The Problem
My old portfolio was built with standard corporate design patterns: soft shadows, rounded corners, and a generic blue color palette. It looked professional, but it lacked personality. It didn’t stand out among thousands of other developer portfolios.
The Solution: Neo-Brutalism
I decided to embrace neo-brutalism. This design trend is characterized by:
- Pure black
#000000for borders and shadows - Bright, eye-catching “neon” colors
- Hard edges instead of rounded corners
- A general “raw” and unpolished aesthetic
The Process
1. Color Palette Selection
I chose a set of neon colors to act as accents against a stark white background:
- Neon Pink:
#FF006E - Neon Blue:
#00D9FF - Neon Yellow:
#FFBE0B
2. Component Design
I rebuilt every component from scratch. Buttons received thick borders and hard drop shadows that disappear on hover to create a tactile “pressed” effect.
3. Performance Optimization
Instead of relying on heavy CSS frameworks, I used Tailwind CSS with custom utilities to keep the bundle size small.
The Results
The redesign was a huge success. The new site is not only visually striking but also incredibly fast.
| Metric | Old Site | New Site |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Score | 75 | 100 |
| Bounce Rate | 65% | 30% |
| Load Time | 2.5s | 0.8s |
Neo-brutalism isn’t for everyone. Make sure it aligns with your personal brand before adopting it!