Object Library - Quimper (2024)
The Cornouaille Object Library is an association based in Quimper that allows residents to borrow everyday objects rather than buying them, thus promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.
Project overview
Designed in collaboration with Jade Ounaphom, audiovisual creator, the website highlights how the object library works, its news and provides access to the catalog of available objects.
Challenges and approach
Budget Constraints
Developing a professional solution with very limited resources and without the possibility of investing in expensive paid services.
Existing System Integration
Creating a seamless coexistence between the website and MyTurn, a third-party software already used by the association for loan management.
Social Visibility
Building a coherent presence between the website and social media, essential for a small organization that needs to gain local recognition.
Accessible Interface
Designing an intuitive user journey for a highly diverse audience, including people who are not familiar with technology.
Facilitated Maintenance
Enabling non-technical volunteers to manage website content without specific training or developer intervention.
Implemented solutions
Pragmatic and economical approach
💼Using Astro to quickly create a lightweight and efficient site, while integrating the association's existing tools to avoid increasing their budget (MyTurn solution at €30/year).
Focus on essentials
🎯Simple and effective structure centered on users' real needs: understanding the principle of the object library, seeing the news, and accessing the object catalog.
Social integration
🔄Using a Facebook feed to display news, allowing the volunteer team to manage only one communication channel while automatically feeding the website.
Creative collaboration
🎨Working closely with a designer who created the visual identity and graphic elements, bringing a professional dimension to the project despite the constraints.
Adaptive dark mode
🌓Implementation of a dark mode that automatically adapts to the user's system preferences, without a toggle button to preserve the association's visual identity in light mode by default, while improving visual comfort and reducing energy consumption on devices with OLED/AMOLED screens.
Interactive events calendar
📅Development of an intuitive calendar with Alpine.js allowing visitors to quickly visualize upcoming workshops and events.
Update automation
🤖Creation of a GitHub Actions workflow that daily retrieves event data from the HelloAsso API and generates a static JSON file, allowing volunteers to update events without technical intervention.
Lessons learned
- Adapting technical solutions to real constraints is more important than technical perfection
- Smart integration of third-party services can compensate for budget limitations
- Well-designed automation is an investment that empowers non-technical teams in the long run
Personal reflection
This project, although technically imperfect, represents an important step in my journey as a developer. Created voluntarily for a local association, it addresses a concrete need with available resources. If I were to do it again today, I would explore alternatives to iframes and place more emphasis on performance. Nevertheless, this site effectively fulfills its main mission: helping an eco-friendly association promote object sharing in its community, while minimizing the need for technical intervention thanks to automation.
Technologies and tools used
Interested in working together?
I am available for short-term or long-term assignments, team projects or web eco-design consultations.
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