This site
Website
The brief
I needed a portfolio for my move into a new role in the Netherlands: something that shows how I build, not just what I’ve built, and that feels like me. Cosy, plants, photography, a bit of play.
My role
I planned and designed it, and I made every decision about how it looks and works. An AI coding assistant helped with the implementation, and I reviewed and revised everything it made. The pages are built from native Oxygen elements, so I can edit the words and photos in the builder, with code only where the builder can’t do something itself.
How I approached it
I wanted a site that shows my personality without me having to explain it. The scrapbook is a way of expressing myself when words don’t do enough justice.
It took a few tries to get there. A freelancer-style first draft didn’t fit where I am in my career. A sea-themed idea oversold me as an outdoorsy person, and a “Currently” planter section leaned too heavily into plants.
We started with visual review and iteration, and built from there: a Projects custom post type, ACF fields for the case studies and for search and sharing, a home page loop that reads those fields, and a custom 404 page.
The hardest part was the learning curve of Oxygen 6, since I usually build in Oxygen Classic. I’m still learning, and I like how many of its built-in settings, for privacy, performance and custom code, help keep a site lean.
The result
The site works with a keyboard, has clear focus outlines, respects “reduce motion”, and passed contrast checks. I tested it at phone, tablet, laptop and desktop widths.
Hiring a WordPress developer?
I’d love to hear about it, and I’m happy to talk you through any of my projects.