About
The James Portal
A digital experience blending historical fiction with modern AI, built to bring the character of James Conquest Yarrow to life through conversation, letters, and imagery.
This portal is part of the BW8 Studio project, an experimental narrative universe exploring Victorian-era characters through interactive AI personas.
Technologies Used
- Next.js 16 — React framework with App Router, server components, and API routes
- React 18 — Component-based UI with hooks and concurrent features
- TypeScript — Type-safe JavaScript for reliable code
- OpenAI API — GPT-4 powers James's conversational responses and letter generation
- OpenAI Image Generation — Creates pencil sketches in 1840s engraving style
- Tailwind CSS — Utility-first CSS framework for rapid styling
- CSS Custom Properties — Dark Victorian theme with period-appropriate colors
- Vercel — Deployment and hosting platform optimized for Next.js
Design Philosophy
The visual design draws from Victorian aesthetics: muted sepia tones, serif typography, and atmospheric overlays that evoke gaslit rooms and aged parchment. The UI prioritizes immersion, letting conversations with James feel like exchanges across time rather than interactions with a chatbot.