In today's fast-paced development environment, the idea of building a complete application in a single day might seem ambitious. However, with the right tools, clear vision, and strategic use of AI assistance, it's entirely achievable. This article chronicles my journey of building a comprehensive note-taking application with advanced features like categorisation, cloud backup, AI integration, and multi-platform export capabilities—all accomplished in one intensive development session.

What I set out to build
Before diving into the development process, let's outline what O aimed to create:
Core Functionality: Create, edit, delete, and organise notes
Categorisation System: Organise notes into categories like Ideas, Musings, Songs, Code, Chores
Tagging System: Flexible tagging for cross-category organisation
Text-to-Speech: Listen to notes using browser speech synthesis
Cloud Backup: Export to iCloud, Google Drive, and pCloud
Multi-Platform Export: Direct export to Medium, Substack, X (Twitter), and Email
AI Integration: AI-powered writing assistance
Modern UI/UX: Clean, responsive design with dark/light theme support
Search Functionality: Search notes by content, tags, and categories
Setting Up the Development Environment
For this project, I chose a modern React-based stack that would allow for rapid development:
Frontend Framework: React with TypeScript
Styling: Tailwind CSS for rapid UI development
Icons: Lucide React for consistent iconography
State Management: React's built-in useState and useContext
Storage: Local Storage for client-side persistence
Speech Synthesis: Web Speech API
Build Tool: Vite for fast development and building
Initial Project Structure
src/
├── components/
│ ├── ui/ # Reusable UI components
│ ├── NoteCard.tsx # Individual note display
│ ├── NoteEditor.tsx # Note editing interface
│ ├── Navigation.tsx # Sidebar navigation
│ └── Header.tsx # Top navigation bar
├── hooks/ # Custom React hooks
├── utils/ # Utility functions
├── types/ # TypeScript type definitions
└── App.tsx # Main application component
Step 1: Defining the Data Structure
The first crucial step was defining the data structure for our notes. This decision would impact every subsequent feature, so I needed to balance simplicity with future extensibility. Getting the data structure wrong early would mean painful refactoring later, potentially requiring complete rewrites of components that depended on the original design. The structure needed to be intuitive enough for rapid development while sophisticated enough to support advanced features like AI integration, collaborative editing, and complex search functionality. I also had to consider how the data would perform at scale - would the structure still work efficiently with thousands of notes, and could it adapt to future requirements like real-time synchronisation or offline capabilities.
Prompt Engineering
Create a comprehensive TypeScript interface for a note-taking application with the following requirements:
- Unique identifier for each note
- Title and content fields
- Category system for organisation
- Tags array for flexible labelling
- Colour coding for visual organisation
- Created and updated timestamps
- Optional protection/privacy flag
- Ensure the structure supports future features like AI integration and cloud sync
Please provide the TypeScript interface and explain the reasoning behind each field choice.
typescript
interface Note {
id: string;
title: string;
content: string;
category: string;
tags: string[];
color: string;
createdAt: Date;
updatedAt: Date;
isProtected?: boolean;
}
Step 2: Creating the Basic Note Editor
The note editor needed to be intuitive and feature-rich. Here's how I approached it:
The editor was designed around the principle of "click and type" - users shouldn't need to explicitly enter an "edit mode." This meant implementing inline editing where clicking anywhere on a note would make it immediately editable. The challenge was balancing simplicity with functionality while ensuring users never lost their work.
Core Requirements:
Seamless editing: No separate edit modes or complex interfaces
Auto-save protection: Save changes automatically every 3 seconds to prevent data loss
Rich formatting: Essential text formatting without overwhelming the interface
Smart categorization: Easy category switching with visual feedback
Tag integration: Add/remove tags with autocomplete and visual chips
The implementation focused on React hooks for state management, ensuring the editor remained performant even with frequent auto-saves. The formatting toolbar only appeared when text was selected, keeping the interface clean while providing powerful editing capabilities when needed.
Prompt Engineering
Create a note editor component with:
- Inline editing capabilities
- Auto-save functionality
- Rich text formatting options
- Tag management
- Category assignment
The editor should:
- Support click-to-edit functionality for seamless UX
- Auto-save every few seconds to prevent data loss
- Include formatting tools: bold, italic, bullet points
- Allow adding/removing tags with visual feedback
- Provide dropdown for category selection
- Use TypeScript and React hooks
- Be responsive and accessible
The AI assistant generated a comprehensive NoteEditor.tsx
component that included:
Inline Editing: Click-to-edit functionality for seamless user experience
Auto-save: Automatic saving every few seconds to prevent data loss
Formatting Tools: Bold, italic, bullet points, and other text formatting options
Tag Management: Add/remove tags with visual feedback
Category Selection: Dropdown for assigning notes to categories
Typescript
interface NoteEditorProps {
note: Note;
onSave: (note: Note) => void;
categories: string[];
existingTags: string[];
}
const NoteEditor: React.FC<NoteEditorProps> = ({ note, onSave }) => {
const [editedNote, setEditedNote] = useState<Note>(note);
// Auto-save every 3 seconds
useEffect(() => {
const timer = setTimeout(() => onSave(editedNote), 3000);
return () => clearTimeout(timer);
}, [editedNote]);
};

Step 3: Implementing the Note Card System
Each note needed to be displayed as an attractive, informative card. The key requirements were: The card system serves as the primary interface for browsing and organising notes, making first impressions crucial for user adoption. I wanted users to quickly scan their notes, understand the content at a glance, and take immediate actions without friction. The design needed to balance information density with visual appeal, ensuring that even users with hundreds of notes could navigate effortlessly. Cards also needed to work seamlessly across devices, from desktop monitors to mobile screens.
Prompt Engineering
Create a NoteCard component that displays:
- Note title and truncated content (preview)
- Colored background based on note category
- Tags as clickable chips
- Created/updated timestamps
- Context menu for quick actions (edit, delete, export)
- Responsive design for different screen sizes
- Hover effects and smooth transitions
Requirements:
- Use TypeScript and React
- Support color-coded backgrounds for visual organization
- Implement proper text truncation with "read more" functionality
- Include accessibility features
- Support both light and dark themes
typescript
// NoteCard component features
- Color-coded backgrounds for visual organization
- Truncated content preview
- Tag display with color coding
- Quick action buttons (edit, delete, export)
- Responsive design for different screen sizes

Step 4: Implementing Text-to-Speech
One of the standout features was the text-to-speech functionality. Initially, I explored premium options: This feature addressed a real accessibility need - allowing users to listen to their notes while multitasking, accommodating users with visual impairments, and providing an alternative way to review content during commutes or walks. The challenge was implementing high-quality speech synthesis without adding costs or complexity that would barrier adoption. I wanted every user to access this feature regardless of their budget or technical setup.
Prompt Engineering
Add text-to-speech functionality so users can listen to their written notes. Requirements:
- Use the Web Speech API for free, accessible implementation
- Create a "Listen" button for each note
- Implement proper speech controls (play, pause, stop)
- Allow users to adjust speech rate and pitch
- Provide visual feedback during speech playback
- Handle browser compatibility gracefully
- Include error handling for unsupported browsers
Focus on making this feature free and accessible to all users without requiring external APIs or payments.
typescript
const speakNote = (text: string) => {
if ('speechSynthesis' in window) {
const utterance = new SpeechSynthesisUtterance(text);
utterance.rate = 0.8;
utterance.pitch = 1;
speechSynthesis.speak(utterance);
}
};

Step 5: Building the Categorisation System
The categorisation system was crucial for organisation. I implemented: A well-designed category system would determine whether users could efficiently manage dozens or hundreds of notes without feeling overwhelmed. The challenge was selecting categories that felt natural and comprehensive while avoiding decision paralysis. Each category needed its own visual identity to enable quick recognition, and the system had to scale gracefully as users accumulated more content. The goal was to make categorisation feel automatic rather than burdensome, encouraging users to organise their thoughts naturally.
Categories Available:
Ideas
Musings
Songs
Code
Chores
Poems
Passwords
Recipes
Health
Grocery
Travel
Diary
Prompt Engineering
Create a comprehensive categorisation system for the note-taking app with these requirements:
Categories to implement:
- Ideas (purple theme, lightbulb icon)
- Musings (yellow theme, coffee icon)
- Songs (pink theme, music icon)
- Code (blue theme, code icon)
- Chores (green theme, checkmark icon)
- Poems (indigo theme, feather icon)
- Passwords (red theme, lock icon)
- Recipes (orange theme, chef hat icon)
- Health (teal theme, heart icon)
- Grocery (lime theme, shopping cart icon)
- Travel (sky theme, plane icon)
- Diary (gray theme, book icon)
Features needed:
- Visual category gallery with note counts
- Colour-coded organisation
- Category filtering functionality
- Easy category assignment and switching
- Icons and consistent theming
- Responsive category grid layout
Implementation Details:
typescript
const categories = [
{ name: 'Ideas', icon: 'Lightbulb', color: 'bg-purple-100' },
{ name: 'Musings', icon: 'Coffee', color: 'bg-yellow-100' },
{ name: 'Songs', icon: 'Music', color: 'bg-pink-100' },
// ... more categories
];

Step 6: Creating the Tag System
The tagging system allows for flexible cross-category organisation: While categories provide structure, real-world notes often span multiple contexts and themes that don't fit neatly into single buckets. Tags bridge this gap by enabling users to create their own organizational vocabulary that evolves with their needs. A code snippet might be tagged with both "javascript" and "urgent," while a recipe could have tags for "vegetarian," "quick," and "family-favorite." The system needed to encourage tagging without overwhelming users, providing smart suggestions while allowing complete creative freedom in how users label and connect their thoughts.
Features Implemented:
Auto-complete for existing tags
Tag search functionality
Visual tag management in note editor
Tag gallery for browsing all tags
Prompt Engineering
Create a comprehensive tagging system with:
- Tag auto-complete for existing tags
- Tag search functionality
- Visual tag chips with colors
- Tag management interface
- Cross-category tag filtering
Implementation requirements:
- Auto-suggest existing tags as user types
- Support tag creation and deletion
- Visual tag chips with hover effects
- Tag-based note filtering
- Tag gallery showing all tags with usage counts
- Search notes by tags functionality
- Clean, intuitive tag management UI
- Support for tag colours and organisation
typescript
interface TagSystemProps {
notes: Note[];
onTagFilter: (tags: string[]) => void;
}
const TagSystem: React.FC<TagSystemProps> = ({ notes, onTagFilter }) => {
const [selectedTags, setSelectedTags] = useState<string[]>([]);
const [tagInput, setTagInput] = useState('');
// Extract all unique tags from notes
const allTags = useMemo(() => {
const tagSet = new Set<string>();
notes.forEach(note => note.tags.forEach(tag => tagSet.add(tag)));
return Array.from(tagSet);
}, [notes]);
// Auto-complete suggestions
const suggestions = allTags.filter(tag =>
tag.toLowerCase().includes(tagInput.toLowerCase())
);
};

Step 7: Implementing Cloud Backup
loud backup was essential for data portability. Users needed confidence that their notes wouldn't disappear if they switched devices, cleared browser data, or encountered technical issues. The challenge was providing robust backup functionality without requiring complex API integrations or forcing users into specific cloud ecosystems. Many users already had established relationships with cloud providers, so the solution needed to work seamlessly with existing workflows. The backup system also had to balance comprehensive data preservation with simplicity, ensuring that even non-technical users could safely protect their notes without feeling overwhelmed by the process.
Prompt Engineering
Add ability to backup notes to cloud storage platforms with these requirements:
Supported platforms:
- Apple iCloud Drive
- Google Drive
- pCloud
Features needed:
- Export notes in JSON format (preserves all data)
- Export notes in CSV format (spreadsheet compatible)
- Automatic file naming with current date
- Download backup files for manual cloud upload
- Clear instructions for users on uploading to their cloud storage
- Backup includes all note data: content, tags, categories, timestamps
Since direct API integration requires complex authentication, implement a user-friendly download system where users can manually upload the backup files to their preferred cloud storage.
Implementation Strategy: Since direct API integration would require authentication setup, the AI assistant implemented a smart workaround:
typescript
const exportToCloud = (format: 'json' | 'csv', platform: string) => {
const data = format === 'json' ?
JSON.stringify(notes, null, 2) :
convertToCSV(notes);
const blob = new Blob([data], { type: 'application/json' });
const url = URL.createObjectURL(blob);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.href = url;
link.download = `notes-backup-${new Date().toISOString().split('T')[0]}.${format}`;
link.click();
};
Cloud Platforms Supported:
iCloud Drive
Google Drive
pCloud

Step 8: Building the Restore Functionality
Building robust restore functionality was the critical counterpart to the backup system. Users needed confidence that they could not only export their data but also seamlessly bring it back when switching devices or recovering from data loss. The restore process had to be foolproof - a corrupted import could potentially wipe out existing notes, making data validation and safety measures paramount. The challenge was designing a workflow that felt secure and intuitive, with clear previews and confirmation steps that prevented accidental data loss. Users also needed flexibility in how they restored data, whether merging with existing notes or completely replacing their current collection, all while maintaining the integrity of tags, categories, and timestamps.
Prompt Engineering
Create restore capability from cloud drive to application with these requirements:
- File upload interface for JSON backup files
- CSV import support for spreadsheet data
- Data validation before importing
- Options to merge with existing notes or replace all notes
- Preview imported data before confirming
- Error handling for corrupted or invalid files
- Progress indicators during import process
- Backup current notes before restore (safety feature)
- Support for different file formats and versions
- Clear user feedback and confirmation dialogs
Ensure the restore process is safe and allows users to recover their data from cloud backups easily.
The restore feature allows users to import their backed-up notes:
typescript
const handleFileRestore = (file: File) => {
const reader = new FileReader();
reader.onload = (e) => {
try {
const importedNotes = JSON.parse(e.target?.result as string);
// Merge or replace existing notes
setNotes(importedNotes);
} catch (error) {
console.error('Failed to restore notes:', error);
}
};
reader.readAsText(file);
};
One of the things i wanted to bring was the ability to export notes directly to publishing platforms: Users increasingly wanted to transform their private thoughts and ideas into public content without the friction of copying, pasting, and reformatting across multiple applications. Imagine a note taking app which is also a blogging app without any of the set up hassles. The feature needed to respect each platform's unique requirements - Twitter's character limits, Medium's rich formatting capabilities, Substack's newsletter format - while maintaining a consistent user experience. The challenge was creating seamless transitions from private note-taking to public publishing that felt natural and encouraged users to share their ideas more frequently. This integration could transform the app from a personal productivity tool into a content creation launchpad.
Prompt Engineering
Implement multi-platform export integration for publishing notes to various platforms. The approach should copy note content and open the target platform for posting.
Platforms to support:
- Medium (copy content to clipboard and open Medium's new story page)
- Substack (copy content and open Substack publish page)
- X/Twitter (format content for character limits and open tweet composer)
- Email (create email draft with note content)
Requirements:
- Export dropdown menu in note cards
- Content formatting for each platform's requirements
- Clipboard API integration for seamless copying
- Platform-specific content optimization
- Success notifications and user guidance
- Handle character limits (especially for Twitter)
- Maintain formatting where possible
- Open target platforms in new tabs/window
Implementation:
typescript
const exportToMedium = (note: Note) => {
// Copy content to clipboard
navigator.clipboard.writeText(note.content);
// Open Medium's new post page
window.open('https://medium.com/new-story', '_blank');
};
const exportToSubstack = (note: Note) => {
navigator.clipboard.writeText(note.content);
window.open('https://substack.com/publish', '_blank');
};
const exportToTwitter = (note: Note) => {
const tweetText = encodeURIComponent(note.content.substring(0, 280));
window.open(`https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=${tweetText}`, '_blank');
};

Step 10: Adding AI Writing Assistant
Adding AI writing assistant functionality transformed the app from a simple note-taking tool into an intelligent writing companion. Users often faced writer's block, struggled with tone adjustments, or needed help expanding on initial ideas - problems that AI could elegantly solve. The challenge was integrating AI assistance without disrupting the natural writing flow or making users feel dependent on artificial suggestions. The AI needed to be context-aware, understanding whether someone was writing code snippets, creative poetry, or professional emails, and adjusting its suggestions accordingly. The goal was to enhance human creativity rather than replace it, providing gentle nudges and improvements while keeping the user firmly in control of their content and voice
Prompt Engineering:
reate an AI writing assistant integrated through a command palette with these features:
Core functionality:
- Content generation suggestions
- Writing improvement recommendations
- Grammar and style checking
- Content expansion capabilities
- Tone adjustment suggestions
Implementation requirements:
- Command palette interface with keyboard shortcuts
- AI dialog box for interactive assistance
- Integration with note editor
- Support for different writing styles and tones
- Content analysis and suggestions
- Real-time writing assistance
- Easy insertion of AI-generated content into notes
- User control over AI suggestions (accept/reject)
- Context-aware assistance based on note category
The AI assistant should enhance the writing experience without being intrusive, providing helpful suggestions when needed.
The AI writing assistant was integrated through a command palette:
Features:
Content generation suggestions
Writing improvement recommendations
Grammar and style checking
Content expansion capabilities
Implementation:
typescript
const CommandPalette = () => {
const commands = [
{
id: 'ai-assistant',
title: 'AI Assistant',
icon: Bot,
action: () => setShowAIDialog(true)
},
// Other commands...
];
};
Step 11: Perfecting the User Interface
Several UI/UX refinements were made based on user feedback: The difference between a functional app and a delightful one often lies in the details - proper contrast ratios, smooth transitions, and intuitive interactions that users expect from modern applications. As the feature set expanded, maintaining visual consistency became increasingly challenging, especially when supporting both light and dark themes. Users were quick to point out readability issues, inconsistent spacing, and missing accessibility features that prevented the app from feeling truly professional. The final phase focused on eliminating friction points, ensuring the interface worked seamlessly for users with different abilities and preferences, and adding the subtle animations and feedback that make interactions feel responsive and engaging.
Prompt Engineering
Fix UI/UX issues and improve the overall interface with these requirements:
Critical fixes needed:
- Dark mode text contrast: note headlines and tags should use dark text colors for readability against light note backgrounds
- Consistent color scheme across light and dark themes
- Proper text hierarchy and readability
- Responsive design improvements
Enhancement requests:
- Note settings interface with color picker
- Theme toggle with smooth transitions
- Improved typography and spacing
- Better visual feedback for user actions
- Polished animations and micro-interactions
- Accessibility improvements (keyboard navigation, screen reader support)
- Loading states and progress indicators
- Error handling with user-friendly messages
Focus on creating a polished, professional interface that works perfectly in both light and dark modes with excellent usability and visual appeal.
Solution:
css
.note-card {
@apply text-gray-900; /* Always use dark text for readability */
}
.note-tag {
@apply text-gray-600 bg-gray-100; /* Consistent tag styling */
}

Lessons Learned: Building a Note-Taking App in One Day
Building a full-featured application in one day taught valuable lessons that extend far beyond technical implementation. The experience revealed insights about AI-assisted development, project management, user experience design, and the delicate balance between ambition and pragmatism.
1. AI-Assisted Development Best Practices
Prompting as a Skill: Working effectively with AI requires treating prompting as a distinct skill. Clear, specific requests with context consistently outperformed vague instructions. The best results came from explaining not just what I wanted, but why I wanted it and how it fit into the larger application.
Incremental Building: Rather than requesting entire features at once, breaking requests into smaller, focused components led to higher quality code and fewer debugging cycles. Each piece could be tested and refined before moving to the next layer of complexity.
Code Organisation: Regularly requesting refactoring and code organisation prevented technical debt from accumulating. The AI assistant was excellent at restructuring code for maintainability when asked explicitly.
Bug Communication: Detailed bug reports with specific examples and expected behaviour resulted in accurate fixes. Screenshots of issues and step-by-step reproduction helped the AI understand problems quickly.
2. Feature Prioritisation and Time Management
Core First Philosophy: Establishing solid CRUD operations before adding bells and whistles proved crucial. Every advanced feature built upon these foundations, and rushing past them would have created instability later.
User Experience Investment: Time spent on UI/UX refinements had disproportionate impact on the application's perceived quality. Small details like proper contrast, smooth transitions, and intuitive interactions elevated the entire experience.
Smart Simplification: Some of the most effective solutions were elegantly simple. The clipboard-based sharing approach worked better than complex API integrations, proving that user experience often trumps technical sophistication.
Feature Creep Awareness: With AI assistance making implementation so rapid, the temptation to add "just one more feature" was constant. Maintaining focus on the core vision required discipline.
3. Technical Decision Making Under Pressure
Technology Familiarity: Sticking with React, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS enabled rapid development because the cognitive load was focused on features rather than learning new tools. Experimentation has its place, but not during time-constrained builds.
Simplicity as Strategy: Simple solutions often proved more robust and maintainable than complex ones. The flat data structure, localStorage approach, and straightforward component hierarchy all contributed to the project's success.
Extensibility Planning: Even under time pressure, structuring code to accommodate future features proved worthwhile. The data structure and component architecture supported new features without major refactoring.
4. User Feedback and Iteration Cycles
Real-time Validation: Testing features immediately after implementation revealed usability issues that weren't apparent during development. The dark mode text contrast problem was discovered within minutes of user testing.
Accessibility Considerations: Building accessibility features from the beginning was easier than retrofitting them later. Keyboard navigation, proper ARIA labels, and screen reader support became natural parts of the development process.
Performance Awareness: Even with rapid development, keeping performance in mind prevented issues later. Debounced search, memoized calculations, and efficient re-rendering strategies were implemented proactively.
5. The Development Process Itself
Momentum Management: Maintaining development momentum was crucial for the one-day timeline. Breaking for extended planning sessions or perfectionism killed flow state. Quick decisions and iterative improvement worked better than extensive upfront planning.
Energy and Focus: The intensive development session required careful energy management. Taking short breaks, staying hydrated, and maintaining enthusiasm were as important as technical skills.
Scope Flexibility: Being willing to adjust scope while maintaining core functionality allowed the project to succeed. Some features were simplified or postponed to ensure the essential experience was polished.
Future Enhancements
The development experience revealed clear paths for expanding the application's capabilities while maintaining its core simplicity and speed.
1. Enhanced AI Features
Intelligent Assistance: AI-powered tag and category suggestions based on content analysis could reduce organisational friction. Automatic content summarisation and keyword extraction would help users quickly understand and navigate large note collections.
Advanced Writing Support: Real-time grammar and style suggestions, tone adjustment recommendations, and context-aware writing assistance could transform the app into a comprehensive writing tool.
Smart Organisation: AI-powered content-based filtering and organisation could help users discover connections between notes they hadn't noticed.
Team Functionality: Shared notes with multi-user collaboration would expand the app's utility for teams and families. A commenting system and version history would support collaborative workflows.
Community Elements: Optional sharing of anonymised note templates or organisational systems could help users learn from each other's approaches.
3. Advanced Organisation Systems
Hierarchical Structure: Nested categories and subcategories would support more complex organisational needs without overwhelming simple use cases.
Custom Workflows: User-defined organisation systems and automation rules could accommodate different productivity styles and preferences.
Cross-Reference Systems: Linking between notes and creating knowledge graphs could support more sophisticated information management.
4. Platform Integration Expansion
Direct API Connections: Real API integrations with publishing platforms would eliminate the clipboard step, enabling automated publishing and scheduling.
Analytics Integration: Performance tracking for published content could help users understand what resonates with their audiences.
Extended Platform Support: Integration with more platforms like LinkedIn, Reddit, Discord, and emerging social platforms would increase the app's utility as a content creation hub.
5. Advanced Technical Features
Offline Capability: Progressive Web App features with offline sync would ensure notes are always accessible.
Advanced Search: Full-text search with fuzzy matching, saved searches, and advanced filtering would scale with large note collections.
Data Security: End-to-end encryption and advanced backup options would appeal to privacy-conscious users.
Conclusion
The rapid development approach proved that ambitious applications are achievable with the right combination of clear vision, strategic tool selection, and AI assistance. The lessons learned provide a template for future rapid development projects while the feature roadmap ensures the application can grow with user needs.
This experience demonstrated that the barrier to creating sophisticated applications has dramatically lowered, but success still requires thoughtful planning, disciplined execution, and a deep understanding of user needs. The key is leveraging AI as a powerful collaborator while maintaining human judgment for design decisions, user experience, and strategic direction.
The complete source code and detailed implementation notes for this project are available for developers who want to explore the technical details further or build upon this foundation for their own applications.