Redesigning a portfolio is something most developers keep pushing to "next month." I was the same. But after working on so many projects over time, I realized my old site no longer reflected how I build things today — in terms of both design and performance.

So I decided to rebuild it from scratch.

Why I Redesigned It

My old portfolio was functional, but it had its limits. It was slow at times, didn’t scale well for new content, and lacked any kind of smart features. Every update felt like a chore — opening code, committing changes, redeploying.

This time, I wanted the opposite: something fast, easy to maintain, and smarter.

What’s New

The new site is built with a modern stack: Next.js 15.3, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion for animations, and some subtle design upgrades. I used Canva to design the logo and custom visuals, keeping the aesthetic minimal and clean.

But the biggest change is behind the scenes.

This version includes AI support powered by Gemini 1.5 Flash. It’s a small experiment, but it adds an interactive layer — the AI can answer questions about me, guide you through the site, and even help summarize parts of my work.

It’s a fun way to make the portfolio feel a bit more personal and dynamic.

Tech Stack

Here’s what powers the new version of the site:

Framework: Next.js 15.3 (App Router)
Styling: Tailwind CSS
Deployment: Vercel
CMS: Sanity.io
Animations: Framer Motion + Lucide Icons
Image Handling: Next.js Image + Priority Hints
AI Integration: Gemini 1.5 Flash
Design Assets: Canva

This setup gives me full control over performance, content, and flexibility — without overcomplicating the codebase.

Built for Speed

One of my main goals with this redesign was speed. From the layout to the image loading strategy, everything was built to feel snappy. I removed unnecessary components, optimized images with Next.js, and kept the UI minimal.

The result? The site consistently scores 99–100 on Lighthouse across performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.

It’s not just about scoring well — it actually loads faster and feels smoother on mobile, even under slower network conditions. No waiting, no layout shifts, just a clean experience.

A Smarter, Simpler Developer Site

This portfolio reflects how I like to build things now — fast, thoughtful, and scalable. It doesn’t try to do too much, but it does what it needs to — clean design, great performance, and a little bit of AI under the hood.

Over the years, I’ve tried all kinds of things — punchy colors, heavy gradients, and overly complex animations. They looked flashy at the time, but now, I feel like minimal is the new cool. Something that’s quiet, focused, and straight to the point.

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking of revamping your own site, my advice would be: keep it simple, keep it fast, and don’t be afraid to add your own personality to it. You’ll enjoy maintaining it more — and your users will feel the difference too.