Overview

Inka is a fast, lightweight note-taking application focused on clarity, performance, and a distraction-free writing experience. It enables users to create, edit, and organize notes through a clean text-editor interface inspired by modern knowledge-management tools.

The app features a sleek landing page, a frictionless Google login flow, an autosaving markdown-ready editor powered by TipTap, a responsive UI, and seamless theme switching.

The project was built with Next.js, React, TypeScript, TailwindCSS, PostgreSQL, and Prisma, integrating libraries like TipTap, shadcn/ui, lucide-react, and Auth.js for authentication.

Technical Decisions

• Next.js + React: Ensures a structured, scalable architecture with optimized routing and server-side capabilities.

• PostgreSQL + Prisma: Provides a robust relational database layer with type-safe queries and schema-driven development.

• TailwindCSS: Enables fast styling and a consistent design language throughout the application.

• TipTap Editor: Delivers a powerful, extensible editor for markdown-style writing with full control over events and custom styling.

• Auth.js (Google Provider): Implements a secure, fast login experience with OAuth integration.

• shadcn/ui: Supplies a modern component base aligned with the overall minimalist design.

• Vercel Deployment: Ensures high performance, zero-config deployment, and automatic optimizations.

Challenges

One major challenge was integrating the TipTap editor while maintaining a clean UX. Handling all editor events, managing custom styling, and syncing real-time changes required precise control over state and extensions.

Implementing a debounced saving system was another key challenge. To prevent excessive database operations, edits are saved only after user inactivity. This system reduced write operations by approximately 90%, significantly improving performance and resource usage.

Creating a seamless autosave flow required careful tuning of timers, React state, and Prisma write logic to avoid conflicts or stale data.

Managing authentication with Google, integrating PostgreSQL through Prisma, and building a refined dark/light theme with shadcn/ui pushed the project to a higher level of polish and technical depth.

Key Features

1. Landing Page: Minimalist introduction to the app and its core value: fast, focused note-taking.

2. Google Authentication: Secure login flow powered by Auth.js and the Google provider.

3. Autosaving Editor: Notes are saved automatically after the user stops typing.

4. Debounced Write System: Reduces database calls by ~90% through intelligent batching of edits.

5. TipTap Markdown Editor: Clean writing environment with rich editing capabilities.

6. Responsive Design: Fluid layout optimized for all screen sizes.

7. Modern UI Components: Built with shadcn/ui and enhanced with lucide-react icons.

8. Database Integration: PostgreSQL + Prisma handles all note storage and querying.

9. Dark/Light Theme Support: Managed with shadcn's theme provider for consistent UX.

Future Improvements

• Login: Add traditional email/password login and more authentication providers.

• Sharing notes: Allow users to share notes with others.

• Nested notes: Support nested notes for hierarchical structures.

• Folder organization: Introduce folder organization for advanced sorting and grouping.

Lessons & Final Considerations

Building Inka strengthened my ability to work with third-party libraries, navigate documentation effectively, and integrate complex tools like TipTap into real applications. Managing authentication flows, building a relational database schema with PostgreSQL and Prisma, and optimizing performance through debouncing and autosave strategies expanded my backend and frontend competencies.

This project enhanced my understanding of full-stack architecture, efficient data management, and the challenges of creating a polished, responsive, and extensible note-taking experience.