Building a Hosting Brand Site with Next.js and Real DC Photography
Backstory
We needed to sharpen our focus on hosting operations. The goal was a dedicated, marketable website for our hosting services. I designed the landing page using actual images from the data center that houses our equipment.
Technical Decisions
I previously used Nuxt.js for websites. While I love Vue’s performance, I prefer the flexibility of returning JSX from functions over templates. Switching to Tailwind CSS also removed the need for Vue’s style sections.
Since React is more prevalent in the industry, and I lead training resources, switching to React minimized our training footprint.
For a website, SEO and performance are mandatory. I chose Next.js for its SSR capabilities and React UI. The site runs in a Docker container behind a Traefik proxy.
Welcome to the Atomic Drafting Room
Why I tore down the Renaissance Technical design and rebuilt the site in Raygun Gothic — atomic starbursts, chrome typography, and a turquoise-coral-gold palette that finally feels like me.
Renaissance Technical: Designing with AI
How I used OpenCode and Gemini to build a "Renaissance Technical" design system that pits rigid grids against organic circles—and why AI is the brush, not the painter.
Drawing Our Puppy as a Bluey Character
A custom illustration of our puppy Cookie, rendered in the Bluey animation style to help the kids through a big family transition.