Building a Modern Website with Next.js and Tailwind
•
#webdev#nextjs#tailwind
# Building a Modern Website
When I decided to rebuild my personal website, I wanted to create something that was both visually appealing and technically sound. After researching various technologies, I settled on Next.js 14 with the App Router, Tailwind CSS for styling, and TypeScript for type safety.
## Why Next.js?
Next.js offers several advantages for a personal website:
- **Server Components**: Reduces JavaScript sent to the client
- **Image Optimization**: Automatically optimizes images for performance
- **App Router**: Simplified routing with nested layouts
- **Static Generation**: Fast loading times with pre-rendered pages
```tsx
// Example of a Next.js page component
export default function HomePage() {
return (
<div className="container">
<h1>Welcome to my website</h1>
<p>Built with Next.js and Tailwind CSS</p>
</div>
);
}
```
## Styling with Tailwind CSS
Tailwind CSS has revolutionized how I approach styling:
1. **Utility-First**: Write styles directly in your markup
2. **Consistency**: Predefined design system ensures consistency
3. **Responsive Design**: Built-in responsive utilities
4. **Dark Mode**: Easy implementation of dark/light themes
## TypeScript Integration
Adding TypeScript to the mix provides:
- **Type Safety**: Catch errors during development
- **Better IDE Experience**: Improved autocomplete and documentation
- **Maintainability**: Easier to refactor and understand code
## Deployment
I deployed the site on Vercel, which offers:
- **Zero Configuration**: Automatic deployments from Git
- **Preview Deployments**: Every PR gets its own preview URL
- **Analytics**: Built-in performance monitoring
- **Edge Functions**: Global low-latency API routes
## Conclusion
Building this website has been a great learning experience. The combination of Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and TypeScript provides a powerful foundation for creating modern web applications.
I'm looking forward to continuing to improve and expand this site with new features and content!