Building a Blog with Claude Code and Spec-Driven Development

Building a Modern Blog with AI-Assisted Development

In this article, I’ll share my experience building this blog using Claude Code and following specification-driven development (SDD) and test-driven development (TDD) practices.

The Tech Stack

• Astro 5.x - Lightning-fast static site generator
• TypeScript (strict mode) - Type safety throughout
• Tailwind CSS - Utility-first styling
• Vitest - Fast unit testing
• Content Collections - Type-safe content management

Why Spec-Driven Development?

Instead of jumping straight into code, I started with complete specifications:

1. User Stories - What features are needed
2. API Specifications - Function signatures and types
3. Test Specifications - How to validate functionality
4. Component Specifications - UI components and props

This approach ensures:

•  Clear requirements before coding
•  Better architecture decisions
•  Easier onboarding for future developers
•  Comprehensive documentation

The Development Process

// 1. Define types first (from specs)
export interface BlogPost {
  title: string;
  description: string;
  pubDate: Date;
  tags: string[];
}

// 2. Write tests (TDD - Red phase)
test('should calculate reading time', () => {
  expect(calculateReadingTime('word '.repeat(200))).toBe(1);
});

// 3. Implement (TDD - Green phase)
export function calculateReadingTime(content: string): number {
  return Math.max(1, Math.ceil(wordCount / 200));
}

Key Features Implemented

Content Management:

• Blog posts with MDX support
• External publications collection
• Tag-based organization
• Full-text search ready

Performance:

• Zero JS by default (Astro islands)
• Optimized images
• Fast page loads

Developer Experience:

• TypeScript strict mode
• Comprehensive tests
• Hot reload during development
• Automated deployments

Working with Claude Code

Claude Code helped me:

1. Plan the architecture - Reviewing specs and suggesting improvements
2. Write tests first - Following TDD methodology
3. Implement features - Type-safe code generation
4. Debug issues - Quick problem solving
5. Deploy - Vercel integration setup

Lessons Learned

1. Specs save time - Writing specifications upfront prevents rework
2. Types are documentation - TypeScript makes code self-documenting
3. TDD builds confidence - Tests enable fearless refactoring
4. AI is a powerful ally - Claude Code accelerates development

What’s Next?

• Add search functionality
• Implement comments system
• Create RSS feed improvements
• Add analytics
• Write more blog posts!

The Exact Prompt I Used

Want to recreate this workflow yourself? I’ve made the complete prompt available for download.

📥 Download the Complete Prompt

This prompt instructs Claude Code to follow a spec-driven, test-first approach - starting with documentation, then types, then tests, and finally implementation. Use it to build your own production-ready blog!

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Conclusion

Building with specification-driven development and AI assistance creates a robust, maintainable codebase. The initial investment in specs and tests pays off with faster iteration and fewer bugs.

Tech Stack: Astro, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Vitest, Vercel

Source Code: GitHub

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This blog was built entirely using Claude Code, following enterprise-level development practices. Want to learn more? Check out the About page!