Introducing My Apple-Style Portfolio Template

#portfolio #design #astro #open-source

How I Built an Apple-Inspired Portfolio Template (And Why You Might Want It)

Hey there! I’m Larry, and I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on that might just help you showcase your work in style.

The Inspiration

If you’re anything like me, you appreciate clean lines, intuitive interfaces, and that certain je ne sais quoi that makes Apple products so visually appealing. Their minimalist approach perfectly balances form and function - something I wanted to bring to the world of developer portfolios.

After seeing so many portfolio templates that were either too busy, too generic, or just not hitting that sweet spot of elegant simplicity, I decided to build my own. And thus, the Apple-Style Portfolio template was born.

What Makes This Template Special

Rather than just talking about it, you can see it in action here. But let me break down what makes it unique:

  • That Apple-esque Aesthetic - Clean typography, strategic whitespace, and subtle animations that feel premium without being distracting
  • Lightning Fast Performance - Built with Astro, which means it loads incredibly fast and scores high on performance metrics
  • Modern Tech Stack - Astro, React, Tailwind CSS, GSAP, and Three.js for beautiful 3D elements that add depth
  • Fully Responsive - Looks gorgeous on everything from a 27” display to the smallest smartphone
  • Easy to Customize - Despite its sophisticated look, I’ve made it straightforward to adapt to your personal brand

The Tech Behind the Magic

For my fellow code enthusiasts, here’s what’s powering this template:

  • Astro as the core framework, giving us that incredible performance
  • React components where interactivity matters
  • Tailwind CSS for styling without the bloat
  • GSAP for those smooth, subtle animations
  • Three.js for eye-catching 3D elements

I chose this stack specifically to balance visual appeal with performance - because what good is a beautiful portfolio if it takes forever to load?

Getting Started Is Easier Than You Think

If you’re thinking “this looks great, but I’m not sure I can set it up,” I’ve got good news! The installation process is straightforward:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/larry-xue/apple-style-portfolio
cd apple-style-portfolio

# Or use astro create
npm create astro@latest -- --template larry-xue/apple-style-portfolio

Then just run npm install followed by npm run dev, and you’re looking at your new portfolio running locally at http://localhost:4321.

Deploy in Minutes

One of my favorite things about this template is how easy it is to deploy. Whether you prefer Vercel or Cloudflare Pages (both excellent choices), you can have your portfolio live on the internet in just a few clicks. The README has step-by-step instructions for both options.

Join Me on This Journey

This template is just getting started, and I’m continuing to refine and improve it. If you find it useful, consider giving it a star on GitHub. If you have ideas for improvements, I’d love to hear them!

The best part? It’s completely free and open source under the MIT license. My goal isn’t to profit from this template - it’s to help developers and creators put their best foot forward online with a portfolio that truly impresses.

So go ahead, check out the demo, clone the repository, and make it your own. I can’t wait to see what you build with it!

P.S. If you’re feeling generous and want to support my work, you can always buy me a coffee. Caffeine fuels future features! ☕