How to Build a Cross-Platform Content Mastery Tracker

Simple Summary

A multi-platform tool that recognizes and tracks content mastery across various digital platforms, helping users improve their productivity and skills.

Product Requirements Document (PRD)

Goals:

• Create a user-friendly application for tracking content engagement across platforms
• Provide insights and analytics on user's content consumption and mastery
• Offer personalized recommendations for skill improvement
• Enable collaboration and sharing of progress with peers

Target Audience:

• Professionals seeking to improve their skills
• Students and lifelong learners
• Content creators monitoring their audience engagement

Key Features:

• Multi-platform integration (e.g., YouTube, Coursera, Medium, GitHub)
• Progress tracking and visualization
• Skill assessment and mastery recognition
• Personalized content recommendations
• Collaboration tools for team learning
• Customizable goals and milestones
• Regular progress reports and notifications

User Requirements:

• Intuitive interface for easy navigation and data input
• Secure authentication and data privacy
• Cross-device synchronization
• Offline mode for continuous access
• Export functionality for progress reports

User Flows

1. User Registration and Platform Connection:

   • Sign up for an account
   • Connect various content platforms (e.g., YouTube, Coursera)
   • Set initial goals and areas of interest

2. Content Consumption and Progress Tracking:

   • User consumes content on connected platforms
   • App automatically tracks engagement and progress
   • User can manually input additional learning activities

3. Analytics and Recommendations:

   • View progress dashboard and analytics
   • Receive personalized content recommendations
   • Set new goals based on insights

Technical Specifications

Frontend:

• React for building a responsive and interactive UI
• Redux for state management
• Material-UI for consistent design components

Backend:

• Node.js with Express.js for API development
• PostgreSQL for relational data storage
• Redis for caching and improving performance

APIs and Integrations:

• OAuth for third-party platform authentication
• REST APIs for various content platforms (YouTube, Coursera, etc.)
• SendGrid for email notifications

DevOps:

• Docker for containerization
• Jenkins for CI/CD pipeline
• AWS for cloud hosting

API Endpoints

• POST /api/auth/register
• POST /api/auth/login
• GET /api/user/profile
• PUT /api/user/profile
• GET /api/platforms
• POST /api/platforms/connect
• GET /api/progress
• POST /api/progress/manual
• GET /api/analytics
• GET /api/recommendations
• POST /api/goals
• GET /api/collaborations
• POST /api/export

Database Schema

Users:

• id (PK)
• email
• password_hash
• name
• created_at

Platforms:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• platform_name
• access_token
• refresh_token
• connected_at

Progress:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• platform_id (FK)
• content_id
• engagement_type
• duration
• timestamp

Goals:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• description
• target_date
• status

Analytics:

• id (PK)
• user_id (FK)
• metric_name
• metric_value
• calculated_at

File Structure

Implementation Plan

1. Project Setup (1 week)

   • Initialize React project and Node.js backend
   • Set up version control and project structure
   • Configure development environment and tools

2. Authentication and User Management (1 week)

   • Implement user registration and login
   • Set up JWT authentication
   • Create user profile management

3. Platform Integrations (2 weeks)

   • Develop APIs for connecting third-party platforms
   • Implement OAuth flow for each platform
   • Create data synchronization mechanisms

4. Progress Tracking and Analytics (2 weeks)

   • Build progress tracking algorithms
   • Develop analytics dashboard
   • Implement data visualization components

5. Recommendations Engine (1 week)

   • Create recommendation algorithm
   • Integrate with progress and analytics data
   • Implement UI for displaying recommendations

6. Collaboration Features (1 week)

   • Develop collaboration tools
   • Implement sharing functionality
   • Create notifications system

7. Testing and Refinement (1 week)

   • Conduct thorough testing of all features
   • Perform security audits
   • Optimize performance and fix bugs

8. Deployment and Launch (1 week)

   • Set up production environment
   • Configure CI/CD pipeline
   • Perform final testing and launch

Deployment Strategy

1. Set up AWS infrastructure using Terraform
2. Configure Docker containers for microservices architecture
3. Implement Jenkins for automated CI/CD pipeline
4. Use AWS RDS for managed PostgreSQL database
5. Set up Redis caching layer for improved performance
6. Configure AWS CloudFront for content delivery
7. Implement AWS CloudWatch for monitoring and logging
8. Set up regular database backups and disaster recovery plan
9. Use AWS WAF for additional security layer
10. Implement blue-green deployment strategy for zero-downtime updates

Design Rationale

The technology stack (React, Node.js, PostgreSQL) was chosen for its scalability, performance, and strong ecosystem support. The microservices architecture allows for easier scaling and maintenance of individual components. OAuth integration ensures secure access to third-party platforms while protecting user data. The recommendation engine and analytics features are designed to provide personalized insights, enhancing user engagement and value. The deployment strategy prioritizes reliability, security, and performance, leveraging AWS services for a robust cloud infrastructure.