“TaskFlow” – A Real-Time Collaborative Project Management App

Client: Personal Project / Startup Concept

Industry: SaaS / Productivity Tools

Link: [Link to the live project or a GitHub repository]

Project Overview

TaskFlow is a full-stack web application designed to help small teams manage projects and collaborate in real-time. Frustrated with overly complex and slow project management tools, my goal was to create a minimalist, lightning-fast, and highly intuitive single-page application (SPA) using the MERN stack.

The Challenge

• Real-Time Updates: A key requirement was that any change made by one user (e.g., moving a task) should be instantly visible to all other team members on the same project board without needing a page refresh.

• Secure Authentication: The application needed a robust and secure system for user registration, login, and project-based permissions.

• Intuitive User Interface: The UI had to be clean and self-explanatory, centered around a drag-and-drop Kanban-style board.

My Solution & Architecture

I built TaskFlow from the ground up, architecting a scalable and efficient MERN stack solution.

1. Interactive Frontend (React.js): I developed the entire user interface using React, managing application state with Context API and Redux Toolkit. I implemented the react-beautiful-dnd library for the smooth, accessible drag-and-drop functionality.

2. Robust Backend (Node.js & Express.js): The backend features a secure RESTful API with JWT (JSON Web Token) for authentication and protected routes. All API endpoints were rigorously tested using Postman.

3. Real-Time Collaboration (Socket.IO): I integrated Socket.IO with the Node.js server to enable real-time, bi-directional communication. When a user updates a task, the server emits an event to all connected clients in that project room, instantly updating their UI.

Key Features

• Secure user authentication and session management.

• Create, join, and manage project boards.

• Kanban-style boards with draggable task cards.

• Real-time updates for all connected users.

• A clean, responsive, and minimalist dashboard.

Technologies Used

• Frontend: React.js, Redux Toolkit, Socket.IO Client, SASS

• Backend: Node.js, Express.js, Socket.IO

• Database: MongoDB with Mongoose

• Authentication: JWT, bcrypt.js

• Deployment: Vercel (Frontend), Heroku (Backend)