I Finally Built the Coolest Retro Dev Portfolio Ever! (You Won’t Believe the Tech Behind It...)

#webdev #programming #javascript #ai

What if your developer portfolio looked like it was built in 1995... but powered by the best modern web tech?

In this guide, we’re going full retro. We’re going to build a Windows 95-themed portfolio website using React, Vite, and TypeScript. It's fast, nostalgic, and guaranteed to make recruiters do a double-take.

If you're tired of the same cookie-cutter developer portfolios, this one's for you.

Why Build a Windows 95-Style Portfolio?

✨ Stand Out: Most portfolios look the same. A retro OS-themed site instantly grabs attention.
🎓 Learn by Doing: You’ll reinforce frontend concepts by recreating a desktop environment.
🚀 Fun Factor: It's just plain cool. And memorable.

What We'll Use

React for building component-based UIs
Vite for lightning-fast builds and hot reloading
TypeScript for safety and scalability
Pixel fonts + 90s color palette for the retro feel
Custom CSS (your choice)

Key Features to Build

☑ Resume Window

Your "About Me" as a draggable Win95 window with tabs like "My Saga" and "Tech Stack."

☑ Chess Game or Minigame

A simple board or Easter egg to show off creativity.

☑ Contact Window

GitHub, LinkedIn, Email styled as Win95 UI.

☑ Start Menu

Navigation styled like the classic Windows taskbar and start button.

☑ Clippy (Optional but amazing)

Drop in a pixel-style Clippy that gives tooltips or reacts to user actions.

How to Structure the App

npx create-vite@latest my-win95-portfolio --template react-ts
cd my-win95-portfolio
npm install

Break your components like this:

/components
  Window.tsx
  Taskbar.tsx
  StartMenu.tsx
  Resume.tsx
  Contact.tsx
/assets
  clippy.gif
  retro-icons.png

Use absolute positioning and z-index to simulate draggable windows.

Retro Styling Tips

Use fonts like Perfect DOS VGA 437 or PixelOperator
Stick to colors like teal, gray, and navy
Use box-shadow and border to emulate Win95 bevels
Add hover sounds or animations for realism

Deployment

Host your finished site on:

Vercel or Netlify for free
Use a custom domain like ali95.dev for extra style

Final Result

Want to see it in action?
Watch the full tutorial → YouTube Video

Wrap Up

This isn’t just a fun project. It’s a unique way to tell your story as a developer. It shows creativity, technical skill, and a strong eye for design — all in one pixel-perfect package.

If you're job hunting or just want to build something truly yours, go retro. Go bold.

Build a Windows 95 portfolio.