Case study · 2026
tjhorwood
Personal platform
tjhorwood.com is mine, which makes it useful in a specific way: I can try real CMS, publishing, project, and code-snippet patterns on myself before recommending them to anyone else. It is part portfolio, part notebook, and part live testbench.
Role
Information architecture, Payload CMS, blog/project publishing system
Timeline
Iterative personal platform
Project size
Payload-backed personal site
Relationship
Taylor-owned project
Services
Stack / solution shape
Why we built it
The reasons behind the project.
Own a home base for writing and projects instead of relying on social platforms that change rules or disappear.
Move posts and code snippets into a CMS-backed system I can keep improving.
Use the site as a live proving ground for Payload patterns before they become client recommendations.
Before
Writing, project links, and background lived in scattered places. There was no single durable home that reflected current work and could be edited without rebuilding old static files by hand.
What changed
The platform gives me a live reference for the same CMS, publishing, and launch-care habits Hearthstack sells.
Challenge
The site had to stay personal and useful without turning into a sprawling sitemap. The CMS also needed to handle imported posts and code snippets without making publishing feel heavy.
Solution
Payload CMS, reusable content blocks, a blog import path for old posts, and a homepage that acts as a quick portal while deeper story/work content lives one click away.
Outcomes
What changed
Care / handoff
More work