Blogo

Overview

Blogo is an early project aimed at creating a full-featured blogging platform using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node) combined with TypeScript, Vite, and Tailwind CSS. The project aimed to provide a user-friendly blogging experience but encountered challenges due to the lack of a clear feature plan from the start. This experience highlights the importance of planning and structuring features before diving into development.

Project Goals

The initial goal was to create a platform where users could:

• Create, edit, and delete blog posts
• Customize post layouts and styles with Tailwind CSS
• Authenticate users with secure login and register options
• Implement a user-friendly interface with responsive design

Challenges and Learning

While working on Blogo, a few major challenges surfaced:

• Scope Creep: Additional features were introduced during development, which made the project difficult to manage.
• Feature Planning: Without a clear set of features defined at the beginning, maintaining focus became difficult, leading to an unstructured codebase.
• Early Stage Learning: This project provided invaluable learning about the MERN stack, TypeScript, and project planning best practices, helping shape future projects.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React + Vite, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS
• Backend: Node.js, Express
• Database: MongoDB

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Huzaifa-Yaqoob/blogoo.git
   cd blogoo

2. Set up the frontend:

   cd frontend
   npm install
   npm run dev

3. Set up the backend:

   cd ../backend
   npm install
   npm run start

Key Takeaways

Despite not reaching completion, Blogo taught key lessons in:

• Project Planning: Importance of defining a roadmap with features, milestones, and priorities.
• TypeScript and MERN Stack Fundamentals: Building foundational skills in backend and frontend integration.