Creating a personal portfolio website has been on my to-do list for quite some time. As a creative professional, having an online space to showcase my work is crucial. However, with limited WordPress experience, I knew this project would be both a challenge and an opportunity to learn. I decided to use the Underscores theme and the Elementor page builder, and here’s how it went.

Starting with Underscores

The first step in my journey was choosing a theme. After some research, I landed on the Underscores theme, also known as _s. This theme is essentially a starter theme, providing a clean slate without the clutter of unnecessary features. It was perfect for me because it offered flexibility and the opportunity to build something unique from the ground up. I created a child theme specifically for the portfolio site.

The Learning Curve

I had some experience with setting up a local WordPress development environment and the dashboard and having prior knowledge of CSS helped in terms of understanding Elementor’s interface. I did take time to examine the PHP files in the theme in order to understand which parts of the site were dynamic as well as add some custom CSS and JavaScript to achieve effects that were not available in the free version of Elementor.

Designing the Site

With the tools in place, I began designing my site. My primary goal was to create a clean, visually appealing portfolio that highlights my projects. Prior to starting to build out the site, I created wireframes to get an idea of how I wanted the layout to look. Elementor allowed me to experiment with multiple possibilities.

Challenges

One of the main challenges was ensuring the site was responsive. Elementor provides responsive editing tools, which made the process smoother, but it still required careful tweaking to make sure everything looked perfect on all devices.

Lessons Learned

This project taught me a lot about WordPress, web design, and the importance of persistence. Here are a few key takeaways:

1. Start with a Solid Foundation: Choosing the right theme and tools is crucial. Underscores and Elementor provided the perfect balance of flexibility and ease of use.

2. Leverage Online Resources: There is a wealth of tutorials, forums, and communities dedicated to WordPress and Elementor. These resources were invaluable in overcoming hurdles.

3. Experiment and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to try different layouts and designs. The ability to see changes in real time with Elementor made experimentation less daunting.

Conclusion

Building my portfolio site with WordPress, the Underscores theme, and Elementor was a transformative experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to develop new skills that will undoubtedly be beneficial in future projects. As I continue learning, I will make additional changes to improve the presentation of the content as well as take on new projects using WordPress.