Rebuilding My Developer Portfolio
Why I rebuilt my portfolio with Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and a content-first approach — and what I learned along the way.
After working on client projects for over a year, I finally took the time to rebuild my own portfolio from scratch. Not just a visual refresh — a rethink of how I want to present my work, skills, and story as a frontend developer.
Why rebuild?
My old portfolio did the basics: name, contact, a list of projects. But it didn't reflect how I actually work today — with Next.js, WordPress as a headless CMS, GSAP animations, and a focus on performance and SEO.
I wanted a site that:
- Loads fast and scores well on Lighthouse
- Supports i18n (English + Vietnamese)
- Lets me add blog posts and project case studies easily
- Feels polished without being over-designed
Tech choices
- Next.js App Router for routing, metadata, and static generation
- Tailwind CSS v4 for styling with a consistent design system
- shadcn/ui for accessible UI primitives
- MDX for blog content
- next-intl for locale switching
What I'm proud of
The portfolio now mirrors the kind of work I deliver for clients: responsive layouts, smooth micro-interactions, structured project galleries, and a resume page synced directly from my experience data.
What's next
I'll keep writing here about frontend patterns I use in production — WordPress + Next.js integrations, animation workflows, and performance tips from real projects.
If you're building your own portfolio, start simple: one great project case study beats ten generic cards.