Case StudyFull-Stack Platform

Creator Platform

A complete personal brand platform built for a content creator. Blog, email marketing, link hub, and analytics. Replacing a simple Canva site with a professional, maintainable solution.

Custom CMSEmail MarketingAnalytics

The Platform

Built for a content creator who had outgrown her simple Canva-based website. After attempting WordPress, which proved too complex for her to maintain, I designed and built a custom platform that gives her complete control without the technical overhead.

Blog CMSEmail ListsLink HubAnalytics

Role

Full-Stack Developer

What It Is

Custom CMS & marketing platform

Scale

80+ components

Admin Interface

The 20+ page admin dashboard. Scroll through or click to view full size.

Admin Dashboard

Dashboard

Admin Dashboard

Analytics

Admin Dashboard

Onboarding

The Challenge

The client had been using a basic Canva website, functional but limiting. We tried WordPress as a first solution, but it proved too complex for her to maintain independently. She needed something powerful yet simple enough to manage herself. The challenge was to build a platform that:

Is simple enough for a non-technical creator to manage

Provides blog, email lists, and link hub in one place

Handles email marketing with legal compliance (double opt-in)

Integrates YouTube & Instagram feeds automatically

Offers a guided onboarding to set everything up step-by-step

Runs on free-tier infrastructure to minimize ongoing costs

Tech Stack

Next.js 16Framework

TypeScript 5Language

Tailwind CSS 4Styling

Framer MotionAnimation

Firebase FirestoreDatabase

Firebase AuthAuth

Firebase StorageStorage

ResendEmail

YouTube APIIntegration

Key Features

Blog CMS

Markdown editor with draft/publish workflow, tags, custom slugs, and display date overrides.

Email Marketing Suite

Multiple subscriber lists, double opt-in confirmation, and one-click unsubscribe.

Lead Magnets

Gated downloads with thank-you pages and automatic list subscription.

Link Tracking

Linktree-style hub with per-link click analytics.

Page Editors

Visual editors for Home, About, Services, Contact with live preview.

Media Library

Image uploads with Firebase Storage integration.

Analytics Dashboard

Session tracking, page views, 7-day rolling insights.

Onboarding System

20-task progressive setup guide organized in 9 phases.

Security Layer

Rate limiting, origin verification, admin whitelist, Firestore rules.

Architecture Highlights

Built with scalability and maintainability in mind, the platform leverages modern patterns and security best practices.

80+ TypeScript components with strict typing

Server-side rendering with Next.js App Router

API routes with validation & security middleware

Firestore security rules (public read, admin-only write)

Context providers for auth & settings state

1-hour cache revalidation for YouTube API calls

Security First

Rate limiting (5 requests/minute), origin verification, admin whitelist, and granular Firestore security rules ensure the platform is protected against common attack vectors.

Design Approach

Warm, editorial aesthetic with paper textures that creates an organic, inviting feel for personal brands.

Paper Cream

#F3E9D2

Navy

#0B3954

Terracotta

#A66249

Fonts

Fraunces

Nunito

Caveat

Results

20+

Admin pages

comprehensive dashboard

Recurring costs

Firebase + Vercel free tier

Onboarding phases

20 guided tasks

Client can manage all content without technical knowledge

Zero recurring costs using Firebase and Vercel free tiers

Progressive onboarding guides setup step-by-step

Full data ownership with GDPR compliance built-in

Sub-second page loads with static generation

This project showcases full-stack development from database design to user experience, with a focus on making powerful tools accessible to non-technical users through thoughtful UX and guided onboarding.

Client project

Awaiting launch