Case Study 6: Portfolio Website — Modern Frontend Practices
Overview
Project: Personal Portfolio (danieljoffe.com)
Role: Solo Developer
Duration: July 2025 – September 2025
Purpose: Demonstrate modern practices, rebuild confidence
The Challenge
After a career gap focused on education and recovery, I needed to demonstrate that my skills remained current. The portfolio needed to showcase modern frontend practices while serving as a professional presence for job searching.
Goals:
- Prove proficiency with modern tooling
- Implement comprehensive testing infrastructure
- Create professional showcase for job applications
- Practice AI-assisted development workflows
My Approach
First: Modern Architecture
- NX monorepo for scalable project structure
- Next.js App Router for server components and routing
- TypeScript throughout for type safety
Second: Quality Automation
- Pre-commit hooks enforcing all quality checks
- ESLint and Prettier for consistent code style
- Husky for git hook management
Third: Testing Infrastructure
- Jest for unit testing
- Playwright for end-to-end testing
- Lighthouse CI for performance monitoring
- Full Storybook documentation
Fourth: Animation & Polish
- GSAP for scroll-triggered animations
- Page transitions for smooth navigation
- Infinite/looping animations for visual interest
Fifth: Deployment & Monitoring
- Vercel for continuous deployment
- Google Analytics for visitor tracking
- Automated CI/CD pipeline via GitHub Actions
The Results
| Feature | Implementation | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Monorepo | NX | Scalable architecture |
| Testing | Jest, Playwright | Reliable code |
| Documentation | Storybook | Component library |
| Performance | Lighthouse CI | Monitored metrics |
| Deployment | Vercel + GitHub Actions | Continuous delivery |
Key Takeaways
- Modern tooling accelerates development. NX, TypeScript, and automated testing catch issues early.
- AI-assisted development is practical. Used Cursor AI effectively for rapid iteration.
- Portfolio projects prove capability. Demonstrates skills when recent employment isn't available.
Technologies Used
Next.js, React, TypeScript, NX Monorepo, GSAP, Tailwind CSS, Jest, Playwright, Storybook, Lighthouse, Husky, ESLint, Prettier, GitHub Actions, Vercel, Google Analytics, Cursor AI