Why I Built KevinChamplin.com Custom Instead of Using WordPress

I build in WordPress all the time. Custom themes. Plugins. Enterprise environments. Performance tuning. I’ve been on WordPress since version 3, and I still ship serious WordPress work every week.

But my personal site—kevinchamplin.com—needed to be something different.

This isn’t a content farm, a marketing CMS, or a site with dozens of editors. It’s my technical home base: the place where I show how I think, how I architect, and how I actually build production systems. And for that, WordPress wasn’t the right fit.

This site deserved a scalpel, not a Swiss Army knife.

Why I Went Custom

The decision was simple: I use the right tool for the right job.

For this project, custom code meant:

• Zero plugin weight

• Zero CMS overhead

• Zero design constraints

• Full control over routing, performance, and UX

• A frontend intentionally crafted to feel crisp, native, and modern

• A backend that’s minimal, maintainable, and tuned for speed

In other words: a site that reflects how I actually build things for clients—clean architecture, smooth UX, and clarity above everything else.

What’s Custom Under the Hood

Even though the site looks simple on the surface, the structure behind it is engineered with intent. Here’s a snapshot of what’s actually custom:

Feature — How I Built It
Portfolio Engine — Custom module that loads projects instantly, with zero WordPress overhead.
Project Pages — Dynamically rendered content blocks optimized for readability and performance.
Routing Layer — Lightweight, Laravel-style routing without the framework weight.
Frontend — Minimal JavaScript, buttery motion, and performance-focused UI patterns.
AI Sections — Custom components showcasing my applied AI capabilities—no external CMS logic required.

Everything is built with the same mindset I bring to client work: clarity, longevity, and maintainability.

But Let’s Be Clear — I Still Build World-Class WordPress

This wasn’t an anti-WordPress decision. It was a context decision.

I still build:

• Custom themes

• Plugins

• Gutenberg blocks

• WooCommerce systems

• High-performance marketing sites

• API-driven WordPress applications

• Core Web Vitals & performance hardening

“Serious WordPress chops” is literally one of my core capabilities—because it’s true. I’ve built WordPress systems used by enterprise teams, agencies, and high-traffic marketing departments. I still do that today.

But for this site, a custom build made more sense.

What This Site Represents

This site is more than a portfolio. It’s a signal.

It demonstrates:

• How I structure real-world apps

• How I approach architecture

• How I design systems that scale

• How I deliver clean, senior-level engineering

• How I blend full-stack work with applied AI

• How I keep performance and UX front and center

It’s the same standard I apply at 815 Media—the studio I run, the code I write, the architecture I own, and the results I’m hired to deliver.