How to Build a Daily-Updating Mobile Photo Gallery

Create a sleek, mobile-optimized photo gallery website that automatically updates daily, featuring full-screen images displayed chronologically with subtle swipe animations for seamless navigation.

Simple Summary

A minimalist, mobile-friendly photo gallery website with daily automatic uploads, displaying full-screen images chronologically with subtle swipe animations.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Goals

Develop a minimalist photo gallery website
Implement automatic daily photo uploads
Optimize for mobile viewing with full-screen images
Create a chronological display of photos
Incorporate subtle swipe animations for navigation

Target Audience

Photography enthusiasts
Mobile users who appreciate minimalist design
Individuals interested in daily visual updates

Key Features

Automatic daily photo uploads
Full-screen image display optimized for mobile
Chronological ordering of photos
Subtle swipe animations between images
Infinite scroll or swipe navigation
Content Delivery Network (CDN) integration for fast loading

User Stories

As a user, I want to view the latest photo in full-screen on my mobile device.
As a user, I want to swipe through photos chronologically with smooth animations.
As a user, I want to see new photos added daily without any action on my part.
As a user, I want images to load quickly, even on slower mobile connections.

User Flows

User opens website -> Latest photo displays full-screen
User swipes left -> Next chronological photo displays with animation
User swipes right -> Previous chronological photo displays with animation

Technical Specifications

Recommended Stack

Frontend: React.js with Next.js for server-side rendering
Backend: Node.js with Express
Database: MongoDB for storing image metadata
Image Storage: Amazon S3 or similar cloud storage
CDN: Cloudflare or Amazon CloudFront
Deployment: Vercel (frontend), Heroku (backend)

Core Technical Decisions

Use a headless CMS (e.g., Strapi) for easy photo uploads and management
Implement lazy loading for images to improve performance
Utilize service workers for offline capabilities and improved loading times
Implement server-side rendering for better SEO and initial load performance
Use WebP image format for better compression and faster loading

API Endpoints

GET /api/photos - Retrieve list of photos (paginated)
GET /api/photos/:id - Retrieve specific photo details
POST /api/photos - Upload new photo (admin only)

Database Schema

Photos:
  - id: ObjectId
  - url: String
  - uploadDate: Date
  - order: Number

File Structure

/
├── frontend/
│   ├── pages/
│   │   ├── index.js
│   │   └── _app.js
│   ├── components/
│   │   ├── PhotoViewer.js
│   │   └── SwipeAnimation.js
│   └── styles/
│       └── globals.css
├── backend/
│   ├── server.js
│   ├── routes/
│   │   └── photos.js
│   └── models/
│       └── Photo.js
└── shared/
    └── config.js

Implementation Plan

Set up project structure and version control
Implement backend API and database integration
Develop frontend photo viewer component
Implement swipe animations and navigation
Set up automatic daily upload system
Integrate CDN for image delivery
Optimize for mobile and implement responsive design
Implement lazy loading and performance optimizations
Set up deployment pipelines
Conduct thorough testing and bug fixes

Deployment Strategy

Deploy frontend to Vercel for automatic builds and global CDN
Deploy backend to Heroku for easy scaling and management
Use MongoDB Atlas for database hosting
Implement Cloudflare as CDN for global image distribution

Design Rationale

The technical decisions were made to prioritize performance and user experience on mobile devices. React and Next.js provide a robust foundation for building a responsive, fast-loading single-page application. The use of a CDN and optimized image formats ensures quick loading times for high-resolution images. The backend is kept simple with Node.js and Express, focusing on efficient API endpoints for photo retrieval. MongoDB was chosen for its flexibility in storing image metadata and easy integration with Node.js. The overall architecture supports the key requirements of daily updates, chronological display, and smooth navigation, while maintaining a minimalist, photo-focused user experience.