Keep improving one project from an empty folder to a responsive one-page site with an introduction, projects, and contact details. Every lesson adds a visible result or a check toward that finish line.
Curriculum
Personal brand site build path
01
Start With Codex
Set up Codex and build the hero section of your personal brand site.
Plan a small light/dark theme switch for the mapped personal brand site. This lesson ends with an approved plan, not edited code.
Before you start
Keep the file and feature notes from the previous lesson available for reference.
Open my-brand-site and start a new task named Plan theme switch.
Do it now
Good prompt
Codex, inspect index.html and propose a three-step plan for adding an accessible light/dark theme switch. Keep the project in one file, add no packages, and preserve the existing Projects button and section navigation. Include the exact behavior, likely risks, and browser checks at wide and narrow widths. Do not edit until I approve the plan.
What success looks like
Codex returns a short ordered plan and makes no file changes.
The plan identifies the exact file and the visible behavior to add.
Verification covers clicking the switch and checking both wide and narrow layouts.
Stuck? Try this
If Codex edits immediately, reply: “Stop after planning and revert any implementation changes.”
If the plan says only “update CSS and JS,” ask it to name the specific UI state and manual checks.
Plain-language explanation
Planning first means Codex explains the likely sequence before it edits files. The plan should name files, order of changes, tests, and risks.
You do not need a huge plan. For most beginner tasks, a three-step plan is enough to catch misunderstandings before code changes happen.
Why it matters
A short plan gives you a review checkpoint. It is much cheaper to correct a plan than to untangle a wrong implementation.
Common beginner mistake
Beginners often let Codex start editing immediately, then review a diff that is larger than expected.
Try this
Choose a change that touches more than one file. Ask Codex for a plan and reject any plan that does not name verification.
Completion checklist
The plan names files likely to change.
The plan includes a test or manual check before implementation begins.