Building My First Next.js Application
Introduction
This is my first technical blog post where I'll share my experience building this personal website using Next.js and Tailwind CSS.
Why Next.js?
I chose Next.js for this project because:
- Server-side rendering for better SEO
- File-based routing for simple navigation
- Built-in optimizations for performance
- Great developer experience with hot reloading
- TypeScript support out of the box
Key Features I Implemented
Dark Mode Toggle
One of the first features I wanted was a dark/light mode toggle. This was surprisingly straightforward with Next.js and Tailwind CSS.
Responsive Design
Making sure the site looks great on all devices was a priority. Tailwind CSS made this much easier than expected.
Project Showcase
I created a projects page to showcase my work. Each project has:
- A description
- Technologies used
- Links to GitHub and live demo
- Search functionality
Lessons Learned
- Start simple: Don't overcomplicate things at the beginning
- Use Tailwind CSS: It speeds up development significantly
- Plan your content: Know what you want to showcase before building
- Test on mobile: Always check how it looks on different screen sizes
Next Steps
I plan to add:
- More blog posts about my learning journey
- A contact form
- Integration with a CMS for easier content updates
- Analytics to track visitor engagement
Conclusion
Building this website has been a great learning experience. Next.js and Tailwind CSS make it easy to create professional-looking applications quickly.
I'm excited to continue adding features and sharing my journey as I learn more about web development.
This is a placeholder technical blog post. I'll be writing more detailed posts about specific features and challenges I encounter.