CLAUDE.md - AI Assistant Guide for DeSpain Consulting Website

Project Overview

This is a Jekyll-based static website for DeSpain Consulting, a professional consulting firm specializing in AI-powered business solutions and operational efficiency. The site is hosted on GitHub Pages at despain-consulting.com.

Tech Stack

Directory Structure

despain-consulting-site/
├── _config.yml          # Jekyll configuration (site settings, collections, defaults)
├── _includes/           # Reusable HTML components
│   ├── header.html      # Navigation with mobile hamburger menu
│   └── footer.html      # Footer with mobile nav JS
├── _layouts/            # Page templates
│   ├── default.html     # Base layout (includes head, analytics, header, footer)
│   ├── home.html        # Home page with hero section
│   ├── page.html        # Standard page layout
│   └── venture.html     # Individual venture detail pages
├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── style.css    # Single stylesheet (~560 lines)
│   └── images/          # Logo and certification images
├── index.md             # Home page content
├── about.md             # About page (founder story, services)
├── problems.md          # Business problems we solve
├── ventures.md          # Business ventures showcase
├── contact.md           # Contact information
├── CNAME                # Custom domain configuration
├── Gemfile              # Ruby dependencies
└── .gitignore           # Build artifacts exclusions

Development Commands

# Install dependencies (first time setup)
bundle install

# Start local development server (auto-reload)
jekyll serve
# Server runs at http://localhost:4000

# Build for production
jekyll build
# Output goes to _site/ directory

Content Editing

Front Matter Pattern

All content pages use YAML front matter:

---
layout: page        # Options: home, page, venture
title: Page Title
subtitle: Optional subtitle text
---

Markdown content here...

Layout Hierarchy

• default.html - Base template (all pages extend this)
  • Includes: head, analytics, header, footer
• home.html - Extends default, adds hero section
• page.html - Extends default, standard page wrapper
• venture.html - Extends default, venture detail formatting

Adding New Pages

1. Create a new .md file in the root directory
2. Add front matter with layout: page and title
3. Add navigation link in _includes/header.html

CSS Conventions

Color Variables (defined in :root)

--color-primary: #877167      /* Warm brown - primary brand color */
--color-primary-dark: #6d5a52 /* Darker brown - hover states */
--color-bg-alt: #FCF7F1       /* Warm off-white - section backgrounds */
--color-accent: #A59E97       /* Muted taupe - secondary elements */
--color-border: #e5e7eb       /* Light gray - borders */

Typography

• Headings (h1-h6): Playfair Display (serif)
• Body text: Inter (sans-serif)
• Spacing base: --spacing-unit: 1rem

Component Classes

• .container - Max-width content wrapper (1200px)
• .btn, .btn-primary, .btn-secondary - Button styles
• .problem-card, .venture-card - Grid card components
• .testimonial - Quote block with left border
• .hero, .home-section, .page-header - Section containers

Responsive Design

• Mobile-first approach
• Single breakpoint at 768px
• Mobile hamburger menu with JS toggle

Key Conventions

Writing Style

• Professional, confident tone
• Focus on AI and operational efficiency expertise
• Use “we/our” (company voice), not “I/my”

Commit Messages

• Use present tense, descriptive messages
• Examples: “Add feature”, “Update content”, “Fix styling issue”

File Naming

• Use kebab-case for all files (e.g., about.md, style.css)
• Images should be descriptive (e.g., cert-ai-foundations.jpg)

Deployment

The site auto-deploys to GitHub Pages when changes are pushed to the main branch.

• Domain: despain-consulting.com (configured in CNAME file)
• Build: Jekyll generates static files to _site/
• Excluded from build: Gemfile, Gemfile.lock, README.md

Analytics Configuration

Located in _layouts/default.html:

• Google Analytics 4: Property ID GA-BRM5GJDPWV
• LinkedIn Insight Tag: Partner ID 8584260

Common Tasks

Update Homepage Hero

Edit index.md - the hero content is in the front matter and first content section.

Add New Venture

Create a file in _ventures/ directory (collection) or add to ventures.md page content.

Modify Navigation

Edit _includes/header.html - navigation links are in the <nav> element.

Change Colors/Styling

Edit assets/css/style.css - CSS variables are at the top in :root.

Update SEO Metadata

Edit _config.yml for site-wide settings, or individual page front matter for page-specific metadata.

Troubleshooting

Local server not starting

bundle install  # Ensure dependencies are installed

Changes not appearing

• Jekyll requires restart for _config.yml changes
• Check for YAML syntax errors in front matter
• Clear browser cache

Build errors

• Validate Liquid syntax in layouts/includes
• Check for unclosed tags in markdown