Student | C# | Python | Docker | Blender | AI tinkerer | HTML | GitHub
Note: This project was developed with assistance from AI tools.
I built my personal portfolio website starting from an AI-generated template, improving it into a clean, readable, and professional site. I structured the HTML and separated CSS into its own file for maintainability, experimented with layout and color schemes, and added navigation, redirects, and a “Back to Top” button. Along the way, I refined sections like About Me, Skills, and Contact, organized assets for future use, and published the project on GitHub under the MIT License. This project was completed without prior HTML experience and provided hands on learning in web development, code organization, and deployment.
Hour 0-1: Started with an AI generated barebones template. Using Notepad, I experimented with HTML and CSS to see how changes affected the site. Explored the code and structure to understand what each section did.
Hour 1-3: Attempted to improve the code indentation manually, instead decided to use AI to properly format the code. Chose and applied a colour scheme. Labeled each section of the website and had AI double check the labeling. Fixed the contact section and filled in the skills section with acurate information. Added a proper "About Me" section and labeled the header with my skills,name and title.
Hour 3-6: Learned to create linkes and redirects between pages using href, applying AI guidance to make navigation look proffessional. Created a GitHub account, created a repository, experimented and manage it until a satisfactory level of organization was reached. Moved the CSS to a separate file (style.css) for easier editing and reuse accross multiple project pages. Added a Back To Top button using header ID top and styled it for visibility.
Hour 6-9: Refined long paragraphs for readability. With AI assistance, fixed scaling issues to ensure the site displayed properly on small and large screens. (With AI guidance.) Added comments to highlight sections needing improvement. I Created an assets folder for images/fonts and a templates folder for future expansions or reuse. Released the project under the MIT license. I originally decided to host the portfolio via Netlfiy for their easy hosting with robust uptime. Easy to connect to Github, automatically updating the site whenever I push changes to my repo and free SSL certificates for security. However, it has been decided to switch over to hosting on Github Pages and self-hosting, setup allows me to not worry about hitting a token limit and still have access in school.
I chose to host my portfolio on GitHub Pages because it offers free and reliable hosting that connects directly with my git repo, allowing easy updates. I also decided to self-host a copy on my Pi server for easier access in places or networks where GitHub may be banned. I thought about using Netlify for its convenient setup and features, but decided against it due to free tier limitations. I have also contemplated splitting images and HTML/CSS across 2 separate pages to have more resources, but found it unnecessary given the site’s small size. I chose a custom colour scheme, as I found the standard light and dark themes either too bright or too dim. I also improved the navigation bar with project-specific buttons.
arests2000@gmail.com