This portfolio began as a React and Vite single-page site. It worked, but publishing a small update meant returning to a front-end project when what I really wanted was a calm place to write, document work, and keep moving.

The goal#

I wanted the site to make three things easy:

  • explain the work behind a project without turning every page into a case study;
  • publish a short note as soon as I learn something useful; and
  • keep the site fast and simple enough that maintenance stays out of the way.

What changed#

I moved the portfolio content into Hugo and used Hugo Bear Blog as the base. The pages are now Markdown files: the home page, project write-ups, the now page, contact page, this Build Log, and the resume page all live as content rather than components.

The project section has a small custom layout for status, summaries, and useful links, while the rest keeps the deliberately quiet Bear Blog reading experience. I also kept the existing React source in the repository as a reference while the Hugo version takes over production.

The useful part#

The decision is less about chasing a particular framework and more about matching the tool to the job. This site is primarily a writing and presentation surface. Markdown, a static build, and a small amount of CSS let me spend more time on the work I want to share.

Next up: using this log to document shipped product work, including Ledgerlane and the decisions that shape it.