A
fter learning and practicing how to write HTML and CSS to make basic webpage templates with styled content, I decided to learn JavaScript. After all, it seemed pretty unreasonable to not at least have a cursory understanding of the de-facto programming language of the internet at this point. After getting a good grasp of the fundamental concepts of the language, I looked into the specific applications in which JavaScript would prove fruitful in making my existing personal portfolio site more full-fledged.
This website and all of its code (save for various JavaScript packages that I've included from various sources) is entirely written by me. My goal was (and continues to be) to have my own portfolio website serve as a way to practice implementing the various web development skills and techniques that I pick up as I go, as well as serving as a central place to showcase the different projects that I'm proud of. At the same time, I wanted to update my website to be more animated and engaging to anyone who would visit.
First, I decided to simplify the various sections and pages of my old website into a single landing page for the redesign, so that anyone who visited would be able to get a succinct overview of my profile just by scrolling down.
I use jQuery primarily to handle waypoints as a visitor scrolls down the landing page of my site. This provides for the effect of having content only appear as you reach it on the page, rather than appearing to load everything at once. At each waypoint, I implement my own jQuery function extensions to add certain classes when animating different elements as needed, using the Animate.css package from Daniel Eden.
I employ a very minimalistic design pattern to my website, so that the content and presentation can be at the forefront of the user experience.
Designing this site has been a rewarding experience in terms of the experience gained overhauling an existing project and revamping it. This allowed me the opportunity to lay out a roadmap for what changes needed to be made and what features/aspects I wanted to add. I would be surprised if you are reading this now without having gotten to my website first somehow, but if you have not seen it, you can find my website by clicking the icon above.