Building a Minimal Portfolio with Next.js

Introduction

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for developers and designers. A personal portfolio website serves as your digital business card, showcasing your skills, projects, and personality to potential employers and clients.

In this guide, I'll walk you through building a minimal, performant portfolio website using Next.js 14 and Tailwind CSS.

Why Next.js?

Next.js has become the go-to framework for modern web applications due to its:

Performance: Built-in optimizations for images, fonts, and code splitting
SEO: Server-side rendering and static generation support
Developer Experience: Fast refresh, TypeScript support, and intuitive routing
Flexibility: Can be deployed anywhere from Vercel to self-hosted servers

Design Philosophy

When designing a portfolio, less is often more. Here are the key principles I followed:

1. Whitespace is Your Friend

Generous spacing makes content more readable and gives your work room to breathe. Don't be afraid of empty space.

2. Typography Matters

Choose a clean, modern font. I used Inter for its excellent readability and professional appearance.

3. Consistent Layout

Use a grid system and maintain consistent spacing throughout. Square cards create a clean, geometric aesthetic.

4. Performance First

Every design decision should consider performance. Use Next.js Image for optimization, implement lazy loading, and minimize JavaScript.

Technical Implementation

Setting Up Next.js

bash

npx create-next-app@latest my-portfolio --typescript --tailwind --app

This command sets up a Next.js project with:

TypeScript for type safety
Tailwind CSS for styling
App Router for modern routing

Project Structure

my-portfolio/
├── app/
│   ├── layout.tsx
│   ├── page.tsx
│   ├── about/
│   ├── projects/
│   └── contact/
├── components/
│   ├── Card.tsx
│   ├── Nav.tsx
│   └── Footer.tsx
├── content/
│   ├── projects/
│   └── posts/
└── lib/
    └── mdx.ts

Content Management with MDX

MDX allows you to write content in Markdown with React components. It's perfect for portfolios because:

Easy to write and maintain
Supports frontmatter for metadata
Can include interactive components
Version control friendly

Styling with Tailwind

Tailwind CSS enables rapid development with utility classes:

tsx

<div className="max-w-content mx-auto px-6 py-12">
  <h1 className="text-4xl font-bold mb-4">
    Welcome
  </h1>
</div>

Deployment

Vercel (Recommended)

Vercel offers the best Next.js deployment experience:

Push your code to GitHub
Import project in Vercel
Deploy with one click

Other Options

Netlify: Great alternative with similar simplicity
AWS: More control, requires more configuration
Self-hosted: Full control but more maintenance

Performance Optimization

Image Optimization

Use Next.js Image component:

tsx

import Image from 'next/image';

<Image
  src="/profile.jpg"
  alt="Profile"
  width={400}
  height={400}
  priority
/>

Static Generation

Pre-render pages at build time:

tsx

export async function generateStaticParams() {
  const projects = await getProjects();
  return projects.map(project => ({
    slug: project.slug
  }));
}

Code Splitting

Next.js automatically splits code by route, but you can also use dynamic imports:

tsx

const Component = dynamic(() => import('./Component'));

SEO Best Practices

Metadata

tsx

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: 'Your Name - Developer',
  description: 'Personal portfolio...',
  openGraph: {
    title: 'Your Name',
    description: '...',
    images: ['/og-image.png']
  }
};

Semantic HTML

Use proper HTML elements for better accessibility and SEO:

tsx

<article>
  <h1>Title</h1>
  <time>Date</time>
  <p>Content</p>
</article>

Accessibility

Make your portfolio accessible to everyone:

Use semantic HTML
Include alt text for images
Ensure keyboard navigation works
Maintain sufficient color contrast
Test with screen readers

Conclusion

Building a portfolio doesn't have to be complicated. With Next.js and Tailwind CSS, you can create a fast, beautiful, and maintainable portfolio that showcases your work effectively.

The key is to focus on simplicity, performance, and content. Let your work speak for itself.