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At Night at the Museum, I demonstrated a notification feature from my full-stack project. I showed how users can pick a recipient from a dropdown (populated via our API), type a message, and send it. When they submit the form, the app sends a POST request to store the notification and then retrieves and displays all notifications in real time. I also added a playful touch with a bouncing emoji animation.
During the demo, peers suggested:
1. Replacing the basic alert with a modal for clearer feedback. - Instead of using a simple alert(“Message”), which is a browser pop-up, you would use a modal (a styled pop-up window that appears on the screen) to display notifications or messages.
2. Adding timestamps to each notification. - Every notification (like a success or error message) will now include a timestamp (e.g., “3:45 PM, March 3, 2025”) so users know when it happened.
3. Improving error messages and including a loading spinner during API calls. - Instead of vague messages like “Something went wrong,” better error messages might specify: “Error: Unable to connect to the server. Please check your internet connection and try again.” A loading spinner will appear when an API call (a request to a server for data) is in progress, letting users know something is happening instead of making them wait with no feedback.
I took their advice, updated my project, and also shared helpful feedback on other projects, which made the whole event a great learning experience.
I also looked at a CSA presentation and saw that their presentation interested me in pursuing that course!
