Building This Portfolio with Claude Code and Astro
A behind-the-scenes look at how I built my portfolio website using AI-assisted development with Claude Code, Astro, and Tailwind CSS.
This portfolio site was built almost entirely through a conversation with Claude Code. Here’s how it went.
The Stack
- Astro — Static site generator with zero JS by default
- Tailwind CSS v4 — Utility-first styling with the new Vite plugin
- TypeScript — Type-safe data layer for all profile information
- GitHub Pages — Free hosting with automatic deployment via GitHub Actions
The Process
Instead of manually scaffolding the project, setting up configs, and writing boilerplate, I described what I wanted:
“I want a professional, minimalist Software Engineer portfolio. Dark mode, Vercel/Linear aesthetic, emerald accents, Inter font.”
From there, Claude Code:
- Scraped my LinkedIn profile for experience data
- Fetched my GitHub repos via the API
- Initialized the Astro project with all dependencies
- Built every component — Hero, Experience timeline, Skills bento grid, Certifications, Projects, Contact
- Set up the GitHub Actions deployment workflow
The entire initial build took under an hour of conversation.
Key Technical Decisions
Centralized Data Layer
All personal data lives in a single src/data/profile.ts file. When I change jobs, add a certification, or update my tech stack, I edit one file. Every component imports from it.
Build-Time GitHub API Fetching
The Projects section fetches repos from the GitHub API at build time, not on every page visit. This means zero client-side JavaScript and no API rate limit concerns.
Image Optimization
Astro’s built-in <Image> component automatically converts my profile photo to WebP — from 110KB to 8KB. That’s a 93% reduction with no visible quality loss.
What I Learned
The biggest takeaway: AI-assisted development isn’t about generating code mindlessly. It’s about having a conversation with a tool that understands context. I described my vision, provided my data, and iterated on the result — just like working with a colleague.
The future of software development is collaborative, and the collaborator might be an AI.