PlaceBook πŸ—ΊοΈβœ¨

A Location Social App β€” Track Your Life’s Adventure! πŸŒπŸš€

Imagine seeing your entire life unfold on a single map. Share your real-life journeys and memories with friends & family! πŸŽ‰πŸ‘«


🌟 Inspiration

I’ve always dreamed of capturing every place I’ve beenβ€”and now, PlaceBook makes that dream real! 🎯

Think Strava, but for your whole life: from daily commutes πŸš— to wild vacations βœˆοΈπŸ”οΈ to spontaneous adventures πŸ›Ά. Visualize your personal geography, share memories, and connect with those who matter most. πŸ’ž


✨ Features

  • πŸ”΄ Track Your Journey: Log locations manually or let PlaceBook auto-track every 30 seconds! β±οΈπŸ“
  • πŸ—ΊοΈ Interactive Map: See your complete location history mapped beautifully with clickable paths and pins πŸ“Œβœ¨
  • πŸ‘₯ Friends Overlay: Add friends, toggle their routes, and watch your journeys overlap for shared adventures! 🀝🎈
  • πŸŽ“ Campus Mode: Special landmarks & routes for University of Waterloo students! πŸ“šπŸŽ“
  • πŸ“± Mobile-First & Responsive: Smooth, modern UI that looks amazing on any device! πŸ”₯πŸ“²
  • 🀲 Manual Refresh: You choose when to updateβ€”no annoying auto-refresh distractions! πŸ§˜β€β™‚οΈ

πŸ› οΈ Built With

  • βš›οΈ Next.js 14 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
  • πŸ—ΊοΈ Leaflet.js + OpenStreetMap tiles
  • 🧩 Radix UI + custom styling for slick components
  • πŸ’Ύ React hooks + localStorage for seamless state persistence
  • 🌟 Lucide React icons for consistent vibes
  • πŸš€ Hosted on Vercel for blazing-fast delivery

🚧 Challenges Faced

  • ⚑ Map performance tuning with large datasets
  • ⏳ Balancing real-time vs. manual updates
  • πŸ‘« Crafting realistic, engaging mock friend data
  • πŸ“± Perfecting responsive layouts for all screen sizes
  • 🧩 Fixing tricky overlay & dropdown z-index issues

πŸŽ‰ Proud Moments

  • βœ… Smooth, seamless map interactions πŸ–±οΈβœ¨
  • βœ… Real University of Waterloo campus data integration πŸŽ“πŸ«
  • βœ… Control-focused manual refresh system πŸ”„πŸ‘Œ
  • βœ… Clean, friendly UI that’s intuitive to use πŸŽ¨πŸ’‘
  • βœ… 6 unique mock friends to enhance social sharing πŸ’•πŸ‘―β€β™‚οΈ
  • βœ… Realistic past location history to kickstart your journey πŸ›€οΈπŸšΆ

πŸ“š Lessons Learned

  • πŸ™Œ Giving users control beats constant automation
  • 🎭 High-quality mock data = happy dev life
  • 🌍 Leaflet map optimization is key for smooth UX
  • 🧱 Building reusable components pays off big time
  • πŸ‘οΈ Visual feedback drives better user engagement

πŸš€ What’s Next?

  • πŸ”΄ Real-time live location sharing & notifications πŸ“‘πŸ‘€
  • πŸ“Š Analytics dashboard for travel insights & habits πŸ“ˆπŸ§­
  • 🏷️ Location tagging (Work, Home, Vacation & more!) 🏠🏒✈️
  • πŸ“Έ Photo memories linked to special spots 🎞️❀️
  • πŸ”” Smart notifications for friend visits & events πŸ””πŸŽ‰
  • πŸ” Granular privacy & sharing settings πŸ”’βœ¨
  • πŸ“± Native iOS & Android apps for ultimate mobility πŸπŸ€–

Crafted with ❀️ to make your life’s journey unforgettable.

Built With

  • next.js
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