The latest articles on DEV Community by Julia Cruz (@julia_cruz_282a7365e75dba). https://dev.to/julia_cruz_282a7365e75dba https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3731571%2F5c7bfce9-a0d1-4e16-bf2c-de1fcbdffb16.png https://dev.to/julia_cruz_282a7365e75dba en Julia Cruz Sat, 31 Jan 2026 18:14:25 +0000 https://dev.to/julia_cruz_282a7365e75dba/portfolio-the-upside-down-of-my-thinking-1n45 https://dev.to/julia_cruz_282a7365e75dba/portfolio-the-upside-down-of-my-thinking-1n45 <h2> About Me </h2> <p>I don’t like being boxed into a single role. My path into tech started through psychology and design, driven by curiosity and a constant need to understand how things work. From graphic design to UX/UI and eventually web development, each step pushed me deeper into the IT world. Today, I work with low-code tools in a team that values exploration and experimentation—naturally leading me to this challenge.</p> <h2> Portfolio </h2> <p>This portfolio lives between two layers:<br> the visible interface, and the hidden reasoning beneath it.<br> <a href="https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdTZscG92ZzFqanhxeDNyZGN4OG82NzdlNWlueWp2ZDF0a3R0YTlteSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/iO4ptP2iuV29yui3mx/giphy.gif" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExdTZscG92ZzFqanhxeDNyZGN4OG82NzdlNWlueWp2ZDF0a3R0YTlteSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/iO4ptP2iuV29yui3mx/giphy.gif" width="480" height="268"></a></p> <p><strong>Inspired by Stranger Things’ Upside Down.</strong> <br> This project represents the part of my work that usually stays invisible—how I think, question, and connect human behavior with code. It’s not about being radically different, but about being honest about what I’ve been obsessed with lately: cognition, clarity, and the unseen structures behind good design.</p> <p>Built with React and deployed on Google Cloud Run, this portfolio includes an AI-assisted thinking layer powered by Gemini, allowing the same work to be explained differently depending on who’s reading it. The goal isn’t spectacle—it’s understanding.</p> <h2> How I Built It </h2> <p>This portfolio was built with a UI-first approach, prioritizing clarity, structure, and cognitive flow before adding complexity. It was developed using Antigravity alongside React, Next.js, and Tailwind CSS to create a modular and scalable interface, then deployed on Google Cloud Run for reliability and performance.</p> <p>On top of the interface, I added an AI-assisted thinking layer powered by Gemini, which adapts how the portfolio explains itself depending on the audience. AI is used as an interpretation layer, not a replacement for my decisions—helping translate my reasoning with clarity and intention.</p> <h2> What I'm Most Proud Of </h2> <p>I built this portfolio using React with a modular, scalable structure and deployed it on Google Cloud Run for reliability and performance. On top of the interface, I added an AI-assisted thinking layer powered by Gemini, which adapts how the portfolio explains itself depending on the audience.</p> <p>AI is used as an interpretation layer, not a replacement for my decisions—helping translate my reasoning with clarity and intention.</p>