This site is an index, not a grid. That was a deliberate choice, and it came from looking at a lot of portfolios that all blurred together.
A grid says: look at everything, quickly. An index says: here is everything, take your time. Grids are for browsing. Indexes are for reading. I would rather be read.
The index also forces honesty. Every row needs a title and one true sentence. If a project cannot survive one sentence, it does not belong here.
Say little. Mean it. Let the work do the shouting.