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Cover image for Driving Through My World of Code — A Playable Portfolio with Waterfalls, Wildlife, and Working Tech
Harsh Kumar
Harsh Kumar

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Driving Through My World of Code — A Playable Portfolio with Waterfalls, Wildlife, and Working Tech

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

I’m Harsh Kumar, a Computer Science student focused on AI & ML, but more importantly — a builder who loves solving real-world problems around me.

I come from Purnea, Bihar, and before college I was already working with local businesses on their digital presence. That experience shaped how I see technology — not just as code, but as a tool to fix messy, inefficient, real-life systems.

Through my projects, I try to bridge the gap between ground-level problems and practical tech solutions. Whether it’s helping a Honda dealership manage data better, building systems for college students, or creating digital tools for hospitals and campus communities, my goal is always the same:

Use technology where it actually matters.

This portfolio represents my journey of building with limited resources, learning by doing, and turning everyday problems into working digital solutions.

Portfolio

Use control:
W,A,S,D - Movement
E - interact with buildings
Shift - boost
Space - Jump

For live demo, here is my Portfolio link

Turn on Sound

Click on Jump(with mouse) and then WASD to control.

--labels dev-tutorial=devnewyear2026

How I Built It

This portfolio is not a traditional scrolling website — it’s an interactive 3D world where visitors can explore my work by driving a car and interacting with different buildings. Each building represents a part of my journey, skills, or projects.

Development Approach:

I built the entire experience using Google AI Studio as my primary development environment. Instead of following a standard template, I used AI-assisted iteration to design a portfolio that feels more like a playable experience than a website.

The idea was to make exploring my work feel like exploration in the real world — you don’t just scroll, you discover.

Tech & Tools:

  • Frontend Experience: 3D web environment (interactive scene, movement, object interaction)
  • Design Style: Game-inspired portfolio interface
  • Deployment: Google Cloud Run via Google AI Studio

AI Tools Used:
Google AI Studio for:

  • Structuring the application logic
  • Designing interactive behavior
  • Refining UI/UX ideas
  • Improving written content and storytelling

Design Decisions:
I intentionally avoided a traditional resume-style layout. Instead, I focused on:

  • Immersion over scrolling
  • Interaction over static sections
  • Exploration over navigation menus

This reflects how I approach technology — I like building systems that people experience, not just use.

What I'm Most Proud Of

🌍 Turning a Portfolio into an Experience

  • Most portfolios show projects in cards or lists. I transformed mine into a 3D interactive world where:
  • You can drive a car to move around
  • Each building represents a different section (projects, skills, journey, etc.)
  • Visitors learn about me through interaction, not just reading
  • This makes the portfolio memorable and engaging, like a small open-world demo.

🧠 Blending Creativity with Technology

This project shows that I don’t just build systems — I think about how people experience technology. Combining:

  • Web development
  • Interactive design
  • 3D environment thinking
  • AI-assisted development helped me push beyond a standard portfolio into something more experimental and creative.

☁️ Cloud-Ready Architecture

Deploying the app using Google AI Studio → Cloud Run allowed the project to run in a secure, scalable cloud environment while keeping AI keys protected. This gave the portfolio a production-style deployment, not just local hosting.

🚧 Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

  • This project challenged me to work with:
  • Interactive environments
  • Spatial thinking (designing in 3D space)
  • Non-traditional navigation systems

It represents growth — not just in technical skills, but in how I think about user experience.

You reached the end of the road! Before you drive off, feel free to share feedback or thoughts — it helps me build better worlds.

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