Sweet-T
A full-stack e-commerce website for SweetT Bakery with customizable product ordering, checkout flow, and live order tracking for customers
About This Project
Sweet-T is a full-stack e-commerce platform developed for SweetT Bakery to streamline custom dessert ordering and order management. Customers can build personalized orders by selecting sizes, flavors, fillings, and decorations, while bakery staff can manage products and track orders through a secure admin portal. The project was developed collaboratively as part of a WiCS @ UIC Dev Project Fall 2025, emphasizing scalable architecture, clear API design, and real-world workflow simulation.
Key Features
- Implemented a Node.js + Express REST API with MongoDB to manage products, customers, and orders, including a multi-stage order status pipeline
- Designed and built a custom product order builder allowing users to select size, flavors, fillings, and decorations
- Developed a secure admin portal with authentication and authorization for managing products and updating order statuses
- Created responsive front-end pages using Astro and TailwindCSS for consistent styling across devices
- Enabled live order tracking so customers can monitor the progress of their orders
- Collaborated with a team of 15 students using Git version control, pull requests, and code reviews
Technologies Used
- IDE: VSCode
- Node.js & Express
- MongoDB
- Astro
- TailwindCSS
- Git Version Control & Github for team collaboration
Challenges & Learnings
Challenges:
This was my first time working with Astro, which introduced a learning curve in understanding its component structure, routing, and data flow. Coordinating development across a large team also required clear communication, consistent coding standards, and careful version control to avoid merge conflicts. I also struggled with app reactivity since although I was able to make all the content shrink and grow based on the page size I had to add additional code for specific pieces to make sure it looked cohesive.
What I Learned:
By working mainly on the front end of this project, I strengthened my skills in building responsive and user-friendly interfaces using Astro and TailwindCSS. I gained experience translating product requirements into interactive UI components, implementing custom ordering workflows, and ensuring consistent styling across pages. This project also improved my understanding of how front-end applications integrate with backend APIs, as well as how to collaborate effectively within a large team while focusing on a defined role.
