New Year, New You: The Void Alchemist Portfolio (Powered by Gemini)

#devchallenge #googleaichallenge #portfolio #gemini

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 Ernest Kojo Owusu Essien, a software engineer specializing in backend systems and AI. I build systems that think. My goal for 2026 is to push the boundaries of web experiences by merging rigorous backend logic with immersive, cinematic frontend designs. I don't just build websites; I build digital artifacts.

Portfolio

View Live Portfolio - Cloud Run Link or My Domain

How I Built It

I didn't just want a static resume; I wanted a living, breathing digital space that I can manage and evolve without touching code for every content update.

The Stack

Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router) for performance, SEO, and server actions.
Styling: Tailwind CSS for a custom "Void Alchemist" design system.
Backend & Database: Firebase (Firestore & Auth). I moved beyond static data to a real-time database to manage my projects and messages.
Development Process: I used Antigravity by Google as my IDE, which was seamless in building the portfolio.
AI: Gemini 1.5 Flash via the Google AI SDK.
Deployment: Google Cloud Run via Docker containers for serverless scalability.

Key Features

AI Integration (The Brain): The "Void Alchemist" AI agent is powered by Gemini 1.5 Flash. It uses long-context injection to access documentation and portfolio data, allowing it to answer technical questions accurately, ensuring it never loses context or hallucinates due to missing fragments.
Admin Dashboard (The Control Room): I built a secured Admin Panel (/admin) using NextAuth and Firebase.
- Message Management: Contact form submissions are saved to Firestore and can be read/deleted directly from the dashboard.
- Dynamic Content: My projects and skills are managed via the dashboard, allowing me to update my portfolio instantly.
Immersive UI: Used Framer Motion for the particle network, floating sigils, and "atmosphere" layer to create a depth-of-field effect that feels premium and cinematic.
Dynamic Island Navigation: A responsive, app-like floating navigation bar that expands on mobile. It provides seamless access to the new /services ecosystem while maintaining the immersive aesthetic.

What I'm Most Proud Of

The Full-Stack Admin Ecosystem: I'm most proud of moving away from hardcoded JSON files. Building a full Admin Dashboard where I can see messages from recruiters and manage my project showcase makes this a true production-grade application, not just a static template.
The AI "Persona": Tuning the Gemini prompt was an art. It switches seamlessly between "Recruiter Mode" (concise, metrics) and "Dev Mode" (technical deep-dives), making it feel like a real extension of myself.
Cloud Run Deployment: Getting the Docker container optimized and deployed on Cloud Run was a seamless experience. The app scales down to zero when not in use, which is perfect for a portfolio.

What do you all think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments 😊