This post is partly to introduce my new website, share some discoveries I made in the process, and why I now recommend making your own site. I’ll also share how to do this yourself, even if you have no website knowledge at all.

Why I built my website

I’ve been writing work-related content on the internet for around 10 years, but it was only recently that I realised I couldn’t actually point anyone to ‘it’ as a whole. Years of creating news, blogs, copywriting and social media for different colleagues meant that there were many links I could send people to, and so that’s what I did - send lots of links. Links ranging from personal blogs to institute pages. Links to content in completely different styles where sometimes I was named and other times I wasn’t.

Even if the content looked great, it was inconsistent and annoying to go through all these different windows, opening each one with no idea what would be in it like some sort of research-based advent calendar. It seemed ironic that I am hired to help teams with communications, while my own was so poor.

And then there’s another challenge - broken links. Websites change or disappear entirely, often with little trace. I’ve worked on some fantastic research projects but the grant-based nature of science means many of these end after a short time. By hosting records of my work on my own site, I gain greater control over that content going forward.

So I started making my own website to curate and preserve my content in a way I could point to from a single link. Simple right? Especially for someone who has built websites for clients for years. Well, I have a confession.

I was certain this site would fail. That it would read like me writing a public CV. That the content would be boring and the whole project would be a huge waste of time. Instead, it became a joy to make, a wonderful way to reflect on some amazing projects I’ve been a part of. The content might still be boring but I’m happy with how it’s coming together. Here’s what went well and why this should encourage you to try the same.

What worked and what I discovered in the process

There are three parts of this project that have made it so enjoyable.

1: Set learning as a goal. The first part is that I deliberately chose a new tool to learn. That sounds like a gamble but I wanted to try a new way to build and host a website because that way if it did all turn out to be a failure, at least I had learned something along the way.

This site is built in Jekyll and is hosted, for free, on GitHub. I’ll explain the details on this in the last section of this post but in short, it’s a great way for hosting personal sites. Even if this site hadn’t worked out, learning how to set this system up was a joy in itself and now I could help others do the same.

So if you’re reading this thinking that you shouldn’t make a website because you haven’t made one before, then perhaps that’s actually a great reason to make one.

2: AI has massively removed the barriers to entry to coding with new tools. Using Claude Code to help me make the site was amazing. I know there are mixed views about AI but from my experience making the site, it almost completely removed any technical headaches I came across and made for an enjoyable experience throughout.

Some might read this point and feel it detracts from the previous learning objective rather than me working out ever problem myself. I don’t doubt that, but I’ve also learnt a huge amount in the ways it approached challenges which I never would have realised was an option. For example, adding a universal URL tweak to linked images on Cloudinary to optimise page load times across the site.

I share this point to again encourage you if you would like to make a personal website but worry you don’t have the knowledge. AI can help you. To show what I mean, here’s the link to this website in GitHub. I’ve had Claude annotate the code so you can see what each part is doing so you can start to edit it. Tools like this can accelerate your learning and remove the barriers. Give it a go.

3: Building this portfolio has made me feel clearer of the work I do and why. I care about my work. I care about the causes, the aspirations and the people I get to work with. The most unexpected discovery I had in bringing this portfolio together is how this project would change the way I see my professional life and outputs.

As a glance at this blog will show, my work is eclectic. I work across natural and social science, from research to graphic design. What I realised in making this website is that I unconsciously compartmentalised these roles, separating them both in how I approach them and where I report them. This actually is what led to the original scattered communications problem I was trying to fix.

Building the site and content has been a surprisingly reflective process. It’s helped me realise how much I value diversity in my work, and the site gives me a space to celebrate that combination, rather than separate it out.

This site has only just started and there’s lots to go but it’s been powerful for me to reflect on what I do. This has been valuable far beyond having a single link to images and text. I hope that building your portfolio can bring you the same clarity.

How to set up your personal website

Ok, so maybe I’ve convinced you to try making a personal website but you’re unsure of the best way to proceed. If so, this last section is for you.

The internet is full of great guides about how to make websites (YouTube is your friend). I’m not going to repeat these but just to add some quick pointers for what I would recommend:

• Jekyll and GitHub. This site self-hosted on GitHub for free. This is a great option for personal sites and simple blogs. All you need is a a GitHub account and you can set up the site. Using Jekyll means that you can write posts in Markdown and the site will do the rest. There are plenty of themes you can download and tweak to change the appearance. I used Hyde to start with and went from there. This approach does require some coding, GitHub and website knowledge but you can easily pick it up.
• Bearblog. I came across BearBlog earlier this year and I’ve been impressed for how much it does in such a lightweight package. This is a perfect option for if you want to start a site or blog but want to minimise how much code to write. It’s free to make a site, goes to $6 monthly if you want the pro version, and that allows you up to 10 sites(!). The themes look great and are easy to customise with a little code (but definitely don’t need to be). I run cropgeregulations.com using BearBlog.
• Wordpress. I’ve used WordPress for years and found it to be hugely flexible with very little technical requirements. YouTube and the internet is filled with guides on how to build professional websites and it’s easy to use a drag a drop plugin / theme to design the site. I run the NISD website on WordPress using the Themify Ultra theme. If you’re using WordPress, make sure you start by getting a good hosting company. I’d recommend HostPresto as I’ve used them for years and their support is amazing. Hosting packages start from £4.50 a month. Having server space also means you can set up custom email addresses (if that’s what you’re after).