My Portfolio Got a Glow-Up (Thanks to Gemini)

This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI

About Me

Hello everyone, I’m Rachit Khurana, a Full Stack Developer who loves building things that live on the internet. Currently, I’m an Intern at Hyathi Technologies where I work on cutting-edge cloud solutions, and I’m also the creator of BossAI — a productivity app that helps users work smarter.

I’m passionate about crafting scalable web applications and exploring new technologies. My journey spans across frontend frameworks like React and Next.js to backend technologies like Django, FastAPI, and Golang. I believe in the philosophy of "FAFO", constantly experimenting and learning by doing.

Portfolio

Portfolio Link

How I Built It

Tech Stack

This portfolio is built with a modern, performance-focused tech stack:

• Framework: TanStack Start with React 19 — for blazing-fast SSR and seamless routing
• Styling: TailwindCSS 4.0 — for rapid, utility-first styling
• Animations: Framer Motion + GSAP — for smooth, cinematic animations
• 3D Graphics: Three.js with @react-three/fiber — for interactive 3D elements
• Smooth Scrolling: Lenis — for butter-smooth scroll experiences
• Typography: Outfit, Space Grotesk, and Syne from Google Fonts
• Deployment: Google Cloud Run — for scalable, containerized hosting

The entire codebase is open source — check it out on GitHub!

Development Process

I had a previous portfolio built with Next.js (check it out here), but I wanted something completely fresh — a ground-up redesign that felt modern and unique. So I fed my old portfolio to Gemini 3 Pro in the Antigravity IDE along with this initial prompt:

"This is my portfolio. Change it fully. Make it look modern, and unique yet minimalistic. Make it as unique as possible. I don’t want it to look vibe coded. It should feel like a professional company designed it. Feel free to use any third party tools/libraries. Also make it from scratch. I don’t wanna use Next.js at all now. Rebuild it using TanStack Start."

(Lol, I know its kind of a funny/weird prompt, but Gemini handled it like a pro)

From there, everything was built through iterative prompting. I explored multiple aesthetics and design directions with Gemini — trying different color schemes, animation styles, and layouts — until I landed on this cifi inspired, holographic design that felt just right.

The AI assistance was particularly helpful for:

• Generating complex CSS animations and transitions
• Implementing the parallax effects and smooth scrolling behavior
• Debugging tricky edge cases in responsive design

The workflow was incredibly efficient — I would describe what I wanted, Gemini would implement it, and we’d refine it together until it matched my vision.

What I’m Most Proud Of

Modern, Minimalist Design

I’m really proud of the modern aesthetic I achieved with this portfolio. The design combines:

• Holographic elements: The profile picture has a cyberpunk-inspired glass container with animated borders, scanline effects, and a floating animation
• Aurora backgrounds: Subtle, animated gradient backgrounds that create depth without distraction
• Glass morphism: Frosted glass effects throughout for that premium, modern feel
• Smooth micro-animations: Every interaction feels polished with carefully crafted transitions

Hidden Easter Eggs

One of the most fun parts of building this portfolio was adding multiple hidden easter eggs throughout the site! With Gemini’s help, I was able to quickly implement several fun surprises that reward curious visitors who like to explore and interact with websites.

I won’t spoil the fun by revealing them all here, but I encourage you to visit the portfolio and try to find them yourself! Some involve keyboard interactions, some require a bit of patience, and others are hidden in plain sight. Happy hunting!