My Evolved Blogfolio in 2023
December 29, 2023
Welcome to my personal slice of the internet, where I unleash my creativity, experiment, and constantly push boundaries. Each year, I embark on a journey to revamp my beloved "blogfolio" to satisfy my personal itch. And guess what? The tradition continues with the 2023 update—although it's fashionably late!
If you'd like to read my previous year's updates, you can read the 2021 update and 2022 update here!
Now, let me take you on a short (but hopefully delightful) tour of the exciting new features and changes I've made. And to top it off, I'll provide a peek behind the curtain on choices I made to make this site.
What's Fresh on my Blogfolio
In the past, I used to dabble with new technologies and add flashy features to my website. However, this year, I decided to switch gears. My focus shifted towards enhancing my design skills, giving my site a new look and whimsical charm.
Bento Design
2023 has witnessed the rise of the magnificent Bento design—a captivating grid of cards that elegantly presents information, often accompanied by micro-interactions. Inspired by Apple's promotional slides, I was captivated by Bento well over a year ago.
While seemingly straightforward, incorporating Bento into my design and conveying information in diverse ways across different pages for a personal portfolio was no easy feat. It took some tinkering and soul-searching. However, I'm thrilled with the result of the initial launch, and I have exciting plans to further extend and refine the design in the future.
Animations
Animations shouldn't be mere decorations on a website; they should enhance the user experience. That's why I've conscientiously integrated several animations throughout my site—subtle yet captivating.
You'll be greeted by seamless page wipes while navigating around. Moreover, the homepage and Bento cards feature delightful microinteractions. Scroll animations on the homepage weave a compelling narrative for visitors as they delve into the website.
Toolbox Page
My beloved Toolbox page, which has garnered popularity over time, has received a much-needed revamp this year. In line with the Bento theme, it now boasts an elegant and refined design.
Connections Page
Previously known as "Meet Up," the Connections Page allows me to keep track of the remarkable individuals I've had the pleasure of meeting in the tech space. It's a place where I honor their influence. I'm also showcasing a list of people I aspire to meet—an ever-growing wish-list. I love updating the page after attending conferences or local meetups!
Speaking Page
I'm thrilled to announce the latest addition to my site—the Speaking Page. This page provides visibility into my technical talks and presentations at meetups, conferences, and podcasts. I'm eager to dive deeper into the world of public speaking and sharing my knowledge in 2024. Stay tuned as this page evolves throughout the coming year.
As a little taste of what's the come, I'm speaking at THAT Conference in January! I'm thrilled to be presenting a talk titled "Choosing Blog Topics and Boosting Content with SEO"!
Links Page
I am excited to present my new Links page, which serves as a hub for connecting with me on social media, accessing my latest articles, and exploring my complete website.
It functions similar to LinkTree, offering a convenient way to access all my online platforms. This page will prove particularly useful during conferences. By displaying a QR code on my phone's lock screen, attendees can easily scan it and visit the Links page.
It may seem like a small addition, but I believe it will provide significant value and I'm excited to include it in this year's revamp!
What’s on the Horizon
While some features and personal wants couldn't make it to the initial launch, fear not! I have an exciting lineup of upcoming additions for my blogfolio. Let's briefly look at what's on the horizon.
Community Wall
The virtual guest book, known as my Community Wall, offers visitors a place to leave a note for me or engage with others exploring the website. This feature was a massive hit in my previous portfolio, and I'm excited to bring it back to this new iteration in the upcoming months. Creating this experience involves considerable work, including authentication, editing capabilities, and more.
Website Statistics
I've crafted a comprehensive dashboard for my previous website, showcasing essential information like total page views, emoji reactions on articles, newsletter subscriber count, and even real-time visitor numbers. Rest assured, this feature will find its place in my updated design, although it may take a little longer in the oven.
Light Mode
For now, my site embraces the dark mode aesthetic that I envisioned. However, I've heard your requests and may introduce a light mode in the future once I am fully satisfied with the overall ambience and feel of the site. Stay tuned for this potential upgrade.
The Creative Process
While the 2023 revamp might be fashionably late (launching on December 13th became a cherished tradition for me), this year I started working on it earlier than ever. In fact, I began tinkering with design explorations back in May, striving to strike the perfect balance between Bento design and a personalized portfolio website.
Countless drafts filled my journey, as I relentlessly pursued the ideal outcome you now see. Color palettes, bento card sizes, typography, and imagery—all underwent meticulous scrutiny.
At one point, I even believed I had landed on the final layout, with a fixed sidebar for navigation.
However, I discovered that a very dark monochromatic palette left me yearning for more vibrancy and excitement. After experimenting with an orange and green undertone, I eventually settled on the tried-and-true indigo hues.
The Tech Stack
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I typically embrace new technologies, frameworks, or patterns with each portfolio revamp. However, this year, my focus was on design. Hence, my blogfolio proudly runs on Framer in 2023.
Framer
Framer is a remarkable no-code web development tool that empowers you to craft stunning websites with minimal friction. Embracing concepts akin to web development without requiring coding, Framer made it a breeze for me to iterate and build my new portfolio.
I must admit, Framer is poised to be the next big thing. It strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and flexibility, offering endless possibilities. If you're curious, I have a coupon that grants you three months off an annual plan.
Use code "partner25proyearly" when purchasing a PRO annual subscription to Framer!
To make things even sweeter, I've created a few templates to help you swiftly launch your own portfolio hassle-free.
BONUS: Previous Websites
As a bonus, I always keep my portfolios from previous years online and accessible. It's a great way for me to reflect on my growth. You can check out my past blogfolio iterations below!
I've nested these as redirects under my domain. To check out v1, for example, simply visit braydoncoyer.dev/archives/v1.
In Conclusion
That's a wrap on 2023—a year filled with unexpected challenges and abundant blessings. Instead of diving into new technology, I chose to evolve my design skills this time around. The future holds countless possibilities, and I can't wait to see what unfolds next year.
Thank you for visiting my new site and taking the time to read this article! Your feedback and suggestions mean the world to me. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to reach out to me on X!
