Add portfolio rebuild handoff brief

[Sam-Apostel]

What

Adds PORTFOLIO_REBUILD_BRIEF.md — a self-contained brief to drive a from-scratch rebuild of sams.works in a separate session.

You chose to rebuild the portfolio with modern tools/design rather than patch the current static projects.json + script.js site (which has dead links and an image-coupled data model). This PR makes no changes to the live site — it only commits the brief so the rebuild session starts with full context.

The brief covers

• Current-state analysis and why a rebuild beats iterating.
• A curated, verified project inventory (what's live, links, stack) to use as the new tile source of truth.
• A separate open-source contributions section (satori, sonner, react-datepicker, drei, …).
• Recommended stack & information architecture (Next.js + Railway, typed in-repo content, satori-generated tile images).
• Bio/brand facts and a list of open decisions to settle at the start of the rebuild.

Cross-references the full account audit (PROJECT_PORTFOLIO_OVERVIEW.md) and the parallel blog Xata→Drizzle migration.

https://claude.ai/code/session_01FgRm4bvPixcxQoyZu4X8Gh

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Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated (UTC)
portfolio	Ready	Preview, Comment	May 29, 2026 6:45pm

[what-the-diff]

PR Summary

• Introduction of New Document: A newly added PORTFOLIO_REBUILD_BRIEF.md file that serves as a guideline for the total redesign of the portfolio.
• Clarification of Objective: The aim is to modernize the current static portfolio design to better illustrate the present body of work.
• Current State Analysis: This part offers context on the existing portfolio state, hosting particulars, and the problems tied to the current portfolio setup that lead to the decision of full portfolio rebuild rather than improvements.
• Suggested Technology Stacks: Recommended the use of Next.js teamed with TypeScript and Railway for hosting. For styling, SCSS modules or Tailwind are suggested.
• Establishing Information Hierarchy: Proposed a design layout, including a hero info section, features of work, open-source contributions, and possibly pages detailing each project.
• Project Inventory Compilation: Verification and details of each project are listed, including the technology stack used and links to the live sites.
• Open-Source Contributions Highlighting: Notable PR's are highlighted to forge credibility.
• Personal Bio Inclusion: Personal details are given to establish brand identity and interests.
• Upcoming Rebuild Session Decisions: Some crucial decisions are highlighted for stakeholders to consider before moving forward with the rebuild project.
• Cross-Referencing of Documents: An overview of the auditing account and the blog migration in progress is given.