Building a portfolio that feels fast
I started rebuilding my portfolio this summer with a short brief: it should feel like mine, it should open fast, and I should be able to change any of it without a deploy. The first two pull against each other. The third turns what could have been a static site into one with a backend. This is a write-up of how the pieces fit together, the problems that took longest, and what I settled on. Most…
The writer rebuilt their portfolio in the summer, aiming for a fast, customizable experience. They focused on optimising for reads and accepted a bit more work on writes, using React Server Components rendered on Vercel and cached as static HTML. Content lives in Convex, while images and files reside in Cloudflare R2. A private editor, called the Studio, writes to both platforms.
The design relies on texture, with a monochrome portrait that picks up colour on hover and holographic glints on project cards. Most elements are designed using only HTML and CSS, with JavaScript used only in client components that need state. The portfolio's page loads quickly; for instance, on a cold load from India, the first byte arrives in 83ms and the largest paint lands at about 0.3 seconds.
Editing is possible without redeploying; the editor is allowed to break cache, and saving clears a specific tag, prompting fresh HTML rendering. The design incorporates eight colours, a holographic effect, and a monochrome typeface, all crafted to keep effects lightweight. The Studio allows real-time previews without leaking unpublished content, ensuring visitors see the same content as intended.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
