Daily Development Workflow

Daily Development Workflow

Starting the Preview Server

Option 1 - Simple script:

./start-preview.sh

Option 2 - Manual command:

eval "$(rbenv init - zsh)" && bundle exec jekyll serve

Then open: http://localhost:4000

Stopping the Server

Press Ctrl+C in the terminal

If Port is Already in Use

# Kill any existing Jekyll processes
pkill -9 -f jekyll

Then start again.

Making Changes

  1. Edit files (markdown in _pages/, _works/, or layouts in _layouts/)
  2. Save the file
  3. Refresh browser - Jekyll auto-rebuilds (takes 1-2 seconds)
  4. See your changes

Common Files to Edit

  • _pages/bio.md - Your bio page
  • _pages/about.md - CV/exhibitions page
  • _pages/contact.md - Contact page
  • _works/*.md - Individual project pages
  • index.html - Homepage
  • works.html - Works listing page

Styling Changes

  • _sass/main.scss - Colors, fonts, spacing
  • _sass/_home.scss - Homepage styles
  • _sass/_work.scss - Work pages styles
  • _sass/_page.scss - Standard page styles

Changes to SCSS files also auto-rebuild when you save.

Adding New Work

  1. Create new file: _works/2024-project-name.md
  2. Add frontmatter (see _works/sample-work.md for template)
  3. Add images to images/works/project-name/
  4. Save and refresh browser

Tips

  • Keep the terminal open while working - you’ll see build status
  • If something breaks, check the terminal for error messages
  • The SASS deprecation warnings are harmless - ignore them
  • Auto-rebuild usually takes less than 1 second

When You’re Ready to Deploy

Just push to GitHub - no need to run Jekyll locally for deployment:

git add .
git commit -m "your message"
git push

GitHub Pages will build and deploy automatically.