What led you to become a developer?
It was, in many ways, a practical decision. Although I’ve always loved creative work, I realized that pursuing the same field as my brother, Matija Gabrilo, would be counterproductive—we’d be more likely to "compete" than collaborate. I wanted us to be able to work together on projects or find distinct niches where we could both thrive. By a stroke of luck, I discovered website design and development, which felt like the perfect middle ground between creative expression and technical ability.
My very first project was creating my brother’s portfolio website, a task that required me to learn both website design and code from scratch. It was challenging, but as I watched the site take shape—seeing my ideas “come to life” on the screen—I found a new kind of fulfillment. Those pixels I arranged had real-world impact, a tangible experience, and that realization convinced me I was on the right path.
By the time I finished that project, I felt confident enough to offer my services as a freelancer. From there, everything fell into place, and I never looked back.
What's your setup and development environment?
For my setup I primarily use a custom-built Windows desktop. I pair it with two 27-inch 4K monitors, a custom mechanical keyboard from KBDfans, and an MX Master 3S mouse.
For my development environment I like to keep things straightforward: I work mainly in Visual Studio Code and test thoroughly in multiple browsers and devices, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, iPad, MacBook, and iPhone.
What's your favorite stack to work with?
Nextjs and Contentful along with various NPM packages is my go-to for most projects and any E-commerce site I use Shopify and Liquid.
What are your top 5 go-to repos?
I don't use anything too notable admittedly, but here are some I have used in the past.
- Framer Motion
- Lenis Scroll
- Next/themes
What technologies are you most excited about now?
Probably would be Nextjs 15 with the React 19 Compiler.
What does your ideal workflow look like, from messing around to production?
- Set the Art Direction: Begin by clearly defining the project’s visual style and overall aesthetic.
- Gather References: Compile 3–5 website references that align with the intended look and feel, helping guide the design and approach.
- Create the Design in Figma: Translate the conceptual vision into a mockup, ensuring every page and element is thoughtfully placed and styled.
- Client Approval: Present the design to the client or team for feedback, revisions, and final sign-off.
- Development: Once approved, move into the coding phase—building out the site’s structure, functionality, and responsiveness.
- Beta Testing: Conduct thorough testing on multiple devices and browsers, ironing out any bugs and ensuring the site meets performance and accessibility standards.
- Launch on Vercel: After everything checks out, deploy the site via Vercel for a smooth, reliable production release.
What are you currently learning?
As of late I’ve been rebuilding some of my past websites using Nuxt and Vue to broaden my skill set. Although I currently lean towards Nextjs and React, my preferences might evolve as I gain more experience. I’m also planning to learn Framer in the near future.
What music do you listen to while developing?
What project are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of Talgh. At the moment, it stands as my magnum opus in terms of both complexity and sheer scale. Built entirely from scratch on Shopify—leveraging the Shopify CLI and Liquid language—it presented a unique set of challenges far beyond those of my typical portfolio or studio based projects. This e-commerce store demanded a completely different approach to design and development, pushing my skills to new heights in many ways. Furthermore, it is my number one ranking website in terms of features/awards out of all my current works. As a result, Talgh truly represents a defining milestone in my career so far.
What are beginner developers not learning that is critical in this day and age?
I don’t consider myself an absolute authority in web development by any means, but one oversight I see among some beginners is relying too heavily on website builders like Framer, Wix, or WordPress right from the start. While these platforms have their place, it’s more beneficial, both for developers and their clients by proxy, to first build a solid foundation in the fundamentals: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After mastering the basics, move on to frameworks like Nextjs or Nuxt. Only then I believe you should incorporate website builders into your skill set, using them as tools rather than crutches.
Anything you want to promote or plug?
If you found any of this mildly interesting, feel free to explore more of my work here or my Instagram. And if you’re conscious about what you put on your skin, consider visiting Talgh for a non-toxic deodorant made from 100% organic beef tallow.
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