CasualCubicles

Find the Perfect Place to Work Remotely Near You

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Inspiration

As a remote developer, I often struggled to find ideal places to work outside my home—places with reliable Wi-Fi, quiet ambiance, available seating, and an overall productive environment. While tools like Google Maps provide general place information, they lack a work-focused discovery experience.

CasualCubicles was born from the idea of simplifying this decision-making process. I wanted to build a tool that quickly surfaces remote work-friendly spaces based on a person's location, needs, and preferences—all in one intuitive interface.

What it does

CasualCubicles helps remote workers discover the best nearby places to work, such as cafés, libraries, and co-working spaces. It features:

  • Automatic location detection and workspace discovery
  • Filters for distance (1km, 2km, 5km), ratings, place type, and open status
  • Detailed view for each place, including:
    • Address
    • Opening hours and live status
    • Contact details
    • Website
    • Reviews and user feedback
  • Start Navigation feature to generate a route from the user’s location to the selected place
  • Search functionality for exploring workspaces in any location with full filter support

How I built it

The project was developed using the following technologies:

  • React (with Vite) for a fast and modular frontend architecture
  • TypeScript for safer, scalable code
  • Google Maps JavaScript API to render the map and place markers
  • Google Places API to fetch workspace data and details
  • Google Geolocation API to determine user’s real-time location
  • Google Directions API to visualize navigation routes

Styling was done using Tailwind CSS to ensure full responsiveness and a clean dark-themed UI with orange accent elements.

Challenges I ran into

  • Handling Geolocation Permissions: Getting reliable user location required fallback logic in case of denied permissions or device restrictions.
  • Managing API Limits: Rate limits for Google Places API occasionally caused incomplete results during testing.
  • Real-time Status Mapping: Differentiating between currently open and closed places across time zones required attention to detail.
  • UI/UX on Mobile: Ensuring smooth and intuitive interaction on smaller screens without overwhelming the map interface.

Accomplishments that I'am proud of

  • Successfully created an end-to-end workspace discovery flow from location detection to navigation.
  • Implemented a filter system that makes discovery relevant and personalized.
  • Built a mobile-responsive dark-themed interface that maintains clarity and user friendliness.
  • Developed a standalone app entirely on the frontend using only browser APIs and Google Maps services.

What I learned

  • Deepened understanding of Google Maps Platform APIs and how they can be composed to solve real-world problems.
  • Improved state management and performance optimization techniques in React.
  • Gained insights into designing for location-based applications and the challenges around data accuracy and availability.
  • Learned how important UI/UX design is for location-heavy, filter-based apps.

What's next for CasualCubicles

  • User-generated data layer: Allow users to submit real-time feedback such as Wi-Fi quality or noise level.
  • Bookmark & favorite places: Let users save preferred workspaces for quick access.
  • AI-based recommendations: Suggest workspaces based on previous behavior or calendar availability.
  • Progressive Web App (PWA): Make the app installable and accessible offline for basic functionality.
  • Accessibility enhancements: Improve support for screen readers and keyboard navigation.

CasualCubicles aims to become the go-to solution for anyone working remotely and seeking better productivity environments on the go.

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