I wanted a portfolio that actually does one thing well: put the work front and center. That meant resisting the usual urge to pile on visual flourishes, micro interactions, and endless site experiments. Those things are fun, but they also distract from what matters. This site is intentionally smaller, easier to scan, and faster to update.
To make that possible I built a fully custom stack using Next.js and Payload. Next gives predictable performance and clean routing. Payload gives me a content model I control, so adding or reshaping projects is quick and low friction. Together they let me move fast without sacrificing craftsmanship or polish.
This is a growth first setup. It is not a monument to perfection. I expect to iterate often, to tidy and expand in small steps, and to let the portfolio evolve alongside my work and interests. If a page gets simpler or a layout changes, it is because the work demanded it, not because I chased a trend.
Some cool features i've incorporated:
This site was custom-built from the ground up to provide a seamless and engaging experience for sharing my work.
- Hybrid Architecture: Built on a modern Static Site Generation (SSG) framework, delivering elite performance while supporting rich, dynamic user features.
- Custom Content System: A flexible, block-based structure for creating dynamic layouts for projects and articles.
- Secure Gated Content: Implemented a robust authentication system with password protection, automatic password generation, and automated email notifications for controlled access.
- Enhanced User Experience: Thoughtful UI/UX improvements including estimated reading times, scroll-based progress bars, and user-selectable Light/Dark modes.
- Advanced SEO Capabilities: Engineered for maximum visibility with dynamic server-side rendering to ensure all content is perfectly optimized for search engines.