Client · Law firm 2012–present

Dashtaki Law

Ground-up brand and WordPress build for a solo attorney, rebuilt in 2019 with intake form work that measurably improved how the firm qualifies new cases.

Role

Designer & developer

Client

Dashtaki Law

Stack

WordPress · Roots Sage · Bootstrap · Advanced Custom Fields · Custom theme

Two parallel intake-queue samples of ten inquiries each. Before the 2019 intake redesign, four of ten inquiries qualified; after the redesign, nine of ten qualified.

Context

Cyrus Dashtaki was establishing his own practice in St. Louis and needed a brand and web presence built from scratch. No existing identity, no CMS. The site needed to establish credibility immediately and make it easy for potential clients to reach out.

That was 2012. The work has continued since.

The Problem

In 2012, a solo attorney starting out needs a site that looks established. First impressions carry significant weight in legal services, and a rough or template-looking site undermines credibility before anyone reads a word.

By 2019, a different issue had emerged. The firm was receiving inquiries that didn’t fit the cases it takes, which meant time spent qualifying leads that wouldn’t convert. The intake process needed to do more of that filtering work upstream.

Approach

Version one was a full identity and 100% custom WordPress theme: typography, color, brand voice, built on Roots Sage with Bootstrap and Advanced Custom Fields for full CMS editability. The design goal was a site that looked like it belonged alongside more established firms.

The 2019 rebuild kept the existing identity but overhauled the CMS structure and introduced A/B tested intake forms. The forms were designed to surface qualifying information earlier, so potential clients could self-select based on case type before the firm invested time in them. Several variations were tested before landing on a structure that worked.

Since then the engagement has operated as a standing technical arrangement: updates a couple of times a year, on-call for issues, and occasional input on digital decisions.

Outcome

The intake form work measurably improved lead quality. The firm handled fewer unqualified inquiries and spent more time on cases that fit its practice. The site has been in continuous production for over a decade, rebuilt once and maintained throughout.

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