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MatthewRaynor.com
My flagship website combining my story, blog, art store, and technical portfolio.
📌 Overview
A personal brand site where all my passions intersect — tech, writing, art, and accessibility.
🧩 The Problem
I needed a single platform to unify my professional work, writing, art, and personal journey to help others and represent myself to the world.
💡 The Solution
I built a full-featured Django site with custom user login, store, blog, portfolio, and press coverage hub.
🛠️ Tech Stack
Backend:
Django 5.1.6
Python 3.10
PostgreSQL
Frontend:
Bootstrap 5
SCSS
Flatpickr
FullCalendar
Deployment:
Docker
Heroku (Container Stack)
Whitenoise
Tools:
Allauth
Crispy Forms
django-environ
✨ Special Features
- 🌟 Custom user model + Allauth integration
- 🌟 Press hub, blog, store, and modular portfolio detail pages
- 🌟 AI chatbot scaffold and accessible frontend
🎯 Real-World Problems Solved
- 🔧 Needed one site to host my store, blog, portfolio, and press
- 🔧 Reduced reliance on platforms like Shopify or Medium
🚧 Improvements for Next Time
- 🛠 Add Stripe cart/checkout system
- 🛠 Enable newsletter signup and global search
🏅 What I'm Proud Of
- 🌈 Built a fully modular, multi-app Django system
- 🌈 Reflects my resilience and technical versatility
📚 Build Notes
Every page is component-driven with a global base template. Portfolio is hardcoded for now, but database-driven expansion is planned.