what needed to be done, and a few even stopped in the middle of the project.
After that experience, I decided to try a different approach.
I spent a few hours creating a full brand CSS palette and design system for my website using Claude AI. Then I used ChatGPT, that CSS file, and my own requirements to create visual concepts for the web pages. Once the design direction was clear, the only thing left was implementation.
That was when I realized something important: with AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, I could create a full custom WordPress theme instead of depending on Elementor, extra addons, and freelancers who may or may not finish the job properly.
I gave the AI my page designs, CSS file, website structure, and list of required pages. After several rounds of revision — probably around 7 or 8 — I ended up with a complete custom WordPress theme in a ZIP file.
Of course, it was not perfect from the first attempt. It still needed testing, fixing, and refinement. But the result was much cleaner than what I expected.
Now I no longer have to constantly update Elementor, Elementor Pro, and multiple addon plugins. I removed many unnecessary plugins and replaced some of them with small custom AI-assisted plugins made only for what my websites actually need.
The biggest surprise was performance. On Google PageSpeed Insights, I’m now getting 100 scores across all major areas on both desktop and mobile.
For me, this was a turning point.
Now, with AI, a clear design system, and some patience through revisions, a custom WordPress theme feels more lightweight, more flexible, and more future-proof for my own websites.
I wanted to redesign three of my websites, but I wasn’t interested in manually designing everything myself again. So I tried hiring website designers and freelancers. I spoke with many people, but most of them made big claims without a clear process. Some didn’t really understand what needed to be done, and a few even stopped in the middle of the project.
After that experience, I decided to try a different approach.
I spent a few hours creating a full brand CSS palette and design system for my website using Claude AI. Then I used ChatGPT, that CSS file, and my own requirements to create visual concepts for the web pages. Once the design direction was clear, the only thing left was implementation.
That was when I realized something important: with AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, I could create a full custom WordPress theme instead of depending on Elementor, extra addons, and freelancers who may or may not finish the job properly.
I gave the AI my page designs, CSS file, website structure, and list of required pages. After several rounds of revision — probably around 7 or 8 — I ended up with a complete custom WordPress theme in a ZIP file.
Of course, it was not perfect from the first attempt. It still needed testing, fixing, and refinement. But the result was much cleaner than what I expected.
Now I no longer have to constantly update Elementor, Elementor Pro, and multiple addon plugins. I removed many unnecessary plugins and replaced some of them with small custom AI-assisted plugins made only for what my websites actually need.
The biggest surprise was performance. On Google PageSpeed Insights, I’m now getting 100 scores across all major areas on both desktop and mobile.
For me, this was a turning point.
Now, with AI, a clear design system, and some patience through revisions, a custom WordPress theme feels more lightweight, more flexible, and more future-proof for my own websites.