The site was live… but not alive.

For a start, the old shamvoke blog website was build with the static site generator Jekyll. Jekyll felt perfect. The workflow was a developer's dream: write, commit, deploy. It was clean. It was minimal. There were no distractions, just me and the markdown. The website did exactly what it was supposed to do. It was static, simple, and infinitely reliable.

Growth changes your expectations.

Sometimes I write blogs. Most of the time, I write code. I wanted to build an environment that reflected both. But every time I tried to push it further, Jekyll pushed back.

My love for NextJS

The shift to Next.js wasn't an impulse; it was a calculated move toward architectural freedom.

What immediately drew me into NextJS was the modular approach. Building with React components means I take the entire website and break it down into small, independent blocks. Instead of untangling a massive file just to modify a single button or card, I can isolate that specific piece, update it, and know it won't trigger a cascade of broken layouts across the site. It makes managing, scaling, and updating the codebase infinitely easier.

Then, there is the speed. Next.js serves up lean, highly optimized pages right out of the box, delivering the kind of raw, instant performance that every developer webmeka chases.

But the biggest win over Jekyll is the absolute control. Moving away from a purely static generator meant I finally had a say over the network boundary. With Next.js, I get to dictate exactly what renders securely on the server and what hydrates on the client side for interactivity.

The things I can change

Tech, much like life, has a funny way of reminding you of your limits.

With the engine swapped, I finally had the power to change the things that used to bother me.

A proper light and dark mode switch, not just aesthetic, but intentional. The site responds to the user, not the other way around. It's subtle, but it changes everything.

Next, I took control of the typography. This one is personal. On mobile, fancy fonts. On desktop, the fonts relax. Cleaner. More readable. Less noise. Why? Because... why not.

And talking of why not, you will notice a new play menu option. Clicking that will take you directly to a maze! What to do when you find yourself there? Well, find your way out, or get lost in the fun!!!

Not to forget, a like button that I actually like. See what I did there?

Bye Jekyll

This wasn't about abandoning Jekyll.

It was about outgrowing it.

Neither was switching to Next.js about the hype.

It was about control.

Jekyll let me publish. Next.js lets me create.

That difference is everything.

Build for the future

So here is the new shamvoke.com website. Rebuilt, redesigned, and running on NextJS. I've pushed every optimization I could think of to GitHub. (With more updates underway)

• Every component intentional.
• Every section considered.

P.S. Want to start sharing your ideas but don't have a blog yet? Let's design an experience that is entirely yours. (And since you are reading this here, you get custom pricing for personal blog builds). Hit me up at [email protected]

Or, visit Team webmeka if its a website for your business/brand.

As for the things I can not change? I push that to God.

Stay Curious,

Sham.