Personal project · July 2026 — Present
Web portfolio
At first, I simply wanted a better way to tell the story of my work. It quickly became my testing ground for learning how a real website is built, secured and improved over time.
quentin@debian:~/portfolio$ ./deploy.sh
[01/04] validating HTML + PHP
[02/04] checking private routes
[03/04] synchronising FR / EN
[04/04] deploying to Apache / OVH
✓ portfolio online — continuously evolving
01 · The spark
Showing what I can actually do
The idea came to me near the end of my second year in GEII, a French degree in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Computing. I was already thinking about life after graduation, and a résumé alone did not seem enough to show the experiments, mistakes and decisions behind each project.
So I made a place where I could explain my electronics and embedded-systems work in my own words. Adding English felt like the natural next step, allowing people outside the French-speaking world to understand my background too.
02 · How I use AI
Learning with AI without letting it make the decisions
I could see AI becoming part of more and more technical jobs, but I did not yet know what it could genuinely add to my own work. Instead of watching from the sidelines, I turned this portfolio into a practical experiment. It teaches me to provide useful context, ask better questions and, most importantly, review, test and take responsibility for every result.
The first draft
I started with Claude to give the idea a shape. That early version was far from perfect, but it gave me something concrete to question and improve.
Day-to-day work
I now use Codex to help me explore the code, prepare changes and spot the areas that deserve a closer review.
What stays in my hands
I set the direction, explain the need, choose between solutions and test the outcome. Nothing goes live simply because a tool suggested it.
AI supports my work, but it does not replace my judgement or responsibility. This remains my project, including both its strengths and its imperfections.
03 · Architecture
Understanding what happens behind a web page
A few static pages would have been enough at first. I chose to go further so I could understand what happens between a click and the server’s response. The interface stays lightweight, while PHP and Apache take care of dynamic content and access rules.
HTML, Tailwind CSS and native JavaScript
I keep the interface quick to load, responsive and able to run without a permanent Node.js server.
PHP and JSON files
Before a page is shown, my controllers check the language, requested project and publication status.
Debian, Apache and OVH
This project pushed me to understand Linux paths, permissions, logs and the small differences between local development and production.
Only exposing what is needed
I learned to protect sessions, validate input and keep a real boundary between public pages and private data.
04 · Administration
Staying in control without opening the code
I built a small admin area for the jobs I repeat most often. I can hide a project with one click: it disappears from the list, its page becomes unavailable and the sitemap updates with it. Anonymous statistics and technical logs also help me understand what went wrong before I make a fix.
The screen shown here is deliberately fictional. It contains no real admin address, visitor data or security information.
PROJECT VISIBILITY
TECHNICAL LOG · FICTIONAL EXAMPLE
INFO page served successfully
INFO visibility rules applied
WARN missing asset detected
05 · What I am taking away
Connecting skills I used to see separately
Web development
I learned to structure two language versions, take responsive design seriously and make interactions accessible.
System administration
I am now more comfortable with Debian, Apache and the very practical constraints of shared hosting.
Web security
I no longer see security as a final check. It now shapes how I store, validate and expose data from the start.
Working with AI
Above all, I learned to explain a problem more clearly, question the answers and verify before trusting them.
The story is still being written
This portfolio is growing alongside me.
I am not trying to make it feel permanently finished. Every improvement gives me another chance to learn, revisit an old decision and do something a little better than last time.
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