Blog Page Redesign A Complete Frontend And Backend Overhaul

by Sharif Sakr 60 views

Hey team 👋,

I've been diving deep into our project's Blogs section and have spotted some exciting opportunities for improvement. We can really elevate the user experience by revamping both the frontend and the backend. Let's make our blog section shine!

🔧 Issues Identified:

1️⃣ Flat & Uninspiring Frontend: Let's Face It, the Current Design Needs Some Love

Our current blogs page, guys, it just doesn't have that professional blog vibe we're aiming for. It feels a bit… blah, you know? There's no real visual appeal, and it lacks that inviting atmosphere that makes you want to dive into the content. The overall aesthetic doesn't quite scream "high-quality blog," which can impact how users perceive our content. Think about it – a well-designed page not only looks good but also builds credibility and trust with your audience. We need to create a space that's both informative and visually engaging.

One of the biggest issues is the lack of support for rich formatting. We're talking about things like headers, bullet points, and different font styles – the elements that make a blog post easy to read and digest. Imagine trying to read a long article that's just one giant block of text! No fun, right? By incorporating rich formatting options, we can break up the content, highlight key information, and guide the reader through the post more effectively. This not only improves readability but also makes the content more scannable for those who are just browsing.

Then there's the image situation. Or rather, the lack of images. Blogs are visual mediums, and images play a crucial role in capturing attention and illustrating points. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say! By adding relevant images, we can make our blog posts more engaging, memorable, and shareable. Think about captivating featured images, informative diagrams, and even embedded videos. These visual elements can bring our content to life and make it much more appealing to our audience. A well-placed image can break up the monotony of text, illustrate a complex concept, or simply add a touch of personality to the post.

And let's not forget about structure. A well-structured blog post is like a well-organized house – everything has its place, and it's easy to find what you're looking for. Currently, our blogs page lacks a clear structure, making it difficult for users to navigate and find the information they need. We need to think about things like headings, subheadings, and clear calls to action. By creating a logical flow and using visual cues, we can guide readers through the content and ensure they get the most out of each post. A well-structured blog post is not only easier to read but also more effective in conveying its message.

Finally, there's the abrupt "No blogs found" message. This is a bit of a UX no-no. Imagine landing on a page and being greeted with this message – it's not exactly the warmest welcome, is it? Even while the page is loading, we need to provide some kind of visual feedback to let users know that something is happening. A simple loading spinner or a placeholder message can make a big difference in the user experience. And if there truly are no blogs to display, we can do better than a blunt error message. A friendly empty state message, perhaps with a touch of humor, can soften the blow and even encourage users to check back later.

2️⃣ Weak Blog Content Model (Backend): Time to Level Up Our Data Structure

The current backend setup for our blogs is, shall we say, a little… basic. Right now, it seems like we're only storing the bare minimum – things like the title and a short description. That's just not going to cut it if we want to create a truly engaging and informative blog. We need a robust content model that can handle all the bells and whistles that modern blog posts require. Think about it – we're talking about images, headers, long-form content, and all sorts of other goodies. Our backend needs to be able to support all of this seamlessly.

The biggest limitation, in my opinion, is the lack of support for rich content. We need to be able to store and display blog posts that go beyond simple text. This means incorporating things like Markdown or a Rich Text editor. Markdown is a lightweight markup language that allows us to format text using simple symbols and syntax. It's a great option for bloggers who want a balance between simplicity and flexibility. Rich Text editors, on the other hand, provide a more visual way to format content, similar to what you might find in a word processor. Both of these options would allow us to create blog posts with headings, bullet points, images, and all the other elements that make for a great reading experience.

Then there's the image situation, again!. Our backend needs to be able to handle images, both in terms of storage and display. This means allowing users to upload images directly to the blog post, as well as providing a way to reference images from external sources. We also need to think about image optimization – making sure that images are properly sized and compressed so they don't slow down the page load time. A good image management system is essential for any modern blog.

But it's not just about the content itself. We also need to think about metadata – the information that describes the blog post. Things like the author, publication date, and tags are all important for organization and discoverability. Currently, our backend seems to be lacking in this area. We need to add fields for these essential pieces of metadata so we can properly categorize and display our blog posts.

Finally, we need to think about the overall structure of our blog data. Is it easy to query and retrieve blog posts? Can we easily filter and sort them based on different criteria? These are important considerations for the long-term maintainability and scalability of our blog system. A well-designed data model will make it much easier to manage and grow our blog over time.

💡 Proposed Enhancements:

🔄 Frontend Improvements: Let's Make Our Blog Shine!

To kick things off, let's aim to design a responsive blog grid layout. This will give our blog page a professional and organized look, making it easy for visitors to browse through our content on any device. A grid layout is like a well-organized bookshelf – it allows you to see all your options at a glance and easily pick out what you're interested in. Responsiveness is key here – we want our blog to look great whether you're viewing it on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Next up, let's think about the individual Blog Cards. These are the little snippets that represent each blog post on the main page. We want them to be eye-catching and informative, giving users a taste of what the post is all about. Here's what I'm thinking:

  • Image: A captivating visual is a must-have! It's the first thing people will see, so let's make sure it grabs their attention. Think of it as the cover of a book – it needs to entice you to open it up and start reading.
  • Title: Clear, concise, and intriguing. The title should give a good indication of what the blog post is about and make people want to learn more.
  • Short excerpt: A brief summary of the post's content. This is your chance to hook readers and convince them that this is a post worth their time. Think of it as a movie trailer – it should give you a taste of the action without giving away the whole plot.
  • Author & Date: This adds credibility and context to the blog post. Knowing who wrote it and when it was published can help readers decide whether it's relevant to their interests.

Now, let's talk about loading states. Nobody likes staring at a blank screen while waiting for content to load. It's like waiting for a pot of water to boil – it feels like it takes forever! To make the loading experience more pleasant, we can add skeleton loaders or a shimmer effect. These are visual placeholders that give users a sense of what's coming, even before the content is fully loaded. It's like seeing the outline of a building before the walls are up – you know what's going to be there, even if it's not quite finished.

And finally, let's address the empty state. What happens when there are no blogs to display? We definitely don't want to just show a blunt "No blogs found" message. That's like walking into a party and being told that everyone's left – not very welcoming! Instead, let's create a friendly empty state message, something like: "No blogs yet! New updates coming soon 😊". This is much more inviting and lets users know that we're working on adding more content. It's like saying, "Sorry we missed you, but we'll have more fun next time!"

🧠 Backend Redesign: Building a Content-Rich Foundation

Alright, let's dive into the backend and redesign our blog schema. This is where we lay the groundwork for a content-rich and flexible blog system. Think of it as building the foundation of a house – it needs to be solid and well-designed to support everything that comes after.

Here's my vision for the new blog schema:

  • title: string – The title of the blog post. This is pretty self-explanatory!
  • coverImage: image URL or file upload support – A visually appealing image that represents the blog post. This could be a URL pointing to an image hosted elsewhere, or we could allow users to upload images directly.
  • content: large text area (Markdown or Rich Text) – This is the heart of the blog post! We need a large text area that can handle rich formatting, images, and other media. Markdown and Rich Text are both great options here.
  • author: optional GitHub name or text – Who wrote the blog post? We can either link to a GitHub profile or simply display the author's name as text.
  • tags: [optional string array] – Keywords that describe the blog post. Tags are great for organization and discoverability.
  • createdAt: timestamp – When was the blog post created? This is important for sorting and displaying blog posts in chronological order.

By implementing this schema, we'll make our blogs feel more authentic and readable. It's all about creating a space where users can engage with our content in a meaningful way. We want our blog to be more than just a collection of announcements – we want it to be a vibrant hub of information and discussion. This new backend design will help us achieve that goal. It's like upgrading from a basic toolbox to a full-fledged workshop – it gives us the tools we need to build something truly amazing.

✅ This will make the blogs feel more authentic and readable, rather than plain announcements.

📸 Screenshots:

Instead of showing loader, it directly shows that no blog available.

Image

Bad UI of blogs

Image

🏷 Labels Requested:

  • gssoc2025
  • level 3
  • ui
  • backend

👉 Please assign this issue to me so I can work on the structured layout and content-rich backend design for the blog system.

Thanks! 🚀