A year into the software industry, I felt it was time to build my own developer portfolio—a space that reflects my skills, experience, and personality. With a clear goal in mind, I started this journey, and here's how I navigated through the process.
Laying the Foundation
The approach was simple: minimalistic yet eye-catching. I scavenged through multiple developer portfolios, taking major inspiration from Brittany Chiang’s portfolio. Since a portfolio is more about UI than logic, my primary concern was CSS and design choices.
Before writing a single line of code, I spent time choosing the right color theme and font, deciding on relevant sections, and mentally creating a basic foundation. The most crucial part is getting the structure right:
- Setting colors globally
- Maintaining consistent margins
- Dividing pages into structured sections
Once this was done, adding new sections became easy, thanks to React’s modular approach. With React and Tailwind CSS, implementing designs became seamless, and responsiveness was a priority. One key element was ensuring a smooth transition from a top navbar (for larger screens) to a toggle menu (for mobile screens) while adjusting the contact icons from fixed side placement to a bottom bar. These small details significantly improve user experience.
Keeping It Practical
One key learning: Your portfolio should reflect you. There is no need for fancy elements or heavy 3D animations if they negatively impact performance. Initially, I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect 3D animations, only to later scrap them off completely.
For beginners, I recommend keeping things simple and minimal. You can always revamp and add advanced elements later. Focus on building a strong foundation first:
- Start with a basic structure
- You don't need every single detail planned from the beginning
- Work on one section at a time, optimize, and then move forward
For the contact section, I integrated EmailJS, making it easier for visitors to send me a direct message via email.
Essential Portfolio Sections
While portfolios are highly personal, I feel these key sections are must-haves:
- About – A brief introduction
- Skills – Highlighting core expertise
- Experience – Work history & contributions
- Projects – Showcasing past work
- Contact – Easy ways to reach out
Additional sections that can enhance the portfolio:
- Testimonials – Feedback from peers/clients
- Blogs – Personal or technical write-ups
- Certifications – Showcasing achievements
- Publications – Any research or articles
Although my portfolio is complete, there’s always room for improvement. I am now working on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and adding page/element animations using Framer Motion to enhance the user experience.
Share Your Portfolio Insights!
Check out my portfolio: samana-mirza.vercel.app
GitHub Repository: github.com/samana-bm20/portfolio
I hope this post helps anyone struggling with laying the initial foundation for their portfolio.
Since I have just one year of experience, I’d also love to hear from fellow developers who have been in this position before about their portfolio building experience.
Questions for you reading this post:
- Is there anything important missing from my portfolio?
- Is it easy to navigate?
- What are your overall thoughts on the site?
I’ll be grateful to anyone sharing their inputs!
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