You're revisiting your portfolio and considering how Google's AI tools might fit into your workflow. You open Gemini, Google AI Studio, or Antigravity—and a practical question comes up quickly:
Which tool should I use for which kind of task?
This article is not a tutorial and not portfolio advice. It's a tool-to-use-case reference guide, using a developer portfolio website as a concrete example.
The goal is simple: help you choose the right Google AI tool for the right type of work, without guessing or misusing tools that weren't designed for the job.
The Tools (Quick, Technical Overview)
Before mapping use cases, it helps to understand where each tool draws its strength.
Gemini (Flash / Pro)
- Text-only reasoning
- Strong at comparison, abstraction, and evaluation
- No UI preview, no code execution, no codebase awareness
- Best for: Pure reasoning before implementation
Google AI Studio (Build + Annotation)
- Rapid UI generation with live preview
- Visual iteration through annotation
- Optimized for visual iteration speed
- Best when: You need to see something rendered immediately
Google Antigravity
- Agentic IDE with full codebase awareness
- Handles multi-file changes, refactors, and verification
- Integrated terminal and browser testing
- Best when: Code quality, structure, and maintainability matter
These tools overlap in capability, but they differ in strength. Choosing the wrong one usually costs time, not results.
Quick Reference: Which Tool Should I Use?
| Your Task | Best Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deciding what to build | Gemini Pro | Pure reasoning, no implementation |
| Comparing stacks or approaches | Gemini Pro | Trade-off analysis without code |
| Seeing design ideas quickly | AI Studio | Live preview and fast iteration |
| Building from scratch with quality | Antigravity | Structure + verification |
| Refactoring existing code | Antigravity | Multi-file awareness |
| Debugging or fixing broken code | Antigravity | Terminal integration, can run tests |
| Quick one-off UI components | AI Studio | Speed over structure |
| Evaluating technical options | Gemini Pro | No execution needed |
If you're unsure where to start, this table will usually get you there faster than reading the full article.
Use Case 1: Pre-Implementation Decisions
What this covers
Questions like:
- What should my portfolio emphasize?
- Which stack best represents my skills?
- How complex should this site be?
- Who is this portfolio primarily for?
Best Tool: Gemini Pro
Why Gemini Pro Wins
These are pure reasoning tasks:
- No UI required
- No code execution required
- Heavy on comparison and trade-offs
Gemini Pro excels because it:
- Decides what to build before generating any code
- Evaluates options without pushing implementation
- Helps you commit to a direction confidently
Why Not the Other Tools
- AI Studio introduces visuals before decisions are settled
- Antigravity adds unnecessary overhead when no code exists yet
Rule of thumb:
If you're deciding what or why before building anything, use Gemini Pro.
Use Case 2: Rapid Visual Prototyping
Scenario
You want a modern portfolio site quickly and need to see layouts, sections, and visual hierarchy immediately.
Best Tool: Google AI Studio (Build Mode)
Why AI Studio Wins
AI Studio is optimized for:
- Fast UI generation
- Immediate visual feedback
- Iterating on layout and styling with minimal setup
You describe design goals in plain language (for example: "modern, minimal, dark theme"), and AI Studio renders a working UI you can refine visually.
Trade-offs
- Code structure may be shallow
- Components may not be reusable long-term
- Best suited for exploration, not final architecture
Why Not Antigravity
- Antigravity shines when structure matters
- For early visual exploration, it adds unnecessary setup cost
Rule of thumb:
If seeing the design matters more than code structure, start with AI Studio.
Use Case 3: Building a Portfolio with Clean, Professional Code
Scenario
You expect other developers or hiring managers to inspect your repository.
You care about:
- Folder structure
- Reusable components
- Accessibility
- Maintainability
Best Tool: Google Antigravity
Why Antigravity Wins
Antigravity understands the entire project, not isolated files. It can:
- Create consistent folder structures
- Enforce shared layout and component APIs
- Apply accessibility fixes (labels, focus states, semantic HTML)
- Verify behavior by running the app
This is where Antigravity clearly outperforms other tools.
Trade-offs
- Slower initial setup than AI Studio
- Steeper learning curve
- Overkill for small, throwaway prototypes
Why Not AI Studio
- Limited awareness of existing structure
- Generated code often requires refactoring later
Rule of thumb:
If code quality itself is part of what you're showcasing, use Antigravity.
Use Case 4: Refactoring an Existing Portfolio
Scenario
You already have a working portfolio, but want to:
- Restructure folders
- Extract shared components
- Add TypeScript to existing JavaScript
- Remove unused imports and dead code
- Consolidate duplicate styling or logic
- Fix prop drilling with better state management
- Improve accessibility and performance
Best Tool: Google Antigravity
Why This Is Antigravity's Strongest Use Case
Refactoring requires:
- Multi-file awareness
- Understanding dependencies
- Verifying that nothing breaks
Antigravity's agentic model is designed for exactly this type of work.
Trade-offs
- Requires an existing codebase
- Overkill for greenfield projects
Why Not AI Studio
- Operates best on isolated code
- Lacks full project context
- Refactors become risky or manual
Rule of thumb:
If a change touches multiple files or affects structure, use Antigravity.
One Common Pattern (Not a Rule)
Many developers naturally follow this sequence:
- Gemini Pro → clarify ideas and decisions
- AI Studio → explore design and generate an initial version
- Antigravity → refine structure and professionalize the code
You can skip steps, but this flow mirrors how decisions typically turn into implementation.
Anti-Patterns: When Not to Use Each Tool
Don't Use Gemini When:
- You need rendered output
- You need to test code execution
- You're modifying an existing project
Don't Use AI Studio When:
- You're refactoring existing code
- You need consistent architecture across files
- You care about long-term maintainability
Don't Use Antigravity When:
- You're still exploring ideas
- You're asking one-off questions
- The task is small and isolated
Negative knowledge saves more time than best practices.
Final Takeaway
This article isn't about how to build a portfolio. It's about choosing the right tool for the right kind of work.
- Gemini helps you reason
- AI Studio helps you visualize
- Antigravity helps you ship clean, maintainable code
Once you understand those boundaries, the workflow becomes obvious.
That's the real skill these tools reward.
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