Simone

Project Overview

Simone is a one-page React template crafted for personal portfolios, resumes, and CVs — with a unique design focus on visual identity and user experience. Originally developed by Harnish Design using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Bootstrap, and jQuery, I converted it into React, making it modern, efficient, and easy to customize. The template is ideal for designers, developers, photographers, and other creatives.

Key Features

• React v18+ Integration: Converted to React for improved performance, component modularity, and ease of future maintenance.
• Responsive Design: Ultra-responsive, built with Bootstrap 5, with RTL layout support and 10 pre-defined color schemes.
• Portfolio Features: Includes a filterable portfolio section with Isotope filters and detailed popup modals for project previews.
• Interactive Elements: Light and dark mode variants, video backgrounds, typing animations, and a working contact form.
• Customizable Structure: Well-documented, modular components allow easy updates to colors, typography, sections, and layout.
• SEO & Performance Optimized: Reduced jQuery dependencies, added lazy loading, and implemented semantic HTML for better search engine visibility and faster load times.

Contribution

I was responsible for the full React conversion of the Simone template — rewriting jQuery-based interactions using React Hooks, restructuring all sections as reusable components, and integrating animation libraries natively in React. The result is a cleaner, faster, and more maintainable codebase while preserving the original design's elegance.

Challenges & Learnings

• Maintaining Visual Parity: Ensuring the React version matched the original pixel-for-pixel during the rewrite.
• Replacing jQuery: Refactoring legacy jQuery animations and DOM manipulations into React state, refs, and effect hooks.
• Accessibility Improvements: Added better focus indicators, color contrast, and semantic HTML as part of the conversion.

Result

The React version of Simone delivers the same polished aesthetic as the original, with improved performance, easier customization, and a modern codebase. It was successfully published on ThemeForest as a premium React template and continues to serve designers and developers worldwide.

🔗 Live Template: https://harnishdesign.net/simone-personal-portfolio-react-template.html