Hi, I'm Shingo Suzuki, also known as Suzushin.
Until now, I've run my blog on WordPress. I've now given it a major overhaul, rebuilding it with Astro and a completely new design.
The new blog went live on October 14, 2026. I changed not only its appearance but also how publishing works. I don't yet know what effect this will have on traffic or revenue, but I'd like to make a fresh start.
Here's a look back at why I redesigned the site and how the migration went.
A new Suzushin Lab
The old blog used WordPress, a widely used CMS, with the free Cocoon theme. Despite being free, it offered plenty of useful features and was easy to work with.
For this version, I built a static site with Astro, a static site generator, focusing on loading speed. WordPress generally generates a page when a visitor requests it, though caching can also be used. Astro generates the pages ahead of time, so they only need to be served to visitors.
Here's the new design. I aimed for something simple and approachable. I like minimalist designs myself, so I'm quite pleased with it.
Alongside articles, the site can showcase web apps I've developed. It now works both as a collection of things to read and as a portfolio.
Why move from WordPress to Astro?
You might be wondering why I made the switch.
Even on the old blog, I managed articles as Markdown files. WordPress simply published the HTML converted from those files. I hardly used the block editor. In other words, WordPress had become little more than a container.
That made me think: “Wouldn't this work without WordPress?” And, “Wouldn't a static site be easier to manage?”
There are several advantages to a static blog. For this migration, I wanted a simpler structure, a custom design, lower server operating costs, and a site that made both articles and projects easy to present.
So, deciding there was no time like the present, I used Codex to carry out the redesign—what people call vibe coding.
I wanted to connect articles and projects
The new site's tagline is “Think. Build. Try.” The design uses navy, teal, and warm accents, with attention to spacing and long-form readability. It includes a Studio app collection, series navigation, related articles by project, search, and light and dark themes. These features should make it easier to follow articles in order and find writing about a project.
Current projects include Caltrilo, Override Classic, and Bookmarklet Maker. I put particular effort into Caltrilo. If you're curious, take a look at the individual project pages.
On the homepage, articles appear below the projects. Most describe things I've actually tried myself. I'd like to keep taking on new challenges.
My first aim is for people to read the articles and become interested in what I do. Then I'd like them to try my projects and enjoy them.
Working through the migration with Codex
I used Codex to follow this process:
- Investigate the existing site and plan the migration.
- Review the plan, then implement it.
- Check and preview the implementation.
- Move to production if everything looks good.
- Fine-tune the display, games, ads, and other details.
I handled the aims, design preferences, required features, and decision to publish. Codex handled implementation, validation, deployment, and the related technical work.
The stack is Astro, TypeScript, Markdown, Cloudflare Pages, and Wrangler. I manage the source code on GitHub.
I thought it might take quite a while, but getting the blog live actually took only a few hours. Perhaps improving AI capabilities are making implementation more accurate. There weren't any major problems, and the process went relatively smoothly.
I generally leave coding work to Codex. But I write the blog articles myself, with Codex acting as an editor.
Preserving existing articles was a priority
One thing I was particularly careful about was carrying over the previous articles. I retained the 31 existing published URLs, kept old image paths working, and redirected the feed. Automatic tables of contents and shortcode support are also implemented.
I've backed up the WordPress database and files, and kept the original environment and hosting available for recovery.
These steps were mainly about SEO and preserving existing links. If another site had linked to an article, I wanted readers to remain able to follow that link.
My impressions and what I want to monitor
I think the simple design turned out well. Personally, I'm very happy with it.
The site also seems easier to use. Series navigation and related links may make it easier for readers to find articles that interest them.
On both desktop and mobile, loading feels faster to me. It's nice to see pages appear so quickly. Making the site static may have had a bigger effect than I expected.
What I mainly want to examine next is ease of updating, SEO effects, and traffic over time. I'll check whether the publishing process becomes smoother and watch carefully to see how search visibility and visits change.
Letting the blog grow with my activities
This article has been a look at the new blog. I rebuilt it to suit how I write and make things, and I hope it feels simple yet approachable. I'd love the redesign to encourage more people to visit and explore.
As I use the site, I'll make fixes and add features whenever I find something worth improving.
Please take a look at any articles or projects that catch your eye. And if you notice anything, let me know through the contact page. I'd love to hear what you think.