Expert UI/UX Designer & WordPress Developer for Multi-Location Cannabis Dispensary

We are Gaslight Dispensary, a multi-state cannabis retailer with locations in Staten Island, NY, and South Orange, NJ. We are building a high-end, conversion-optimized WordPress website and need an experienced UI/UX Designer and WordPress Developer to bring it to life. We will handle the actual page creation and copy entry, but we need you to design the UI/UX (in Figma or similar), develop the WordPress theme architecture, and set up the strict SEO silo structure we require. Our e-commerce menu is powered by Alpine IQ (formerly Dispense). We are using their native, SEO-friendly HTML menu integration (NOT an iFrame). The site must be built to perfectly handle multi-location routing while maintaining strict regulatory compliance for both New York and New Jersey. Key Deliverables & Responsibilities: UI/UX Design: Create a modern, premium, mobile-first design system for our brand. You will design the homepage, location hub pages, blog layout, and global header/footer. WordPress Theme Development: Build out the approved design into a lightweight, fast-loading WordPress environment (custom block theme, Bricks, or Elementor are acceptable if optimized for speed). Age-Gate & Location Routing Modal: Develop a first-touch pop-up that requires users to confirm they are 21+ AND select their preferred store (NY or NJ) before entering the site. This selection should set a cookie and route them to the correct location silo. SEO Silo Architecture Setup: Structure the site hierarchy so that NY and NJ menus, deals, and delivery pages are strictly separated to prevent keyword cannibalization (e.g., [domain.com/staten-island-ny/](https://domain.com/staten-island-ny/) vs. [domain.com/south-orange-nj/](https://domain.com/south-orange-nj/)). Alpine IQ Integration: Implement Alpine IQ’s native e-commerce menu scripts into the location pages, ensuring canonical tags and URL routing are functioning perfectly for search engine indexing. Compliance Footer Construction: Build a 4-column global footer with a sticky compliance banner at the very bottom containing state-mandated legal disclaimers. Required Skills & Experience: Expert-level WordPress development (Custom Themes, PHP, CSS, JS). Strong UI/UX design portfolio (please provide links to previous sites you've designed from scratch). Deep understanding of Technical SEO, URL structures, and Content Siloing. Bonus/Highly Preferred: Previous experience working with cannabis dispensaries, Alpine IQ, Dispense, or Dutchie POS integrations. Mobile-first design mentality—the vast majority of our traffic will be mobile. Screening Questions (Please answer when applying): Have you ever built a website for a cannabis dispensary or integrated a platform like Alpine IQ (Dispense), Dutchie, or Jane? If yes, please provide a link. How would you technically approach building the 21+ Age Gate and Location Switcher to ensure it routes users to the correct state-specific menu URL? Alpine IQ injects the e-commerce menu directly onto the page for SEO purposes rather than using an iFrame. How do you ensure WordPress doesn't conflict with third-party URL routing injected by a platform like this? Budget: (Set this to your preferred budget range on Upwork. For a high-quality custom design, setup, and integration, expect to set a budget between $2,500 – $6,000 depending on the developer's location and expertise).