Every time you build a to-do list app, a puppy dies. Here are some better project ideas.
Hey there, code newbie. So you‘ve started learning the basics of web development, and you‘re ready to venture beyond the safe confines of tutorials and online courses. You‘re itching to build a real project from scratch, to put your burgeoning skills to the test and show the world (or at least GitHub) what you can do.
Let me guess what your first instinct is. You‘re probably planning to make a to-do list app, right? A simple little web page where you can add, delete, and check off tasks. It‘s like a rite of passage for new programmers.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have to let you in on a terrifying secret: Every time an enthusiastic beginner proudly unveils their first solo project, and it turns out to be yet another generic to-do list app… somewhere out there, a cute puppy dies. It‘s true. Web development is a cutthroat business.
Okay, I may be exaggerating for effect. But hear me out. When you‘re trying to break into the tech industry, you need to make an impression with your projects. And I‘m sorry to say, but churning out another carbon copy of the most clichéd starter app in existence just isn‘t going to cut it.
Don‘t believe that to-do lists are played out? Let‘s look at some cold hard facts:
- A search for "to-do list JavaScript tutorial" on Google returns about 4.7 million results.
- On GitHub, there are over 900,000 repositories matching "todo list".
- The top-voted answer on the Stack Overflow question "What is a good project for a beginner learning web development?" is, you guessed it, a to-do list.
If we visualize this data in a handy chart, we can see that to-do list projects are, to put it mildly, just a bit oversaturated:
| Project Idea | Number of GitHub Repos |
|---|---|
| To-Do List | 900,000+ |
| Calculator | 73,000 |
| Weather App | 64,000 |
| Chat App | 57,000 |
I get it. To-do apps have a lot going for them as a first project. They‘re compact and self-contained, demonstrating core front-end skills without requiring a ton of complex logic or architecture. You can spin one up in an afternoon, no sweat. Heck, you barely even need JavaScript – it‘s possible to hack together a bare-bones to-do list with nothing but HTML and CSS:
<ul>
<li>Learn HTML</li>
<li>Learn CSS</li>
<li>Build a to-do list</li>
<li>Unleash it upon the world!</li>
</ul>But while to-do lists might teach you a few basics, they‘re not exactly a unique or compelling addition to your portfolio. When you‘re applying for entry-level positions, you can bet your bottom dollar that every other candidate‘s GitHub is also littered with to-dos. It takes a lot more to stand out from the pack.
Plus, let‘s be real – the world has enough task management apps already. The software market is pretty darn saturated. Industry giants like Microsoft To Do, Todoist, Asana, and Trello have got the whole "help people remember what to buy at the grocery store" thing on lock. They‘ve poured millions into these apps. One more version scratched together by a rookie coder as a learning exercise isn‘t going to disrupt their market share.
So if you shouldn‘t default to a to-do list, what should you build instead? Fear not, I‘ve got plenty of suggestions to get your creative juices flowing! As a grizzled veteran who‘s been around the coding block a few times, let me share some alternatives that will challenge you to learn new skills while also resulting in a finished product you can be truly proud to show off.
1. Browser Extension
Browser extensions are essentially bits of code that modify or enhance the functionality of Chrome, Firefox, or another web browser. They can do nifty things like:
- Block ads and tracking scripts
- Add your favorite features to websites that lack them
- Automate repetitive browsing tasks
- Modify a page‘s appearance or content
- Much, much more!
Building an extension is a stellar opportunity to practice your DOM manipulation and JavaScript skills. You‘ll learn how to parse and modify HTML on the fly, execute scripts in response to user actions, and potentially store preferences using the browser‘s storage APIs. It‘s also an impressive line on your resume – extensions are a bit more novel than your standard web app fare.
Some popular (and relatively simple) browser extension ideas include:
- A word replacement tool that swaps out selected words on web pages with funnier alternatives
- A media player controller that lets you manage audio/video playback from any tab
- A "reading mode" extension that strips away extraneous page elements to present a clean, distraction-free view of an article
- An extension that injects custom CSS to restyle your favorite websites
To get started with browser extension development, check out these handy guides:
2. Open Source Contribution
Most of the software tools and frameworks you use on a daily basis are built and maintained by a community of open source contributors. This includes everything from Node.js to React to VS Code. And guess what? Those projects are always looking for more helpers!
Contributing to open source is a fantastic way to collaborate with other developers, get experience working with a large and complex codebase, and make a tangible impact on tools that are used by thousands or even millions of people. It‘s also a major green flag for potential employers – it shows that you‘re proactive, community-minded, and able to dive into an existing project.
To get your feet wet with open source, start by finding a project that genuinely piques your interest. It could be related to a technology you use frequently, or just something that seems super cool. Then poke around the project‘s GitHub repo. Read through the documentation, check out the issue tracker, and see if there are any open issues that seem achievable for you. Many projects tag beginner-friendly issues with labels like "good first issue" or "up for grabs".
Some awesome open source projects that are beginner-friendly:
- Homebrew (package manager for macOS)
- Contributor Covenant (code of conduct for open source projects)
- Public APIs (massive list of free APIs for developers)
Remember, you don‘t need to be an expert to contribute. There are opportunities for devs of all levels, from fixing small bugs to improving documentation to adding new features. The maintainers will guide you through the process and let you know if you need to make any changes before they merge your pull request.
For more info on getting started with open source, I highly recommend checking out:
- How to Contribute to Open Source
- First Timers Only (a great site for finding beginner-friendly open source issues)
3. Interactive Data Visualization
Data is everywhere these days, and presenting it in an engaging way is both an art and a science. Creating a stunning data visualization is a surefire way to impress employers and demonstrate your front-end chops.
Tools like D3.js, Chart.js, and Highcharts make it simple to generate interactive charts, graphs, and other visualizations that bring data to life. You could create a map that shows election results by region, a dashboard illustrating climate trends over time, an animated bar chart of popular baby names… the options are limitless.
The beauty of data viz projects is that they combine technical skills (working with data formats, architecting interactivity) with creativity and visual design. They also tend to have a lot of real-world applications. Businesses of all stripes are always looking for ways to turn their raw data into actionable insights.
Some fun data viz project ideas:
- Create an interactive map showing UFO sightings around the world, using data from the National UFO Reporting Center
- Visualize the most popular programming languages over time using data from the TIOBE Index or Stack Overflow Trends
- Build a tool that lets users compare the cost of living in different cities, using data from the Numbeo API
To dive into the world of data visualization, start with these resources:
- D3.js Tutorials
- Intro to Data Visualization with Chart.js
- Kaggle Datasets (a massive collection of free datasets on every topic imaginable)
4. Home Server or Network Setup
Want to really impress the tech geeks? Show them that you‘re not afraid to get your hands dirty with some hardware hacking. Setting up a home server or configuring a network from scratch is a stellar way to demonstrate your chops.
With a cheap Raspberry Pi or an old computer, you can put together your own server for streaming media, backing up files, hosting a Minecraft world, or just about anything else. In the process, you‘ll learn valuable skills like Linux system administration, Docker containerization, port forwarding, and network security. It‘s like leveling up from front-end to full-stack!
As the wise Steve Wozniak once said, "Never trust a computer you can‘t throw out a window." There‘s something uniquely satisfying about building a physical machine and watching it hum along, knowing that you have total control and understanding of what‘s happening under the hood.
Some potential home server projects:
- Set up a Plex server to stream your movie collection to any device
- Create a network-attached storage (NAS) device for backing up your computers
- Host a personal website or blog on a low-powered Raspberry Pi
- Build a retro gaming console with RetroPie
If you‘re new to the wonderful world of servers and networking, fear not! These guides will get you up to speed:
- Raspberry Pi Home Server Tutorial
- Self-Hosting Handbook
- /r/selfhosted (an awesome community for DIY server enthusiasts)
5. Automation Script
One of the magical things about learning to code is that you can suddenly make your computer do just about anything you want. And one of the most satisfying applications of this power is using your programming skills to automate away annoying, repetitive tasks.
Think about something you have to do over and over, day in and day out. Maybe it‘s formatting and saving monthly expense reports. Maybe it‘s scraping stats from your favorite sports team‘s website. Maybe it‘s backing up your meticulously curated meme collection. Whatever it is, I guarantee you can use Python (or your scripting language of choice) to make it happen automatically.
Writing automation scripts is a fantastic way to hone your programming fundamentals while also making your life infinitely easier. You‘ll get experience with concepts like file I/O, web scraping, APIs, and cron jobs. Plus, every time your script runs, you‘ll feel like an absolute coding wizard. It‘s a win-win!
Some classic automation project ideas:
- Create a script that scrapes your bank‘s website and logs your current balance to a spreadsheet
- Set up an automated email or text message alert whenever a certain stock rises or falls beyond a set threshold
- Build a tool that watches for new posts on your favorite subreddit and downloads any images/GIFs to a local folder
- Write a script that pulls the latest weather forecast and reads it aloud using your computer‘s text-to-speech engine
Ready to automate everything in sight? These tutorials will set you on the right path:
- Automate the Boring Stuff with Python
- RealPython‘s Python Automation Tutorials
- Zapier (a powerful no-code automation platform, for when you need a break from Python)
Conclusion
The moral of this story is simple: to-do list apps are a prime example of a coding comfort zone. Sure, they‘re familiar and non-threatening. But they‘re not going to push you to grow or help you stand out in a sea of aspiring developers.
So I implore you, intrepid coder, to think outside the to-do box! Find a project that genuinely revs your engine. Pour your heart and soul into crafting something unique and meaningful. Flex your creative muscles and take on a challenge that scares you a little bit. That‘s where the real magic happens.
Whether you‘re building a quirky browser extension or setting up your own home media server, the key is to pick a project that aligns with your passions and goals. Don‘t just default to the path of least resistance. Invest in yourself by taking on something that will truly level up your skills.
In the wise words of philosopher and noted dog lover Immanuel Kant, "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." I think it‘s safe to say that we can also judge the heart of a developer by their treatment of clichéd coding projects. So do right by those puppies – build something original, and become the programming powerhouse you were born to be!