I made a fully functional social media website by using WIX

This is a submission for the Wix Studio Challenge: Community Edition.

My Community Platform

The platform is designed to provide users with various tools to engage and collaborate. From the ability to create posts to sharing rich content such as images, videos, GIFs, and code snippets, there’s a lot here to enhance community interaction. Users can even add polls, embed external files, or create expandable lists to foster more detailed discussions. I made sure to include categories like General Discussion and Q&A to keep the conversations organized.

This platform isn’t just built for casual engagement—it’s meant to empower users, enabling them to get their voices heard, participate in active discussions, and share resources seamlessly.

Demo

Check out the platform live here:

Visit My Community Platform. Feel free to explore and engage in some of the discussions. Once you sign in, you’ll receive a welcome email to get started because this platform is fully open for new posts and comments!

Development Journey

Building this platform on Wix Studio was an exciting journey. I leveraged the flexibility of Wix’s drag-and-drop system, but I also took it a step further by integrating Velo’s JavaScript development capabilities to introduce real-time functionalities and notifications.

One key feature I added is real-time post updates, which ensure users see the latest content as soon as it's posted. This creates a more engaging and fluid experience—whether you're discussing ideas or just browsing new posts. Notifications are also integrated into the platform, so users get updates when someone replies to their posts or comments on discussions.

Velo APIs

• Real-Time Updates API: This powers the dynamic updates on the platform, so new posts and comments appear without users needing to refresh their pages.
• Notifications API: Keeps users informed of new activity on their posts and discussions.
• Forum Extension: Used to manage posts and create discussions, categorized into General Discussion and Q&A sections for better organization.
• Hello Animations: I used Hello Animations to create a lively introduction since Wix animations were a bit slow to start. This adds a friendly touch and makes the user experience more engaging right from the beginning.
• wixData: I used the wixData API to quickly fetch and store data on my site, enabling smooth real-time interactions for user-generated content and profile updates.

The use of Velo’s backend capabilities allowed me to handle user data efficiently, while still ensuring the platform remains lightweight and user-friendly.

Wix Apps

For this platform, I installed several key Wix apps that enriched the overall functionality:

• Wix Members Area: To manage and personalize user accounts and interactions.

• Wix Forum: A dedicated forum solution to help structure community discussions and allow for richer content interaction.

These apps provide seamless ways to manage user engagement, handle different types of media, and make the platform more interactive.

• Wix Files: You can manage your files and share through this extension.

• Wix Groups: This Wix app enables you to host and manage online communities with monetization options.

Accessibility and Inclusion

When designing the platform, one of my core priorities was to make sure it’s fully accessible. I implemented several accessibility features, such as screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation, making the platform easy to use for people with disabilities. The site is also responsive, meaning it works well on any device or screen size, from mobile phones to desktops.

I believe that a truly great community platform must be usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities or the devices they use.

Usability and User Experience

Beyond accessibility, I’ve focused on making the platform intuitive and user-friendly. The design is clean, straightforward, and free of unnecessary distractions. Content is organized into clear categories, and users can easily navigate between discussions, post their ideas, or even upload files.

From a UI/UX perspective, I aimed to strike a balance between functionality and simplicity—making the platform inviting for everyone from casual users to tech-savvy professionals.

Creativity and Innovation

The idea was to create a platform that goes beyond typical community platforms by offering an experience that feels customized to the user’s needs. Real-time updates, notifications, and the ability to share a wide range of content types make it much more than just a simple discussion forum.

Conclusion and Feedback

Feel free to explore the platform and let me know your thoughts! I’m always open to suggestions and ideas on how to improve it. If you have any feedback, whether it’s related to design, accessibility, or new feature ideas, drop them in the comments below.

I hope you enjoy the platform and that it can serve as a place for meaningful and engaging conversations. Don't forget to check it out and give it a try at: https://shafayeatme.wixstudio.io/devchallaenge.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

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My personal website:https://shafayet.zya.me