Nearboards
A real-time board that lets people on the same local network share updates, files, and presence without invitations or room codes.
- My role
- Full-stack developer · Real-time architecture, identity, authentication, file delivery, API design, and deployment
- Technology
- Next.js
- Express.js
- PostgreSQL
- Prisma ORM
- Supabase
- WebSockets
- JWT & OAuth
01
The problem
Teams sharing a physical workplace often need a fast local coordination surface, but conventional collaboration tools add invitations, room codes, and account setup before anyone can contribute. Nearboards needed to recognize a shared network context while supporting both guests and authenticated users safely.
02
Architecture and decisions
I modeled every participant as an actor so authenticated and guest identities can share presence and post flows without weakening authorization. HMAC-derived topics scope real-time activity to the correct network context. Supabase Realtime propagates presence and events, while signed browser-to-storage uploads keep file bytes away from application-server memory. Short-lived JWT access tokens, refresh rotation, Google OAuth, email verification, and session revocation protect registered accounts.
03
Key features
- Automatic local-network board access without invitations or room codes
- Live presence and scoped real-time event propagation
- Per-post audience selection for targeted workplace updates
- Direct-to-storage signed file uploads with managed lifecycle state
- Guest participation alongside verified email and Google-authenticated accounts
04
Outcomes
- 01
Delivered one board experience for guest and authenticated participants while keeping identity and authorization boundaries explicit.
- 02
Moved file transfer out of server memory through staged signed uploads and retained only the metadata required by the application.
- 03
Combined local context, HMAC-scoped topics, and real-time presence into a collaboration flow with minimal setup.
Metrics are included only where they were measured or documented.
Inside the product
Interface highlights
