simkus.co.uk – Personal Portfolio & Tech Resume

Project overview

The goal of this portfolio was to build something that actually feels like the kind of work I want to do: clean, performant, modern, and clearly structured. It's not just a static CV page—it uses motion, layout, and content structure to guide the viewer through who I am, what I know, and what I've built.

It's designed with hiring managers, tech leads, and potential clients in mind: fast to scan, easy to dig deeper into projects, and aligned with the modern React + cloud stack I like working with.

Goals & success criteria

• • Present a professional, focused profile that reflects real-world projects and experience—not just a list of buzzwords.
• • Create an experience that feels modern and tech-oriented without being overwhelming or gimmicky.
• • Make the site easy to extend with more projects, a blog, or additional sections later.

Layout & user experience

The homepage is structured into full-height sections so each part of the story gets its own space:

• • Hero section with large profile picture, short intro, and clear CTAs.
• • Skills section using interactive flip-cards to show both stack and how I use each technology.
• • Projects section highlighting key case studies with quick access to deeper project pages.
• • Social section with clear links to my online presence.

On mobile, the layout is carefully adapted so it stays readable and interactive without feeling cramped.

Motion & visual design

Motion is used to support the content, not distract from it. Sections fade and scale into view as the user scrolls, giving a sense of progression through different parts of the page.

• • Smooth section-based transitions using Framer Motion.
• • Subtle background grids, gradient blobs, and floating tech keywords (React, Next.js, AWS, etc.) in the hero.
• • A small particle-trail effect that follows the mouse on desktop for a fun but controlled tech vibe.

Implementation details

The portfolio is built with a modern React stack and a clear component structure so it's easy to maintain and extend.

• • Next.js App Router structure with reusable layout components.
• • Tailwind CSS for rapid, consistent styling and good dark-mode contrast.
• • Framer Motion for scroll-based section animations and interactive elements.
• • Data-driven sections (e.g. projects loaded from a central data file) so adding new work doesn't require touching layout code.

Future improvements

This site is meant to evolve with my skills and projects. A few planned additions include:

• • A small blog or notes section focused on web, cloud, and automation topics.
• • A dedicated contact page with email form and backend integration.
• • More detailed case studies, including diagrams and deeper technical breakdowns.