From Boring Portfolios to Chicken-Powered Motivation: Building CluckClean with Gemini

This is a submission for the New Year, New You Portfolio Challenge Presented by Google AI

About Me

Hi, I'm datadr1ven — a full-stack developer based on Planet Earth, who's obsessed with accelerating my workflow using AI tools like Grok in VSCode (via continue.dev). In 2025 I got really fast at turning ideas into working prototypes, and for 2026 my "New Year, New You" goal is simple: keep that speed while injecting more joy and personality into what I build.

This portfolio is my love letter to that philosophy. Instead of another serious dev site, I created CluckClean — a whimsical yet fully functional dental hygiene motivator powered by Google Gemini. Picture Duolingo's owl... but it's a cheeky chicken reminding humans to brush, floss, and smile like champs. Why a chicken? Because sometimes the best way to build habits is with a bit of absurd humor — and because dev should be fun, not just functional.

Portfolio

Live Google Cloud Run site here

The site features:

• A playful glassmorphism design in fresh mint/cyan pastels
• A big animated chicken mascot (Framer Motion powered)
• Gemini-generated daily brushing tips & motivational cluck-quotes
• Early prototype of a "Beak Check" interaction (describe your brushing routine → get personalized advice)
• full source code at CluckClean Github Repo

How I Built It

Tech Stack

• Next.js 16 (App Router) + TypeScript
• Tailwind CSS for rapid, beautiful styling
• Framer Motion for subtle entrances, hovers, and spring animations
• Google Gemini API (2.5-flash) for content generation & personalization
• Deployed on Google Cloud Run

Development Process

I used my favorite workflow: Grok + continue.dev in VSCode to generate and refine code snippets at lightning speed. Started with a basic Next.js template, added the mascot & hero section first, then layered in Gemini-powered features.

Google AI Tools Used

• Gemini API: Core of the app — generates funny, encouraging daily tips ("Floss like your life depends on it... or at least your breath!"), motivational messages, and personalized hygiene advice.
• Google AI Studio: Used to test & refine prompts quickly (e.g., "Generate 5 humorous chicken-themed brushing reminders for adults").
• Cloud Run: For the required serverless deployment — auto-scales, easy HTTPS, and perfect for Next.js.

Everything was built iteratively in short sessions — MVP first, polish later. Total time so far: ~3 hours

What I'm Most Proud Of

• Turning a silly idea (chicken dental coach) into something that's actually useful and delightful
• How fast I can prototype with AI assistance — this whole thing would've taken weeks without Grok/continue.dev
• The personality: The chicken mascot makes oral hygiene feel less like a chore and more like a game
• Using Gemini multimodal in future iterations (e.g., analyze a "selfie smile" photo for tips)
• Committing to joyful, creative dev in 2026 — this portfolio is proof that serious skills can coexist with ridiculous fun

Thanks for checking it out! 🐔🪥✨

Tag me if you have brushing tips for CluckClean!

Thanks for participating!