The source code for this portfolio is available on GitHub.

stefankudla.com

Stefan KudlaStefan Kudla | | Personal
Cover image for stefankudla.com
Live SiteGithub Repo

Introduction

I recently took it upon myself to make an upgrade to stefankudla.com, making the switch from WordPress to the technologies that I am currently learning and applying in my works. The newly re-engineered stefankudla.com is created with Next.js, Tailwind, and Cosmic.js, wielding the nimble powers of the Jamstack!

Purpose and Goal

As I am moving away from WordPress development and toward JavaScript development, I wanted to take on a project that would push my limits, and improve my online presence.

I felt that while having a personal website built on WordPress got the job done, it just didn't represent who I was as a developer. Ultimately, I now have the freedom to show my true potential while continuously implementing awesome features to my website.

Tools used

  • Next.js
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind
  • Cosmic.js
  • Node.js
  • Framer Motion

Spotlight

My favorite thing about this project isn't actually something that you can see on the UI or in the code, but rather a lesson I learned from building it.

I learned that confidence is required to be a developer and build projects. Sometimes it's all about jumping into something, knowing that you know absolutely nothing about what you're trying to do, but trusting that you have the persistence to find the solution.

While I am proud of the minimal layout of the site and the way it makes API calls to retrieve my blog posts and works, I am just happy to have been able to take the time to learn the ins and outs of programming and apply it to my website.

Challenges

TypeScript was the first major challenge. Prior to building this site, I had little to no experience typing my JavaScript code. I tried my best to stay consistent and avoid code smells, though I now have a solid understanding of TypeScript, and how it optimized JavaScript.

Main Takeaways

I think it's good to be proud of the projects you build. That is time you spent writing code that you made functional, and it feels good when everything is shipped and deployed. I genuinely look forward to writing production level code with an awesome team.