Project Overview

In 2022 when I re-entered the construction industry, I was surprised to see how little support there was for modern tooling around gathering estimates and quantities. I set out to create a modern SaaS platform that empowered construction professionals to manage their quantity takeoffs and estimates with ease. The platform was designed to be user-friendly, efficient, and scalable, allowing users to focus on what they do best - building.

The design was created to be easy to use and provided 3D representations of structures as the user was inputting their data.

Design

The web application was built with Nuxt and was one of my first deep-dives into server-side rendering and static site generation. The application utilized ThreeJS to create 3D representations of structures, allowing users to visualize their estimates in real-time. The application also included a dashboard that displayed various metrics and statistics related to the user's projects, including project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation. For user and data management I utilized Supabase, which provided a powerful and scalable backend solution for the application. The application was designed to be responsive and mobile-friendly, allowing users to access their projects from anywhere, at any time.

Lessons learned

• User Experience: Creating a user-friendly interface is critical to the success of a web application. It is important to ensure that users can easily navigate the application and find the information they need.
• B2B SaaS: Building a B2B SaaS platform requires a deep understanding of the target audience and their needs. It is important to create a product that provides value to users and solves their pain points.
• Real-time Data: Providing real-time data to users is a key part of creating a successful web application. This requires a strong understanding of how to interact with APIs and how to update the user interface in real-time.
• Scalability: The project required a strong understanding of scalability principles and practices. I had to ensure that our servers could handle the load of multiple users and that we could scale up or down as needed. This required constant monitoring and updates to our infrastructure.
• Documentation: Creating clear and concise documentation for the project was critical to its success. This included documentation for the codebase, infrastructure, and user guides. This required strong writing skills and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly.
• Analytics: Tracking user engagement and behavior was critical to the success of the project. We had to create analytics dashboards that provided insights into user behavior and engagement. This required strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret data.
• Testing and Quality Assurance: Testing and quality assurance were critical to the success of the project. We had to ensure that the application was stable and free of bugs before launch, and that we had a plan in place for ongoing testing and updates after launch.
• Legal Compliance: Ensuring that the project was compliant with legal regulations and guidelines was a top priority. This included ensuring that our data privacy and security practices were compliant with regulations and that we were following best practices for data privacy and security. This required constant monitoring and updates to our legal protocols.
• Feedback and Iteration: Gathering feedback from users and iterating on the product was critical to its success. We had to ensure that we were listening to our users and making changes based on their feedback. This required strong communication skills and the ability to take constructive criticism.
• Customer Support: Providing excellent customer support was critical to the success of the project. We had to ensure that our users felt supported and valued, and that we were addressing their needs and concerns in a timely manner. This required strong communication skills and the ability to empathize with users.

Demos