Building My Portfolio with React Router 7 SSR: A Personal Journey

There I was, sitting on my chair, staring at my screen, not entirely sure what to do next. You know those moments where you just… drift? No deadlines looming, no urgent tasks, just me and a quiet room.

Then, out of nowhere, a thought struck me—why not finally make my portfolio website?

It's one of those ideas that's been sitting at the back of my mind for ages. I've seen so many developers and creatives with these sleek, personal sites that showcase their work, tell their story, and just… radiate personality. I wanted that for myself.

So I stopped overthinking, grabbed my laptop, and started sketching ideas. A minimalist design? Or something bold and colorful? Should it be single-page or multi-page? My brain was buzzing with possibilities.

That's the beauty of building something for yourself—you're not following a client brief, you're not meeting someone else's standards. You're creating your corner of the internet.

And just like that, my lazy afternoon turned into the first step of what I hope will be a project that feels authentically me.

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Why React Router 7 with SSR?

When I decided to build my portfolio, I knew I wanted something modern, fast, and SEO-friendly. React Router 7 with server-side rendering (SSR) was the perfect choice for several reasons:

Performance: SSR ensures that search engines can crawl my content effectively, and users get a fast initial page load.

Developer Experience: React Router 7's new API is intuitive and powerful, making routing feel natural and straightforward.

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The Technical Stack

Here's what I ended up using for my portfolio:

• React Router 7: For routing and navigation
• Vite: For fast development and building
• TypeScript: For type safety and better developer experience
• Material-UI: For consistent, beautiful components
• SSR: For SEO and performance

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Key Features I Implemented

1. Responsive Design

Every component is built with mobile-first design principles. Material-UI's responsive breakpoints make this incredibly easy:

2. Blog System

I built a simple but effective blog system using static data files. Each blog post is defined with metadata and content:

3. Dynamic Routing

React Router 7's new routing system makes dynamic routes incredibly clean:

4. SEO Optimization

With SSR, each page gets proper meta tags and structured data. The meta() export function in each route makes this seamless:

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The Result

What started as a lazy afternoon project has become a fully-featured portfolio website that I'm genuinely proud of. The site includes:

• Homepage: Hero section with my story and key skills
• About: Detailed information about my background and expertise
• Projects: Showcase of my work with detailed case studies
• Blog: Technical articles and thoughts on development
• Contact: Multiple ways to get in touch

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Lessons Learned

1. Start Simple: Don't overthink the initial setup. React Router 7 makes it easy to start with a basic structure and add complexity later.

1. Focus on Content: A beautiful design is great, but compelling content is what keeps visitors engaged.

1. Performance Matters: Even for a personal site, fast loading times and smooth interactions create a professional impression.

1. Mobile First: Most people will visit your portfolio on mobile devices. Design accordingly.

1. Keep It Personal: Your portfolio should reflect your personality and style. Don't be afraid to add personal touches.

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What's Next?

This portfolio is just the beginning. I'm planning to add:

• Interactive Elements: More animations and micro-interactions
• Dark Mode: Because who doesn't love a good dark theme?
• Analytics: To understand what content resonates with visitors
• More Blog Content: Regular posts about my development journey
• Project Showcase: Interactive demos of my work

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Conclusion

Building this portfolio has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It's not just a website—it's a reflection of who I am as a developer and what I'm capable of creating.

React Router 7 with SSR provided the perfect foundation for this project. The developer experience is excellent, the performance is outstanding, and the flexibility allows for endless possibilities.

If you're thinking about building your own portfolio, I'd encourage you to just start. Pick a technology stack you're comfortable with, sketch out your ideas, and begin coding. The best portfolio is the one you actually build and ship.

Here's to the start of my portfolio journey. 🚀

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