How It All Started
I wanted a portfolio that represents who I actually am — someone who thinks like a designer and builds like an architect.
My creative inspiration didn’t come from typical “designer portfolios.”
It came from:
- How Steve Jobs obsessively thinks about UI
- How Linus Torvalds thinks about systems
- How modern web experiences combine motion, UX, and engineering
I didn’t want a template.
I wanted a system that felt like me — clean, fast, animated, and engineered properly.
So I decided to build everything from scratch.
The First Iteration
Initially, I was experimenting with basic frontend tools — React, CSS, animations.
Like every developer, the first version was simple but full of learning.
What pushed me was this:
The best way to learn a technology is to build something real and ship it.
I started building:
- UI sections
- animations
- page transitions
- 3D assets
- backend thoughts
- system-level patterns
On the frontend I was exploring things like:
- React
- Framer Motion
- CSS modules
- Component structure
- Clean architecture for UI (like atomic “design+architecture” structure)
Over time I upgraded everything like crazy.
I replaced static images with real-time rendered 3D models using Three.js.
I started thinking more like an engineer building systems — not just pages.
This site became my personal R&D lab.
Migrating to Remix
At one point, I realized:
- I need MDX for articles
- I need better routing
- I need better performance
- I need cleaner transitions
- I need a more web-standard framework
I studied frameworks: Next.js, Astro, Vite, Parcel…
But Remix matched my brain:
- real routing
- incredible data loading
- first-class CSS modules
- view transitions API built-in
- no hacky rendering
- simple mental model
- performs like native web
- powerful enough for full-stack work
So I rebuilt the entire site using Remix.
What changed?
- Full MDX support for posts like this one
- Cleaner animations using the View Transitions API
- Vanilla CSS with PostCSS + CSS modules
- A simpler architecture
- 3D rendering using Three.js + three-stdlib
- Faster build times
- Proper theme handling without hacks
It honestly felt like upgrading from a “good project”…
to a real architected system.
Challenges Along The Way
1. Animated route transitions
Frameworks tend to remove old page styles instantly.
But Remix + view transitions solved it with zero hacks.
2. Scroll restoration
Remix handles it properly now.
No more fighting browser behavior.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
This project became my personal playground —
where UI design meets backend architecture.
People often think portfolio sites are simple.
Mine isn’t.
It’s where I experiment with:
- motion systems
- layout engines
- 3D rendering
- MDX pipelines
- full-stack Remix
- UI architecture
- performance patterns
- accessibility
- microservice-thinking applied to frontend
My goal was to build something that represents both sides of who I am:
- Designer → clean UI, strong UX, emotional detail
- Engineer → scalable structure, optimized builds, system thinking
And in the future?
I want to push it further — integrate more:
- scroll-driven animations
- WebGL effects
- even better C++/WebAssembly experiments
- advanced architectural patterns
- fully offline local AI tools
- micro-interactions inspired by Apple-quality designs
This site is not “finished.”
It’s alive.
It evolves as I evolve.
Update: 2025
I simplified a lot of the older hacks:
- Theming moved to cookies → no flash
- View Transition API handles beautiful crossfades
- MDX content generation is cleaner
- CSS modules + PostCSS for nesting + custom media
- Structure is more modular and architected
- Better code split, better runtime
- Dramatically improved build speed
Remix feels like the perfect balance of design freedom + engineering discipline — exactly the kind of craft I admire in the works of people like Jobs and Torvalds.
This portfolio will continue to grow with every skill I learn — UI, systems, C++, architecture, and everything in between.