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Feb 24, 2026
Building a Reading App That Doesn’t Beg for Attention
My Thought Process Behind a Distraction-Free Reading App, From Idea to Sprint
Today, we will dive into 1.3 (Project Plan, Design, and Technical Factors).
I am getting more comfortable using Laravel, a PHP Web Framework created by Taylor Otwell in 2011. I’ve used it for a few projects, in fact, my blog, which runs entirely on the Laravel Ecosystem. It’s a super fast way to make applications come to life, and I plan on exploring it deeper in future posts.
PHP is often mentioned as a “dead language”, but it is the backbone of many websites that we use daily, as the programming language choice for 18.2% of developers.
Last week, I mentioned how reading apps of today can feel overwhelming with pressure streak goals or distracting. What I want to build instead is a web app that is quiet, that allows me to focus on what really matters, finishing books!
1.3 Project Plan + Design
For this project, this is the stack I will use for the initial build.
Laravel (Herd)
Tailwind CSS/ Blade
MySql
Laravel Cloud for Hosting
PHPUnit (for testing if necessary)
This list can grow, but my idea is to start off with the basics and grow from there. Realistically, my development process for this small app is going to be broken down into 3 sprints.
- Sprint 1: Data Model + Basic Crud
- Sprint 2: Sessions + Stats + Exports
- Sprint 3: UI polish + Deployment + Bug fixes
It seems like my timeline is 14 days if I push through. Through my builds, it’s important to feel the site come to life. I imagine what an introvert would enjoy: a quiet place that’s warm, snuggly, and a space dedicated entirely to helping you enjoy reading again.
To help visualize this, I found some inspirational photos through Pinterest to find the mood I want. I’ve gotten anywhere from dark academia to boarding school libraries, and I’ll settle for something in between.
I also sketched up a basic web frame focusing on the user’s journey. I want it to be simple, but interactive with your mouse or a swipe of a finger. The welcome page feels grand but eloquently leads users to the Login/Auth section, then flows to the dashboard, where you will be presented with two options.
To organize these ideas, I used Miro, which helps me unscramble all of my ideas and visualize what I see in my mind. I leaned into a bit of green, because plants and books can make a space feel calm.
I recommend using Coolers.co it is an amazing color palette generator that I trust to help make my apps visually cohesive.
From there, I opened up Figma to create the foundation of the UI. It captures the warm feeling I was aiming for, though I would like to experiment with swipe-based automation instead of clicks. Ultimately, the layout and color scheme reflect the experience I want the user (me, haha) to have.
If you are not sure what to start building, take one thing you have friction with in your life, and create an app around it. The development process looks the same, but your outcome may surprise you.
For example, if you struggle to find good outfits from your closet, you could inventory your wardrobe and have AI put the best pieces together.
The options are limitless, and the easiest way to start is on small projects. This will build your portfolio. At this point, I am ready to dive into the code, so it’s time to move forward to the development page.
Let’s Build it Beautifully,
Fab
References:
Laravel history article (DEV Community)
Ali, E. (2025, February 24). History of Laravel: How Laravel started and where it stands today. DEV Community.
Application development overview (Oracle)
Zeichick, A. (2024, September 6). What is application development? Oracle.
Web app development steps (Digital Aptech)
Kodali, R. (2025, February 4). Step-by-step guide for web application development from scratch. Digital Aptech.
PHP usage statistics (ZenRows)
Omisola, I. (2025, April 17). PHP usage statistics and popularity in 2026. ZenRows.
PHP usage trends report summary (Zend)
Weier O’Phinney, M. (2025, March 27). 2025 PHP usage statistics and deployment trends. Zend.
I am getting more comfortable using Laravel, a PHP Web Framework created by Taylor Otwell in 2011. I’ve used it for a few projects, in fact, my blog, which runs entirely on the Laravel Ecosystem. It’s a super fast way to make applications come to life, and I plan on exploring it deeper in future posts.
PHP is often mentioned as a “dead language”, but it is the backbone of many websites that we use daily, as the programming language choice for 18.2% of developers.
Last week, I mentioned how reading apps of today can feel overwhelming with pressure streak goals or distracting. What I want to build instead is a web app that is quiet, that allows me to focus on what really matters, finishing books!
1.3 Project Plan + Design
For this project, this is the stack I will use for the initial build.
Laravel (Herd)
Tailwind CSS/ Blade
MySql
Laravel Cloud for Hosting
PHPUnit (for testing if necessary)
This list can grow, but my idea is to start off with the basics and grow from there. Realistically, my development process for this small app is going to be broken down into 3 sprints.
- Sprint 1: Data Model + Basic Crud
- Sprint 2: Sessions + Stats + Exports
- Sprint 3: UI polish + Deployment + Bug fixes
It seems like my timeline is 14 days if I push through. Through my builds, it’s important to feel the site come to life. I imagine what an introvert would enjoy: a quiet place that’s warm, snuggly, and a space dedicated entirely to helping you enjoy reading again.
To help visualize this, I found some inspirational photos through Pinterest to find the mood I want. I’ve gotten anywhere from dark academia to boarding school libraries, and I’ll settle for something in between.
I also sketched up a basic web frame focusing on the user’s journey. I want it to be simple, but interactive with your mouse or a swipe of a finger. The welcome page feels grand but eloquently leads users to the Login/Auth section, then flows to the dashboard, where you will be presented with two options.
To organize these ideas, I used Miro, which helps me unscramble all of my ideas and visualize what I see in my mind. I leaned into a bit of green, because plants and books can make a space feel calm.
I recommend using Coolers.co it is an amazing color palette generator that I trust to help make my apps visually cohesive.
From there, I opened up Figma to create the foundation of the UI. It captures the warm feeling I was aiming for, though I would like to experiment with swipe-based automation instead of clicks. Ultimately, the layout and color scheme reflect the experience I want the user (me, haha) to have.
If you are not sure what to start building, take one thing you have friction with in your life, and create an app around it. The development process looks the same, but your outcome may surprise you.
For example, if you struggle to find good outfits from your closet, you could inventory your wardrobe and have AI put the best pieces together.
The options are limitless, and the easiest way to start is on small projects. This will build your portfolio. At this point, I am ready to dive into the code, so it’s time to move forward to the development page.
Let’s Build it Beautifully,
Fab
References:
Laravel history article (DEV Community)
Ali, E. (2025, February 24). History of Laravel: How Laravel started and where it stands today. DEV Community.
Application development overview (Oracle)
Zeichick, A. (2024, September 6). What is application development? Oracle.
Web app development steps (Digital Aptech)
Kodali, R. (2025, February 4). Step-by-step guide for web application development from scratch. Digital Aptech.
PHP usage statistics (ZenRows)
Omisola, I. (2025, April 17). PHP usage statistics and popularity in 2026. ZenRows.
PHP usage trends report summary (Zend)
Weier O’Phinney, M. (2025, March 27). 2025 PHP usage statistics and deployment trends. Zend.