Building a Portfolio That Stands Out
My approach to creating a minimal yet impactful portfolio site using Next.js and modern web technologies.
Creating a portfolio isn't just about showcasing your work—it's about telling your story.
The Philosophy
When I set out to build my portfolio, I had a few core principles in mind:
- Minimal, not minimalist - Every element should serve a purpose
- Fast by default - Static generation for instant page loads
- Content-first - Let the work speak for itself
The Tech Stack
I chose Next.js with static export for several reasons:
- Zero runtime costs - Pure HTML/CSS/JS
- Perfect Lighthouse scores - No JavaScript bundle bloat
- Easy deployment - Works on any static host
What I Learned
The biggest lesson? Simplicity is harder than complexity. It's easy to add features; it's hard to know which ones to leave out.
"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
This is my first blog post on the new static site. More to come.