GroupFlow: Student Collaboration Platform

The "Free Rider" Problem Every student knows the pain of a group project: one person does all the work, and everyone gets the same grade. Existing tools like Trello are too corporate, and WhatsApp is too chaotic. I wanted to build a solution that ensured transparency and fairness in academic teamwork. The Solution I built a centralized platform that combines the best parts of project management with specific academic needs. Accountability First: Unlike standard to-do lists, this app tracks exactly who did what. It logs every completed task and code contribution, generating a "Workload Equity" report so teams (and professors) can see who is actually contributing. Centralized Chaos: I integrated real-time chat, file sharing, and task boards into one screen. This prevents the "I didn't see the message" excuse by keeping all communication right next to the work itself. Academic Focus: I included a citation manager directly in the workflow, allowing students to track references and generate bibliographies without leaving the app. The Engineering Challenge The hardest part of this project was Real-Time Synchronization. When one student moves a card or sends a message, it needs to appear on everyone else's screen instantly, without them refreshing the page. I implemented a "Live Socket" connection (using Supabase) to handle these updates, ensuring the team is always looking at the exact same state of the project, no matter where they are sitting. Key Takeaway This project taught me how to use technology to solve a social problem (fairness). It wasn't just about moving data around; it was about designing a system that encourages better human behavior through transparency.