How I Built awab.design

awab.design is live. It’s my personal site, portfolio, and a bit of a playground for learning. The story behind building it is as important as the final result because I only started learning to code recently.

When I began, I had a clear vision. I wanted something slick, fast, scalable, and a true reflection of my work. It also had to be simple enough that I could actually build it without drowning in complexity.

Choosing the stack

I went with Next.js. It gave me performance out of the box, server-side rendering, SEO benefits, and the flexibility to grow the site later.

For the backend I used Supabase. It handled the databases, authentication, and real-time features. Instead of spending weeks setting up infrastructure, I could focus on actually building features.

On the UI side, shadcn/ui was a lifesaver. It gave me a clean set of React components based on Radix UI. That meant I didn’t need to design every single piece from scratch, but I could still customize and style it in a way that fit my brand.

Hosting and performance

I deployed with Vercel. Everything about that process was smooth. For global speed I paired it with BunnyCDN to make sure the site loads fast anywhere.

Analytics matter to me, even at this stage, so I added Google Analytics 4 and Tag Manager. That way I can see how people actually use the site and learn what to improve.

AI in the workflow

One of the biggest boosts came late in the project. I started using Cursor, an AI-powered coding assistant. It sped up debugging and explained things that would have taken me hours to figure out on my own. It felt like having an experienced developer looking over my shoulder. That tool helped me finish the project faster without cutting corners.

The result

awab.design is a mix of my design experience, my new coding skills, and a stack of tools that made the whole process possible. It’s not final. I’ll keep adding features and refining it over time. But for now, I’m proud of what it represents: progress.

If you’re a designer learning to code, or just someone thinking about building a personal site, I’d recommend exploring these tools. They helped me get here.

👉 Check it out here: [www.awab.design](https://www.awab.design)