This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI
Bringing back the "Aqua" vibe
Remember the early 2000s? The era of glossy plastic, vibrant colors, and that iconic "Aqua" interface on Mac OS X Tiger? There was something magical about that design — it felt alive, tactile, and fun.
I've always missed that aesthetic in our world of flat, minimal design. So, I decided to see if I could bring it back for the modern web. The result is AquaOS, a portfolio template that turns your personal site into a nostalgic, interactive desktop.
🔗 See it live → | 📦 Fork on GitHub →
A "Built by AI" Experiment
Here's the most interesting part: this entire project was built using Google AI Studio and Claude Code.
I wanted to see if I could take a vision—a specific "vibe" from 2005—and use AI to bring it to life. I guided the design and the features, but the heavy lifting, the complex logic, and the code itself came from these incredible AI assistants.
It's Not Perfect (And that's the point)
I'll be the first to tell you: this isn't a pixel-perfect replica.
While it captures the soul of Mac OS X Tiger, it's not 100% entirely Mac-themed. Some parts are modern, some parts are experimental, and since it was built by AI, there are definitely some uniquely imperfect details.
There are plenty of "Mac clones" out there, but this was my personal attempt to see how far I could push AI-assisted design.
Two Worlds: Mac on Desktop, iPhone on Mobile
One of the coolest features isn't just the desktop view. When you open this on your phone, it doesn't just "shrink" the desktop. It completely transforms.
- On Desktop: You get the full Mac experience with a dock, menu bar, and draggable windows.
- On Mobile: It shifts into an iPhone-inspired interface.
It's designed to feel natural no matter what device you're holding.
Why Open Source?
I'm releasing AquaOS as an open-source project because I want to see what you can do with it.
The goal is to eventually make this the most realistic, nostalgic Mac experience possible on the web. It's a solid foundation, but it's ready for the community to:
- Polish the "Aqua" glass effects
- Add more realistic system sounds
- Build new "apps" for the desktop
- Fine-tune the window management
If you love skeuomorphic design as much as I do, I'd love for you to jump in and help improve it.
How to use it
If you want to use AquaOS for your own portfolio, it's simple:
- Fork the repo: github.com/Protik49/aquaos-portfolio
- Edit one file: Open portfolio.config.ts and update your name, bio, and projects
- Deploy: Push to Netlify, Vercel, or any static host
That's it. No complex setup required.
Credits & Final Thoughts
This project is a testament to how far AI tools have come. A huge thank you to Google AI Studio and Claude for being my "pair programmers" on this journey.
It was a fun experiment to see if we could recreate a piece of tech history using the tech of the future. It's not perfect, but it's a start.
🌐 Live Demo: tiprotikaquaos.netlify.app
📦 GitHub: github.com/Protik49/aquaos-portfolio
Fork it, improve it, and let's make this the best nostalgic Mac experience on the web!
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