Remember the days of Flash websites? That's where my obsession began. For eight years, my personal website has been a chameleon—morphing from a creative playground to a portfolio showcase, and finally, a writer's haven. But this journey wasn't without its pitfalls.
The Redesign Rabbit Hole
Ever felt the dread of updating your portfolio? Multiply that by a thousand. That was me, caught in an endless loop of redesigns. Each iteration left me more exhausted than the last, sapping my will to even look at my own creation. It was a digital Sisyphus moment—pushing the boulder of perfectionism up the hill, only to watch it roll back down.
Embracing Imperfection: The Iterative Approach
Then came the revelation: iterative change. It's like giving your website permission to grow up, one small step at a time. The faster we iterate, the quicker we learn. Suddenly, the pressure to be perfect vanished. My website wasn't just a static showcase anymore—it became a living, breathing entity, evolving with me.
Tech Stack: The Foundation of Flexibility
Choosing the right tools was crucial. Gone are the days of manual updates and clunky deployments. Enter the age of Continuous Integration:
- Next.js: The backbone of my new site
- GitHub: Where the magic happens
- Vercel: My trusty deployment sidekick
- Server-Side Rendering: Because who likes waiting for data to load?
It's like having a team of invisible elves working tirelessly behind the scenes. Push a change, and voilà—it's live!
Content Creation Unleashed
Remember when adding content felt like solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded? Not anymore. MDX (Markdown + Components) became my new best friend. Now, I can whip up content in any Markdown editor and sprinkle in React components for that extra pizzazz. It's like having the best of both worlds—simplicity meets flexibility.
Design Constraints: The Unlikely Hero
To keep my inner perfectionist in check, I set some ground rules:
- Limited container width
- Design tokens for spacing
- Only two heading styles in articles
These constraints became my creative springboard, forcing me to focus on what really matters—the content.
From Portfolio to Personal Narrative
The final piece of the puzzle? A shift in perspective. This isn't just a portfolio; it's my digital autobiography. While portfolios often gather dust post-job hunt, my website continues to tell my story, evolving with every new chapter in my design journey.
So here's to personal websites—may they always be a work in progress, just like us.