Building Modern Web Applications with Next.js

Introduction

Next.js has revolutionized the way we build web applications. With features like Server Components, automatic code splitting, and built-in optimization, it's become the go-to framework for modern React development.

In this article, we'll explore the key architectural decisions that go into building a production-ready Next.js application, from layout patterns to performance optimization.

The Power of Simplicity

One of the most important lessons in software architecture is knowing when NOT to add complexity. The best architecture is often the simplest one that solves your current problems.

Progressive Enhancement

Start with the minimum viable architecture and evolve it based on real needs. This approach has several advantages:

• Faster initial development and shipping
• Less code to maintain and debug
• Patterns emerge from actual usage, not speculation
• Team learns the codebase without overwhelming complexity

Practical Example

Take the layout system you're currently viewing. Instead of building a complex system of route groups and layout variants upfront, we started with a simple reusable container component.

<PageContainer width="narrow" padding="standard">
  <article>Your content here</article>
</PageContainer>

This simple abstraction provides consistency while remaining flexible enough to handle different page types.

Conclusion

The key to successful architecture is balance: sophisticated enough to solve real problems, simple enough to understand and maintain. Ship features, not frameworks.