Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash
Having a portfolio is essential for a product designer. While a portfolio can take several forms, such as a PDF file, a video showcase, a Google Drive folder, or even a Notion page, a website is the most popular and widely recognized format. When it comes to building a portfolio website, there are broadly two choices: you can either use website builder tools such as Framer, Webflow, etc., or code it from scratch. While most product designers opt for the first option, I decided to go with the latter. Why?
Demonstrate technical skills
I have a background and experience in frontend development, which genuinely enhances my abilities as a designer. Understanding product development from a developer’s perspective and being able to communicate in that language is a real skill that benefits a product designer. I wanted to showcase that.
Creative and functional control
By building everything from the ground up, I had complete control over every aspect of the website. From creative decisions, such as foundational visual styles, to functional choices like website structure, I was able to implement everything exactly the way I wanted.
Optimize costs
I designed my portfolio in Figma, coded it from scratch using HTML, CSS, and React in VS Code, and hosted it on Firebase — all at absolutely zero cost. The only expense was the custom domain, which I purchased from GoDaddy at a fairly nominal price.
Maintain connection with coding
My journey began in computer science, and I didn’t want to lose touch with it. The development knowledge I’ve gained over time makes me the designer I am today. While I enjoy being a product designer much more, I still like to maintain my connection to the technical side.
The right choice?
Was it the right choice to code my portfolio? Maybe. You may ask — why the doubt? As I look back, I can see that the pros and cons of this approach are equally strong. Building and maintaining the website is time-consuming and requires a lot of effort. But do I regret this choice? Not at all. I went all in, and I’m happy with the outcome. In the end, what matters is the quality of my work and the story I communicate.
Want to discuss anything and everything design? Let’s connect on LinkedIn, or explore my work on my portfolio.
#NeverStopLearning
Why I chose to code my own portfolio was originally published in UX Planet on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
