Building Project Ramos: From a Community Idea to Website and App
The idea
I wanted to build a community of like-minded people who could have a two-way conversation, with no algorithm in between. A direct connection, with as little friction as possible.
Push notifications were part of that idea: sending updates straight to the most personal device we own, our smartphones. I wanted people who opted in to have a direct way to hear from me, without feeling that I had to compromise my brand to get my content in front of them. A place where I could be myself, unapologetically.
The plan started with a public website for updates, videos, and conversation, then carried that experience into iPhone and iPad apps. Signing in would let people comment and choose their own community display name.
Prototype, then foundation
The first step was an interactive Sites prototype: a responsive Stream, video examples, comment drafts, a creator composer, and moderation previews. It helped define the experience, but it wasn’t the working backend. Its data was temporary; real sign-in and persistent comments came afterward.
WordPress became the foundation. A custom plugin handled community data and behavior, while a separate theme handled presentation. That separation was tested: changing themes preserved the records and API. The staging release also passed 117 integration checks covering persistence, publishing, permissions, and moderation.
The revisions that mattered
The interface improved through actual use. One mobile website iteration showed both a section menu and a bottom navigation bar. The next removed the extra row. On the app side, publishing exposed a stale Stream cache, so refresh behavior was corrected after publishing and when returning to the app. These were practical fixes to the experience, beyond changing colors and spacing.
One platform, ready for release
The website and community were then brought together on projectramos.com. The cutover preserved accounts, posts, comments, media, and notification history, with compatibility for older app builds and backups available for rollback. The app’s Explore navigation connected the community to the wider Project Ramos content.
Release readiness also changed the product. Build 106 added a safety agreement before sign-in, mandatory review of member comments, and visible Report and Block actions. Validation included iPhone and iPad layouts and the live moderation setting.
The delivered result
The delivered result is a live website and Project Ramos Community for iPhone and iPad: a shared home for updates, stories, reviews, builds, and conversation. Launch was a milestone, with revisions continuing afterward.
Android is currently in testing and will be available soon.
The product today
