Website

Previous Version

My previous developer site was built with Next.js, which I still appreciate as a framework. However, as my vision evolved towards showcasing small personal projects alongside my professional work, I needed something more maintainable and flexible.

Previous website built with Next.js

Goals for the New Site

• Fast loading and snappy performance
• Unique visual presentation
• Easy maintenance for quick updates
• Simple architecture for quick development
• Hidden easter eggs for fun

Design Concept

The initial concept focused on creating an interactive, card-based home page that would contain different elements, links, etc. I initially liked this idea because of the basic concept that you could see everything on one page, but quickly problems started to emerge. Each card needed to be unique and the grid-based layout became too complex to easily add new elements.

Initial concept design - focusing on interactive menu-based navigation

The Solution

After putting the idea on hold and experimenting with various layout ideas, I found inspiration in video game menus, particularly from Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Kirby Air Ride. This led to the current single-screen approach where content is immediately accessible without page loads.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate main menu - inspiration for the current design

Tech Stack Decision

While I work with React professionally frequently and like the reactivity it offers, I chose to build this version with vanilla HTML, CSS and JavaScript. This simplified the development process, eliminated dependency management, and made it easier to maintain and update the site. Additionally, I've implemented a component system for reusable elements like headers and footers, which provides ease of development while maintaining the simplicity of vanilla JavaScript.