Flutter, Android, iOS

TheDaba

Overview

The Daba is a revolutionary platform designed to empower women and celebrate beauty in all its forms. The goal is to bridge the gap in the beauty industry, particularly for individuals with afro-textured and curly hair, by providing a one-stop-shop for hair services, products, and expertise.

Initially launched as a web-based platform, The Daba evolved into a fully functional mobile application built with Flutter while retaining its web presence for SEO and accessibility. As part of a collaborative team, I worked as a Full-Stack Developer, alongside a product owner, tester, and marketing experts, to ensure a seamless user experience across web and mobile platforms.

Key Responsibilities & Achievements

1. Mobile App Development with Flutter

  • Developed The Daba mobile application for iOS and Android using Flutter, ensuring a consistent cross-platform experience.
  • Focused on performance optimization, enabling smooth animations and responsive UI for a better user experience.
  • Implemented state management techniques, ensuring a scalable and maintainable codebase.

2. Backend & CMS with Directus + Node.js

  • Integrated Directus, an open-source headless CMS, to handle content management efficiently.
  • Developed custom Directus extensions using Node.js & TypeScript, enhancing the platform’s flexibility.
  • Enabled dynamic service listings, allowing professionals to showcase their expertise and manage bookings.

3. Secure Payments & Authentication

  • Integrated Stripe API for secure and seamless payment processing, ensuring compliance with industry security standards.
  • Implemented Twilio for SMS-based authentication, providing users with a secure and convenient login experience.

4. Web Platform Development & SEO Strategy

  • Since The Daba originated as a web-based platform, we maintained a strong web presence for SEO and discoverability.
  • Built the web application with WordPress, customizing it to align with the brand’s unique identity.
  • Focused on mobile-first design, ensuring optimal performance and user experience across all devices.

5. CI/CD & DevOps Automation

  • Managed continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines using Bitbucket Pipelines, streamlining the release process for web and mobile platforms.
  • Utilized Docker containers to standardize deployment environments, improving scalability and reducing deployment issues.
  • Hosted services on AWS Lightsail, ensuring cost-effective and reliable infrastructure for The Daba ecosystem.

6. User-Centric Development & Close Collaboration with Vendors

  • Worked closely with vendors and product owners to ensure the app was user-friendly, inclusive, and aligned with customer needs.
  • Focused on accessibility improvements, making sure the platform was welcoming to all users, regardless of technical ability.

Challenges & Lessons Learned

Transitioning from Web to Mobile

Challenge: Adapting an already existing web-based service into a mobile application while maintaining SEO and usability.
Solution: Kept the web platform active while building a Flutter-based mobile app, ensuring seamless integration.

Ensuring Secure Payments & Authentication

Challenge: Implementing secure transactions and SMS authentication while maintaining a smooth user experience.
Solution: Integrated Stripe API for payments and Twilio for SMS-based authentication, ensuring high security and reliability.

Collaboration Between Multiple Teams

Challenge: Aligning product owners, testers, developers, and marketing experts to deliver a cohesive and high-quality product.
Solution: Maintained structured sprint planning, ensured regular feedback loops, and worked with vendor partners to fine-tune the platform.

Technologies & Tools Used

  • Mobile Development: Flutter, Dart
  • Backend & CMS: Directus, Node.js, TypeScript
  • Payment Processing: Stripe API
  • Authentication & Security: Twilio (SMS-based authentication), OAuth
  • Web Development: WordPress (custom theme)
  • Hosting & Infrastructure: AWS Lightsail, Docker
  • CI/CD & DevOps: Git, Bitbucket Pipelines

Impact & Outcomes

  • Successfully transitioned The Daba from a web-only platform to a mobile application, increasing user accessibility and engagement.
  • Integrated secure payment and authentication features, ensuring trust and reliability for users.
  • Enhanced collaboration between development, product, and marketing teams, resulting in a more refined and user-friendly experience.

Future Plans & Next Steps

Expand AWS hosting for better scalability as user adoption grows.
Optimize UI/UX further, based on analytics and user engagement data.
Introduce real-time booking and advanced loyalty reward features.

Final Thoughts: Building a Platform for Empowerment

Working on The Daba was a unique opportunity to merge technology with social impact, helping create a platform that not only serves a market need but also empowers women, freelancers, and local businesses.

This project reinforced my skills in full-stack development, mobile-first design, and DevOps automation, while also allowing me to collaborate with a diverse and passionate team dedicated to making a difference.

Download TheDaba (Android version)

Download TheData (iPhone/iOS version)

March 16, 2025