How personal should a personal site be?

Designing a personal site can easily turn into a feature list: dark mode, animation, project cards, a blog. Having those pieces does not automatically make the page feel like it belongs to someone.

Begin with the content

What do the articles explore? Which problems do the projects address? How does the author speak? Choices about color and layout become more meaningful after those questions.

A developer's site does not need a code symbol everywhere. A short paragraph explaining a project decision can communicate expertise more clearly.

One strong idea

Instead of turning every section into a visual performance, one memorable composition at the top can establish a consistent character. The content then needs breathing room. On an article page, attention should return to the heading and text.

Colors can identify a category, make an action visible, or separate a section. A color with a job becomes more than decoration.

Leave room to grow

The places where content changes should be obvious. Adding an article should not require rewriting the layout. Illustrative photographs should be easy to replace when real images arrive.

Personal character is stronger when it appears without making the visitor's task harder.

The first version does not need to be the final one. As writing and projects accumulate, the design can make room for them.