La Matera was my first real freelance project: a complete redesign for an Argentinian restaurant in Guadalajara. The goal was to better convey the character of the place, present the menu clearly, and make booking or asking for information effortless.

I shaped the experience around the restaurant's atmosphere: a video hero, sections designed to make the dishes feel inviting, a menu organized by category, and a Three.js smoke effect that adds visual depth. It pushed me to think beyond code and work through timelines, client expectations, content, and design decisions.

## Stack & decisions

Astro — It became the site's foundation because of its landing-page performance and its natural fit for small, focused components.
Tailwind CSS — I used it to create two responsive experiences: a mobile version inspired by the restaurant interior and a broader, more visual desktop layout.
Three.js — It let me add a 3D particle smoke effect that reinforces the atmosphere without relying only on static imagery.
Image optimization — I converted the visual assets to WebP to protect load times on a media-heavy page.

## What I built

I designed a video hero with a direct WhatsApp CTA so booking intent is visible from the start.
I organized the digital menu by category so dishes are easier to browse on mobile.
I adapted a 3D smoke effect inspired by the Midudev community and integrated it without competing with the content.
I gained my first experience delivering for a real client and adapting design, content, and functionality to a concrete need.

Alansan.dev

Landing Page - La Matera 🥩

## Stack & decisions

## What I built

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