Testing Improved Hero Image System
Published: July 7, 2024

Testing the Improved Hero Image System
This post demonstrates the new, more author-friendly hero image system that allows direct use of images from src/assets/images/blog/heroes/
.
What’s New?
Before (Complex Mapping System)
Authors had to:
- Use predefined image mappings
- Navigate complex mapping relationships
- Understand which sample image their content would use
After (Direct Image System)
Authors can now:
- Place hero images directly in
src/assets/images/blog/heroes/
- Use descriptive filenames like
azure-deployment-hero.png
- Add once, use everywhere - update
ResponsiveImage.astro
once per image - Reuse across posts - same hero image can be used in multiple blog posts
Hero Images Available
The system now includes several ready-to-use hero images:
azure-deployment-hero
- Perfect for Azure and deployment postsdevelopment-hero
- Great for general development contentsampleImg1Hero
- Gaming/technology themed- Plus all the original sample images:
sampleImg1
throughsampleImg5
Benefits for Authors
1. Clearer File Organization
src/assets/images/blog/heroes/
├── azure-deployment-hero.png # Descriptive names
├── development-hero.png # Easy to understand
└── my-custom-hero.jpg # Add your own
2. Simpler Workflow
---
title: "My Blog Post"
heroImage: "azure-deployment-hero" # Just use the image name
---
3. Better Performance
- All images still get Astro’s optimization
- Automatic responsive sizing
- WebP conversion for better loading
- Lazy loading support
Adding Your Own Hero Images
Adding a custom hero image is straightforward:
- Add your image to
src/assets/images/blog/heroes/
- Update ResponsiveImage.astro with one import and one line
- Use in any blog post with the image key

Testing Different Hero Images
This post uses the azure-deployment-hero
image. Other posts can use:
development-hero
for general development contentsampleImg1Hero
for gaming/tech content- Any of the sample images for backward compatibility
The system maintains full backward compatibility while providing a much cleaner authoring experience.
Conclusion
The improved hero image system strikes the right balance between:
- Author Experience: Simple, intuitive workflow
- Performance: Full Astro optimization benefits
- Flexibility: Easy to add custom images
- Maintenance: Backward compatibility preserved
This makes it much easier for authors to create visually appealing blog posts without wrestling with complex mapping systems.