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David Peluola
David Peluola

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Beyond Just Code: Crafting a Portfolio That Stands Out in 2026

New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Submission

This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI

About Me

Hi, I'm Peluola David Adeoluwa (PDA), a Frontend Architect and Web3 Creative Strategist based in West Africa, Nigeria. I'm Currently a Software Engineering student at Miva Open University. I am deeply passionate about the intersection of creative design and emerging technologies, particularly Web3 and AI.
My journey began with Python automation and evolved into crafting high-fidelity digital experiences. I don't just write code; I orchestrate visual narratives. With this portfolio, I wanted to break away from the standard "grid of thumbnails" and create something that feels like a digital scrapbook—tactile, fluid, and deeply personal. I aim to express the intersection where technical precision meets artistic soul, using motion and typography to tell a story rather than just list skills.

Portfolio

How I Built It

This portfolio was built with a "Design-First" mindset, leveraging React 19, Tailwind CSS, and Framer Motion for the heavy lifting on animations.

The Design System

  • I utilized a specific aesthetic I call "Glassmorphism 2.0"—combining deep midnight backgrounds (#050505) with high-blur glass cards (backdrop-blur-xl), grainy noise textures for depth, and sophisticated typography using Instrument Serif for headlines and Inter for body text.
  • Google AI Integration: I used Google Gemini as my "Elite Creative Architect" pair programmer. Instead of asking for basic code snippets, I fed Gemini a strict design system (The 8px Rule, specific color hexes like "Singularity Blue", and motion guidelines).
  • Gemini helped architect the complex framer-motion variants for the parallax effects in the Hero section.
  • It generated the logic for the "Vault" archive modal, ensuring the state management between the main view and the overlay was seamless.
  • It helped refine the responsive layouts.

What I'm Most Proud Of

  1. The "Vibe" & Micro-interactions: I'm particularly proud of the custom cursor physics and the floating "Available Now" badge that reacts to the environment. It makes the site feel alive.

  2. The Hero Section: The parallax effect on the "P D A" background letters against the foreground profile card creates a sense of depth that draws the user in immediately.

  3. The Vault (Archive): Instead of cluttering the main page, I built a modal overlay that acts as a "Vault" for older projects. It keeps the main experience clean while still preserving my history (like the transition from Inboxx to my newer work with BCCS Hub).

  4. Attention to Detail: From the custom SEO meta tags to the specific positioning of the navigation buttons.

Thank you!

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