Trip Dojo
Trip Dojo is a travel blog where I built everything from the ground up. I used a Python and Django stack to build a completely customizable website that I could build new features on in the future.
Problem
I loved the simplicity of WordPress, but knew it would be restrictive to build full scale web apps on top of a WordPress blog in the long run. I wanted a platform I could build new apps on in the long run.
Considerations
Design
The travel industry relies heavily on visual elements for inspiration. I need to have a stunning design that would catch they eye of readers. To do this, I heavily modified a template and created my own custom classes to fit my needs for a visually pleasing travel site.
Marketing
Most blogs never get more than tens or hundreds of readers. This is combination of both content and discoverability. I made sure to build my site to be easily shareable and to have a system to collect emails from the beginning.
Growth
I wanted to use something that was easier to customize and build upon than WordPress. I leveraged my Django experience to build a new system that could be scaled if the blog ever took off.
75% of millenial travelers use their phone for information on travel
- Tnooz
Responsive Design
Having the site mobile optimized for speed and design was key for this project. Everything is responsive so users can easily read our content on their phone. We sped up the site by optimizing images at upload and self hosting most of our CSS and JS files.
Custom CMS
I utilized the Django package Wagtail CMS as the base of my project. It served as a nice structure to begin building the models I would need for the database. I loved the level of customization I could achieve, even working within the Wagtail framework.
Dynamic Content
One of my key principles when building the site was having a content management system that could be fluid so no post would ever look the same. Using the streamfield system within Wagtail CMS I was able to add marketing and visual elements dyanmically as I created the content. This higher level of customization allows me to tailor the material to be more relevant for the readers.
Other Work
Export Abroad
Export Abroad is a startup dedicated to eliminating the barriers of international trade. I am the co-founder and have helped create multiple iterations of a platform to automate international market growth.
Co-Founder
Data Analytics
Front End
Route Map Accessibility
I worked closely with the UX and accessibility team at one of the major US carriers to build a route map that could be used by both keyboard and sighted users. We conducted two week sprints to ideate, improve, and build new features. I was the main developer on this project and built the majority of the code from inception to production.
Javascript
Front End
Accessibility