First Client Websites

Overview

First Client Projects groups my first two real-world client websites developed during my studies: New Art Vanguard and Arsenale Moto. New Art Vanguard was my first experience working on a production website connected to a real company context. It introduced me to client-requested changes, an existing codebase, deployment constraints, and the need to make updates without treating the project like a personal experiment. Arsenale Moto came after that first experience and required a broader level of responsibility, because the website was built from scratch and connected to a real business workflow. It pushed the work beyond simple page implementation, involving content management, public-facing forms, deployment, and coordination with design references.

Goal

The goal was to deliver real client work that could support production needs, not just demonstrate technical ability in a portfolio context. Both projects required turning external requirements into maintainable website updates or features, while paying attention to deployment, content workflows, private codebases, and long-term clarity. For New Art Vanguard, the objective was to work carefully within an existing production environment, making requested changes without disrupting the structure already in place. For Arsenale Moto, the objective was different: starting from a new website and bringing it to a usable production state, with content management and client-facing workflows considered from the beginning.

Technical Approach

The technical approach was shaped by the nature of each project rather than by a single fixed stack. New Art Vanguard was an existing production website, so the work required controlled updates inside an already established codebase. The focus was on making requested changes carefully, working across frontend and backend layers, using Git to manage iterations, and handling deployment through Docker without turning the project into a full rebuild. Arsenale Moto followed a different path because it started as a new website. The approach focused on building the public frontend, setting up a CMS-backed workflow, deploying the admin environment, and connecting the website to a production form flow. The implementation followed design references provided by the design team, while additional pages and selected interface refinements were handled during development.

Website Showcase

The gallery shows the public-facing output of the two client projects: the New Art Vanguard coming soon page and the Arsenale Moto landing page.

Key Decisions

The main decisions were guided by maintainability, privacy, and the practical needs of client-facing websites. The priority was to keep each project clear, deployable, and easy to update without adding unnecessary complexity.

• Use a CMS-backed workflow where structured content management made the project easier to maintain.
• Keep public website logic separated from admin, CMS, and private implementation details.
• Treat client-facing forms as production workflows rather than simple static-page features.
• Use version control and deployment workflows to make changes safer and easier to track.
• Adapt the technical approach to each project context instead of forcing a single stack.

Challenges

The main challenge was adapting to real production constraints. Unlike personal projects, these websites required careful changes, private codebase management, deployment awareness, and decisions that had to remain maintainable after the initial implementation.

• Making controlled updates on an existing production website without unnecessary rewrites.
• Working from real requirements and external feedback instead of personal assumptions.
• Balancing design references with technical implementation constraints.
• Building a new client website from scratch while keeping content and admin workflows usable.
• Managing private codebases and non-public admin environments responsibly.
• Handling deployment workflows for websites intended to be publicly accessible.
• Adapting to different stacks and project contexts across the two client projects.

Implementation Evidence

The work is backed by two concrete production scenarios: maintaining an existing client website and delivering a new website from scratch. The case study is traceable through the public pages, the documented responsibilities, the CMS and deployment workflows, and the way each project connected technical implementation with real client needs.

• New Art Vanguard documents the experience of working inside an existing production website, where updates had to respect the structure already in place and avoid unnecessary rewrites.
• The New Art Vanguard work involved frontend updates, PHP backend changes, Git-based iteration, and Docker-based deployment, showing a controlled workflow for client-requested production changes.
• Arsenale Moto documents the experience of building a new client website from scratch, currently structured around 5 public pages.
• The Arsenale Moto website is backed by a Strapi CMS workflow, allowing the public pages and editable content areas to be managed through an admin environment instead of hardcoded-only updates.
• The Resend-powered motorcycle valuation form turns the website into a real business workflow, connecting user input, validation, and email delivery for client requests.
• The visible output is supported by real implementation work: production updates, CMS-backed pages, form handling, backend changes, deployment, and client-facing workflows.

What I Learned

These projects taught me what it means to move a website from implementation to real production use. I gained practical experience with deploying client-facing websites, working with private codebases, managing CMS-driven content, handling forms and backend updates, and making changes that had to remain reliable after going live. They also helped me understand the non-technical side of production work: interpreting client requests, answering questions, clarifying requirements, working from design references, and choosing solutions that were understandable for both the codebase and the people using or maintaining the website. The biggest lesson was learning to treat each change as part of a real workflow, not just as an isolated feature.

Process Improvements

After these experiences, I learned how to manage future client work with a clearer and more mature process.

• Define project scope, content responsibilities, and delivery expectations more clearly before implementation starts.
• Document deployment, CMS usage, and maintenance workflows better so future updates are easier to manage after launch.

Links

Public references for the two websites included in this case study. Source code, repositories, and admin environments are not linked because they belong to private client projects.

• New Art Vanguard

  Live production website updated through frontend changes, PHP backend work, Docker-based deployment, and Git-based development workflows.

• Arsenale Moto

  Live client website built from scratch with TypeScript frontend work, Strapi CMS configuration, deployment, and a Resend-powered motorcycle valuation form.