TCG Park represents a fusion of advanced web technologies and e-commerce solutions. As a contractor on this project, I had the opportunity to work alongside Nesar, my former team lead from Kutia, who served as a mentor throughout the development process. Our collaboration allowed me to contribute significantly to various features while learning from his expertise in creating high-performance e-commerce platforms.

Working with Nesar, who was my first team lead early in my career, provided a unique opportunity to apply my skills in a professional setting while continuing to learn. Together, we tackled the challenges of building a modern e-commerce platform using Next.js for the frontend and leveraging WordPress as a headless CMS. My role involved assisting in key feature implementations and contributing to the overall architecture of the application.

One of our primary challenges was achieving near 100% server-side rendering. I assisted Nesar in optimizing Next.js's SSR capabilities, working with GraphQL and React Query to efficiently fetch and manage data. This experience significantly enhanced my understanding of performance optimization in modern web applications.

I played a role in integrating WordPress as a headless CMS, which allowed for a flexible content management system that seamlessly works with our Next.js frontend. This decoupled architecture provides content editors with a familiar interface while allowing us to build a fast, modern frontend. I also contributed to the WooCommerce integration, extending our e-commerce capabilities.

Under Nesar's guidance, I worked extensively with Tailwind CSS to create a responsive and visually appealing design. This experience sharpened my skills in rapid development of custom designs that adapt seamlessly across devices. I also gained valuable experience working with Headless UI components to ensure accessibility and consistent behavior of interactive elements.

I assisted in implementing GraphQL for efficient, type-safe communication between the frontend and backend. Working alongside Nesar, I helped optimize data flows using React Query for state management and data fetching. This collaboration deepened my understanding of managing complex data requirements in e-commerce platforms.

This project was a significant learning experience for me. Working as a contractor alongside Nesar allowed me to apply my skills in a real-world setting while continuing to learn from his expertise. The experience gained in this project has been invaluable for my professional growth, particularly in the areas of e-commerce development and performance optimization.

While my contract role has concluded, the experience gained from this project has prepared me for future challenges in e-commerce development. The foundations we laid open up possibilities for advanced search functionalities, user preference-based recommendation systems, and potential expansion to other trading card games.