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Goodbye WordPress | DanoGlez

May 29, 2025

2 min read

From WordPress to a Custom Platform: A Dev Journey

It all started with a WordPress site that had hit its limits. What began as a simple upgrade quickly evolved into a full-blown rewards platform — modular, robust, and tailored to complex business needs. Over six weeks, I designed and developed it from the ground up, turning scattered ideas into a cohesive product.

Project Overview

This custom-built platform powers a complete rewards club system, including:

  • Points System:

    • Cashiers can search clients and assign points based on defined value ranges (e.g., €3–€5 = 5 points, €10–€20 = 20 points). These ranges are always fixed — no open-ended rules.
    • All point conversion rules are fully configurable from the admin panel.
    • Extra points can be granted for actions like registration or special bonuses.
    • Points history is visible on both user and admin dashboards.
    • Manual point adjustments can be made for specific cases.

  • Rewards System:

    • Users can redeem points for rewards (e.g., 50 points = €5 discount coupon).
    • Coupons are uniquely generated, validated by staff, and expire automatically if unused.
    • Rewards can be created, modified, assigned manually, and managed entirely through the admin panel.
    • Users see their current rewards and redemption history in their dashboard.

  • Fully Configurable Admin System:

    • All business logic — points thresholds, conversion rates, coupon durations, profile fields, filters, and more — can be managed from the admin dashboard.
    • The admin system is the backbone of flexibility: no hardcoded logic, no manual database updates.

  • Admin Logging:

    • All cashier actions are logged with full traceability.

  • User Registration & Profile Completion:

    • After signing up, users must complete their profiles (e.g., pet data, housing) before activation.

  • Announcements Panel:

    • Admins can publish or update homepage banners and messages in real time.

  • User Dashboard:

    • Users access total points, activity history, and available rewards.

Additional Features & Improvements

  • Responsive layout for all devices.
  • Improved UX across login, registration, and feedback.
  • Advanced admin filtering (by pet, age, location, etc.).
  • Modular architecture with reusable components.
  • Smooth animations and in-app notifications.
  • Full admin audit log and smart filters.
  • Configurable, reusable, and time-limited rewards.
  • CSV import tool for assigning historical points to existing users.

Key Learnings

  • Building scalable, maintainable systems from scratch.
  • Implementing flexible business logic with clean UX.
  • Prioritizing modular code and reusable components.
  • Designing admin-first tools to support future growth.
  • Ensuring data integrity without sacrificing agility.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t just a dev project — it was product thinking in motion. I solved real problems with real constraints, and each design choice had impact. The result? A flexible, maintainable system that grows with the business.

And yeah — I’m proud of it.