Framework 7.0: Our Custom Website Framework Compatible with WordPress

Framework 7.0, The Stem’s Custom Website Framework

Framework 7.0 is the website framework behind every site The Stem Creative builds. It’s our own codebase, developed and refined in-house over decades, and it’s the reason our sites can look fully custom without being rebuilt from scratch every time. You get a design made for your business, sitting on a foundation that has already been proven on real client sites.

Here’s where it came from, what’s inside it, and why it matters to you even if you never look at a line of code.

Where our website framework started

When Rick Gold first started doing web design, he noticed he kept rebuilding the same pieces on every site: the header, the navigation, the content areas, the footer. So he built a template that had all the required parts already in place, and all he had to do was set the style of everything. This was before CSS, when every bit of styling had to be written into the page itself.

That template was the first version of this website framework. It has been rebuilt and expanded many times since then as the web changed, from table layouts to CSS, from static pages to WordPress, and from desktop screens to phones. Framework 7.0 is the current generation, and the idea behind it hasn’t changed: build the proven parts once, then spend the time on design.

A website framework that’s WordPress-ready

Framework 7.0 is its own framework, written in HTML, CSS and PHP. It doesn’t depend on WordPress, but when a client wants to edit their own content, it converts into a custom WordPress theme quickly and cleanly.

• New page layouts in minutes. Any page can become a real WordPress page template with a single line at the top of the file. No plugin, no build step and no registration process.
• Classic Editor only, on purpose. Our WordPress builds are restricted to the Classic Editor, not the block editor. You can update your text and images, but you can’t accidentally break the layout we designed.
• REST API ready. Content types are exposed to the WordPress REST API out of the box, so the same content can feed a headless setup or a mobile app later.
• Modern theme support already declared. HTML5 markup, responsive embeds, post thumbnails and custom menus are all switched on, not left for a developer to remember.

A fully responsive website framework

Every part of Framework 7.0 is fully responsive. Layouts, menus, banners, images, video embeds and sidebars all adjust automatically to the screen they’re on, from a phone to a 27″ monitor. On smaller screens the navigation switches to a mobile hamburger menu and multi-column layouts stack cleanly into a single column. There’s no separate mobile site, no extra stylesheet and no extra work per page. Your site simply works everywhere your customers are.

Ready-to-use layout elements, a la carte

The website framework comes with a menu of ready-made layout elements. Pick the ones a page needs, drop in the content, and the layout is done, without hand-writing new CSS for every page:

• Two halves: an even 50/50 split for side-by-side content
• Thirds: three equal columns for services, features or team members
• One third, two thirds: a narrow column beside a wide one, and the reverse
• Full-width banner: a large header image that resizes for mobile
• Image placement: ready-made classes for floating images at the top or middle of a section
• Blog, archive and search layouts: post lists, pagination, post navigation, comments and author pages
• Sidebars and widgets: a styled sidebar, custom search widget and category lists
• Accessibility built in: skip links and screen reader text for visitors using assistive technology

The website framework is also built to run with the CMS Drop Block plugin, our own content management plugin. It lets you or your team drop editable content into any of those layout slots, so you get real control over your pages without a bloated page builder plugin slowing your site down, and without the risk of breaking the design.

A launch kit for your brand

Framework 7.0 comes with more than code. Every build starts with a set of matching design templates for the things a new site needs on launch day: a favicon and iOS home screen icon, a social sharing image, Facebook and Twitter covers, YouTube channel art and Google image ads in standard sizes. Your brand looks consistent everywhere your site gets shared, not just on the site itself.

WooCommerce-ready from day one

When a WordPress build needs to sell online, Framework 7.0 is already set up for WooCommerce:

• Store features wired in. Product gallery zoom, lightbox and slider support are ready, so the store looks right immediately.
• Shop pages that match your brand. Dedicated shop and product templates and a store-specific sidebar follow your site’s design instead of WooCommerce’s generic defaults.
• Cart and checkout that work. A compatibility fix makes modern WooCommerce’s block-based Cart, Checkout and My Account pages render correctly on a Classic Editor build, a gap that trips up a lot of custom builds.
• Product listings tuned properly. Price placement and title length are adjusted with WordPress hooks, not fought with CSS overrides.

It’s also modular. The store code only loads on sites that need it. It runs the shop on The Stem Support, while The Stem Creative’s own site leaves it out entirely. Same website framework, no dead weight either way.

Custom content types, ready to extend

Most businesses have content that isn’t a blog post or a page: team members, case studies, locations, projects, listings. Framework 7.0 includes a working custom post type with its own icon, archive page, API support, revisions and custom fields, plus a matching category system. It’s a real starting point for whatever your business needs, instead of building one from a blank file every project. It even has its own widget area, so those sections can carry different sidebar content than your blog or shop.

SEO built into the website framework

SEO is built into the website framework from the first line of code. Every page gets a proper title tag, meta description, and Open Graph and Twitter card tags, so links shared on social media show the right title, description and image. Schema.org structured data, smart page titles and automatic 301 redirects for renamed or retired pages are part of the framework itself, not bolted on afterward. If your site already runs Rank Math or another SEO plugin, the website framework steps aside cleanly instead of fighting it for control. Either way, your site starts with the technical SEO foundation search engines expect.

Security where WordPress themes usually fall short

Vector graphics (SVG files) are great for logos and icons, but they can carry hidden code. Most WordPress sites either block SVG uploads completely or let them through unfiltered. Framework 7.0 includes a real SVG sanitizer that only allows safe tags and attributes and strips out scripts and event handlers, so you can use crisp vector graphics without opening a security hole.

Built to stay maintainable

Every included file is protected against direct access, every changed file is checked with a code linter, and we don’t allow unused CSS to pile up. The codebase stays clean as it grows. Just as important, one shared core powers our client sites. A fix made for one site strengthens all of them, and every new build starts from something proven instead of a blank template.

What our website framework means for your business

• A faster build. The groundwork is already done, so more of your budget goes into design.
• A faster site. No heavy page builder and no code your site doesn’t use.
• Room to grow. Add a store, custom content or an app later without starting over.
• No lock-in. It’s built on HTML, CSS and PHP, so any future developer can work with it, and you own your domain, hosting and files.

Framework 7.0 is part of every web design project we take on. Read more about Rick and The Stem Creative.

Get started

Want a site built on a website framework with decades of real-world use behind it? Visit us at 6415 Bowness Rd NW, call 403-619-9121, or start your project online. See what past clients say on our reviews page.