Priority Actions: 2-Week Plan

Total Time Investment: ~30 hours over 2 weeks Expected Impact: Portfolio goes from “competent” (7.5/10) to “compelling” (9/10)

Week 1: Content & Positioning (15 hours)

Monday (3 hours) - Deploy Demos

Goal: Get first live demos up

Tasks:

Find Fancy Monkey URL, add to _data/ai_projects.yml (10 min)
Deploy Internet Infrastructure Map to Vercel (30 min)
Deploy Letratos to Netlify or GitHub Pages (30 min)
Update project cards to show demo links (30 min)
Screenshot each demo for project images (30 min)
Test all demo links work (30 min)

Deliverable: 3+ working demo URLs visible on portfolio

Files to edit:

_data/ai_projects.yml - Add demo_url values
Test by running bundle exec jekyll serve

Tuesday (3 hours) - Rewrite Project Descriptions

Goal: Transform 3 key projects from specs to stories

Tasks:

describe_it - Rewrite with narrative structure (1 hour)
- Open with the problem (stuck at basic descriptions)
- Your insight (need variety to expand vocabulary)
- Impact (tutors using it with students)
subjunctive-practice - Add emotional hook (1 hour)
- “The subjunctive broke me…”
- Context over conjugation insight
- What makes it different
fancy_monkey - Emphasize business + tech (1 hour)
- “$0/month hosting - can you run real e-commerce?”
- Technical achievement (serverless architecture)
- Actual metrics if available

Template to use:

[HOOK: Problem or question]
[CONTEXT: Why it mattered to you]
[APPROACH: Your unique insight]
[IMPACT: What changed]
[LEARNING: Honest takeaway]

Files to edit:

_data/ai_projects.yml (lines 38-44, 67-92, 195-202)

Wednesday (3 hours) - Homepage Hero Redesign

Goal: Make “4th generation educator” prominent

Tasks:

Rewrite hero section HTML (1 hour)
- Add family teaching lineage
- Include stats (100+ years, 10 years, 15 projects)
- Clear value proposition
Update SCSS for new hero layout (1 hour)
- Asymmetric design (photo + content)
- Stats grid styling
- Better typography hierarchy
Add personal teaching photo if available (30 min)
- Colombia classroom photo ideal
- Alt text: “Brandon teaching in [location]”
Test responsive behavior (30 min)
- Mobile, tablet, desktop
- Ensure stats wrap nicely

Files to edit:

index.html (lines 7-34)
_sass/_layout.scss or _sass/_components.scss

Copy to use:

<span class="hero-eyebrow">4th Generation Educator × AI Developer</span>
<h1>Brandon JP Lambert</h1>
<p class="hero-intro">
  My great-grandfather taught in the 1940s. My grandfather in the '70s.
  My father in the '90s. I taught languages for 10 years in the 2010s.
  Then I learned AI could finally build the adaptive learning tools
  I always wished I had. So I learned to code.
</p>

Thursday (3 hours) - Create Teaching Philosophy Page

Goal: Establish educational authority

Tasks:

Create new page file (15 min)
- _pages/teaching-philosophy.html or .md
- Add to navigation
Write content sections (2 hours):
- Four Generations: Family teaching history
- 10 Years Taught Me: Key classroom insights
- Why I Build Tools: Gap between pedagogy and tech
- 5 AI Learning Principles: Your framework
- What’s Next: Future interests
Style the page (30 min)
- Pull quotes for key insights
- Section visual separation
- Family timeline if you have photos
Link from homepage hero (15 min)
- Update CTA button: “My Teaching Philosophy →”

Files to create:

_pages/teaching-philosophy.html

Files to edit:

_data/navigation.yml (add to main nav)
index.html (update CTA link)

Friday (3 hours) - Remove “Built with Claude Code” Framing

Goal: Focus on decisions, not tools

Tasks:

Search all content for AI tool mentions (30 min)
- “Built with Claude Code”
- “Claude-assisted”
- “AI-generated”
Remove or reframe each instance (1.5 hours)
- Delete generic mentions
- Keep only where it shows decision-making
- Example: “I used AI to rapidly prototype 3 UX approaches, then user-tested to pick the best”
Update brandonjplambert project description (30 min)
- Currently describes itself as “Built entirely with Claude Code”
- Reframe: Focus on rapid development, bilingual features, design decisions
Review all project descriptions for tool-focus vs decision-focus (30 min)

Files to edit:

_data/ai_projects.yml (lines 3-36, check all projects)
README.md (if AI tools mentioned prominently)

Week 2: Technical & Design (15 hours)

Monday (3 hours) - Extract JavaScript from Templates

Goal: Improve code maintainability

Tasks:

Create JavaScript files directory structure (15 min)

/assets/js/
├── projects-filter.js
├── project-modal.js
├── tech-tooltips.js
├── mobile-menu.js
└── main.js

Extract project filtering logic (1 hour)
- Move from _pages/ai-projects.html (lines 152-270)
- To /assets/js/projects-filter.js
- Update HTML to load new file
Extract project modal logic (1 hour)
- Move from _pages/ai-projects.html (lines 280-391)
- To /assets/js/project-modal.js
Extract tooltip logic (30 min)
- Move from _pages/ai-projects.html (lines 392-498)
- To /assets/js/tech-tooltips.js
Remove console.logs (15 min)
- Search for all console.log statements
- Delete or wrap in DEBUG flag

Files to create:

/assets/js/projects-filter.js
/assets/js/project-modal.js
/assets/js/tech-tooltips.js

Files to edit:

_pages/ai-projects.html - Remove inline scripts, add script tags

Goal: Single nav, better accessibility

Tasks:

Remove duplicated mobile navigation (30 min)
- Delete #mobile-menu-overlay HTML (lines 96-133 in default.html)
- Keep only main <nav class="site-nav">
Update CSS for mobile overlay (1 hour)
- Make nav full-screen overlay on mobile
- Add is-open class toggling
- Smooth transitions
Refactor JavaScript to class-based (1 hour)
- Create MobileMenu class
- Use data attributes instead of IDs
- Proper ARIA attributes (aria-expanded, aria-controls)
Test on mobile devices (30 min)
- iOS Safari
- Android Chrome
- Keyboard navigation

Files to edit:

_layouts/default.html (lines 85-133, 176-217)
_sass/_layout.scss (mobile nav styles)
Create /assets/js/mobile-menu.js

Wednesday (3 hours) - Color Palette & Typography Refresh

Goal: Add warmth and personality

Tasks:

Update color variables (1 hour)
- Warmer blue for primary
- Add orange accent (Colombia-inspired)
- Add green for success/growth
- Warmer neutrals
Test new colors throughout site (1 hour)
- Buttons
- Cards
- Links
- Backgrounds
- Check contrast ratios (WebAIM)
Typography improvements (1 hour)
- Increase body line-height to 1.8
- Add pull quote styling
- Section header treatments
- More prominent headings on key pages

Files to edit:

_sass/_variables.scss (lines 4-21)
_sass/_typography.scss
_sass/_components.scss (button colors)

New color palette:

--color-primary: #2B6CB0;      // Warmer blue
--color-secondary: #DD6B20;    // Colombia sunset orange
--color-tertiary: #38A169;     // Growth green
--color-ink: #2D3748;          // Softer black
--color-paper: #FFFAF0;        // Warm white

Thursday (2 hours) - Project Status Updates

Goal: Replace “Active Development” with honest statuses

Tasks:

Review each project critically (30 min)
- What’s actually done?
- What’s in progress?
- What’s just a prototype?
Update status for all 15 projects (1 hour)
- Use specific statuses:
  - “MVP Complete - seeking testers”
  - “Live - in production with users”
  - “Prototype - concept validated”
  - “On Hold - achieved learning goals”
  - “In Progress - 40% complete”
Add completion notes where helpful (30 min)
- “Core features functional, UI polish needed”
- “Works for personal use, not public-ready”
- “Research phase, minimal code”

Files to edit:

_data/ai_projects.yml - Update all status: fields

Friday (4 hours) - Add Photography & Personal Elements

Goal: Show personality and human side

Tasks:

Select 5-10 best photos from Letratos (30 min)
- Colombia landscapes
- Teaching moments
- Personal photos
Add photos as section backgrounds (1 hour)
- Hero section background
- About/Story section
- Project section headers
Create photo gallery on homepage (1 hour)
- Small “Creative Work” section
- Link to Letratos prominently
- 3-4 featured photos
Add personal elements (1.5 hours)
- Family teaching timeline graphic
- Personal teaching story on /work/ page
- Behind-the-scenes photos if available

Files to edit:

index.html - Add creative work section
_sass/_layout.scss - Background image styles
_pages/work.html - Add personal story section

New section for homepage:

<section class="creative-work">
  <h2>Beyond Code: Creative Work</h2>
  <p>I also write poetry and take photos—mostly in Colombia.</p>
  <div class="photo-grid">
    <!-- 3-4 featured photos -->
  </div>
  <a href="https://letratos-url" class="btn">See More →</a>
</section>

Weekend (Optional Bonus Tasks)

If You Have Extra Time

Saturday (2-3 hours) - LinkedIn & Social Updates

Rewrite LinkedIn headline and about section
Update GitHub profile README
Update Twitter/X bio
Ensure consistent “educator who codes” positioning

Sunday (2-3 hours) - Write “Learning in Public” Blog Post

Title: “What I Learned Building 5 Spanish Learning Tools”
800-1200 words
Include failures and surprises
Link from homepage

Daily Checklist Format

Each day, use this checklist:

### [Day] - [Goal]

Before starting:
- [ ] Read the full task description
- [ ] Understand what files to edit
- [ ] Have local Jekyll server running
- [ ] Git commit current state

While working:
- [ ] Make frequent small commits
- [ ] Test changes in browser regularly
- [ ] Check mobile responsiveness
- [ ] Verify no broken links

After completing:
- [ ] Test in multiple browsers
- [ ] Check accessibility (keyboard nav, screen reader)
- [ ] Git commit with clear message
- [ ] Deploy to production (if ready)

Done when:
- [ ] Deliverable achieved
- [ ] No console errors
- [ ] Looks good on mobile and desktop
- [ ] Changes committed to git

Progress Tracking

Use this to track completion:

Week 1: Content & Positioning

Monday: Deploy 3 demos ✅
Tuesday: Rewrite 3 project descriptions ✅
Wednesday: Redesign homepage hero ✅
Thursday: Create teaching philosophy page ✅
Friday: Remove “Built with Claude Code” framing ✅

Week 2: Technical & Design

Monday: Extract JavaScript to files ✅
Tuesday: Fix mobile navigation ✅
Wednesday: Refresh colors & typography ✅
Thursday: Update all project statuses ✅
Friday: Add photography & personal elements ✅

Completion metric: 10/10 tasks = 100%

Success Criteria

After 2 weeks, you should have:

Content

✅ 3-5 working demo links
✅ 3 compelling project narratives (not just specs)
✅ “4th generation educator” front and center
✅ Teaching Philosophy page live
✅ No generic “Built with AI” framing

Technical

✅ JavaScript extracted to separate files
✅ No console.logs in production
✅ Mobile menu with proper accessibility
✅ Cleaner, more maintainable codebase

Design

✅ Warmer color palette
✅ Better typography (line-height 1.8)
✅ Personal photos integrated
✅ Visual personality evident

Positioning

✅ Clear “educator who codes” message
✅ Teaching lineage prominently featured
✅ Honest project statuses
✅ Evidence of pedagogical thinking

If You Fall Behind

Priority ranking if you have less time:

Must Do (8 hours)

Monday Week 1: Deploy demos (3 hours)
Tuesday Week 1: Rewrite 3 projects (3 hours)
Wednesday Week 1: Redesign hero (2 hours)

These 3 tasks give 70% of the impact.

Should Do (12 hours)

Thursday Week 1: Teaching philosophy page (3 hours)
Friday Week 1: Remove AI tool framing (1 hour)
Wednesday Week 2: Color refresh (2 hours)
Thursday Week 2: Update statuses (2 hours)
Friday Week 2: Add photos (2 hours)
Monday Week 2: Extract JavaScript (2 hours)

Gets you to 90% of target improvement.

Nice to Have (10 hours)

Tuesday Week 2: Fix mobile nav (3 hours)
Weekend: LinkedIn updates (2 hours)
Weekend: Blog post (3 hours)
Additional project rewrites (2 hours)

Getting Help

If you get stuck:

Content Issues

Review the before/after examples in 01-content-storytelling.md
Ask yourself: “What problem did this solve for me personally?”
Read the narrative structure template

Technical Issues

Check 03-technical-implementation.md for code examples
Test in browser frequently (don’t wait until end)
Use browser dev tools console to debug
Make small changes, commit often

Design Issues

Reference 02-design-ux.md for principles
Use contrast checker for colors (webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)
Test on actual mobile device, not just browser
When in doubt, keep it simple

Positioning Issues

Reread 05-positioning.md for the core message
Remember: You’re an educator first, coder second
Lead with teaching expertise in every section
Ask: “Does this show my unique background?”

After 2 Weeks

Review Results

Show portfolio to 3 people for 30 seconds
Ask: “What makes this person unique?”
Goal response: “4th generation educator who builds AI tools”

Measure Impact

Before: Generic developer portfolio
After: Educator innovator with clear positioning

Next Steps

Continue with long-term roadmap (see 07-long-term-roadmap.md)
Write blog posts documenting your journey
Add case studies for top 3 projects
Seek feedback from education community

Commitment

This is ~30 hours over 2 weeks.

That’s:

2 hours per weekday (before work, after work, lunch break)
5 hours per weekend day (Saturday + Sunday mornings)

It’s doable. It’s worth it.

After these 2 weeks, your portfolio will transform from “nice work” to “I need to hire/follow this person.”

Start Monday. Start with deploying those demos.

You’ll see immediate impact.

Priority Actions: 2-Week Plan

Week 1: Content & Positioning (15 hours)

Monday (3 hours) - Deploy Demos

Tuesday (3 hours) - Rewrite Project Descriptions

Wednesday (3 hours) - Homepage Hero Redesign

Thursday (3 hours) - Create Teaching Philosophy Page

Friday (3 hours) - Remove “Built with Claude Code” Framing

Week 2: Technical & Design (15 hours)

Monday (3 hours) - Extract JavaScript from Templates

Tuesday (3 hours) - Fix Mobile Navigation

Wednesday (3 hours) - Color Palette & Typography Refresh

Thursday (2 hours) - Project Status Updates

Friday (4 hours) - Add Photography & Personal Elements

Weekend (Optional Bonus Tasks)

If You Have Extra Time

Daily Checklist Format

Progress Tracking

Week 1: Content & Positioning

Week 2: Technical & Design

Success Criteria

Content

Technical

Design

Positioning

If You Fall Behind

Must Do (8 hours)

Should Do (12 hours)

Nice to Have (10 hours)

Getting Help

Content Issues

Technical Issues

Design Issues

Positioning Issues

After 2 Weeks

Review Results

Measure Impact

Next Steps

Commitment