Nompa Na Marambo

Problem

The client needed an admin dashboard to manage operations today, with a clear path to a full e‑commerce site later. The solution had to be scalable, easy to maintain, and aligned with their existing hosting (CPanel) and tech preferences.

My role

Full-stack developer: requirements, UI/UX for the dashboard, front-end (Angular), back-end (Laravel), database design, and deployment on CPanel.

Constraints

• Client was already committed to specific shared hosting (cPanel) and budget.
• Needed to deliver value quickly with a roadmap to full e‑commerce later.

Key decisions

• Chose Angular for the dashboard for structure and maintainability as feature set grows toward e‑commerce.
• Designed the API and data model so product catalog, orders, and user roles can be added without a full rewrite.
• Deployed on CPanel to match client hosting and keep costs predictable while they validate the product.
• Prioritised clear navigation and key metrics on the dashboard so the client can run day-to-day operations easily.

Challenges & learnings

• Designing a dashboard that works well today but can grow into a full online store.
• Working within hosting limits while keeping the app performant and secure.

What I'd do next

• Add full e‑commerce storefront and customer-facing flows on top of the existing admin.
• Refine role-based access control as more staff use the dashboard.