Sailing Academy Platform
Current State
A digital platform for the Sailing Academy Romania that evolved over three years from a simple public website to an integrated system supporting both client-facing and internal operations.
The platform currently serves the academy's public website needs and provides staff with internal management tools, with plans to expand into client self-service features by winter 2025.
The Journey
Growing up passionate about sailing, competing in numerous races throughout my youth. This deep connection to the sailing community sparked the desire to give back and help others discover the joy of being on the water.
From vision to reality - constructing Sailing Academy Romania from the ground up. Transforming an empty space into a thriving sailing community hub, complete with facilities, equipment, and the foundation for future growth.
Created the academy's first digital presence with a React-based website featuring multi-language support. Established online credibility and digitized the registration process.
Through working with sailing students, I discovered my passion for explaining complex concepts in simple terms. People often say I'm patient and have a gift for making difficult ideas accessible. This realization shaped how I approach both sailing instruction and software development.
Complete visual overhaul with enhanced user experience, improved navigation, and modern design principles. Better showcase of services and streamlined user journey.
Built comprehensive staff management webapp, eliminating Excel workflows. Features scheduling, note-taking, automated reminders, and operational efficiency tools.
Revolutionary contactless boat rental system currently in development. Winter 2025: Development phase. Summer 2026: Product rollout. Clients will scan QR codes to independently access boats, enabling 24/7 operations.
Key Learnings & Challenges
Mobile ≠Laptop
I underestimated how different mobile and desktop designs need to be — even for the same website. It gave me a whole new respect for designers who balance both.
Observing Beats Asking
Instead of relying on surveys, I learned more by just watching staff in action — juggling papers, repeating the same emails, or losing threads across WhatsApp and email. Those small frictions revealed what really mattered.
Iterate Fast, Care Less About Code
Going fast, even with rough versions, was more valuable than polishing. The worse the draft, the quicker the feedback — and the less emotionally attached I became to any single piece of code.
Designing for Multiple User Types
Making a website feel intuitive for both clients and staff meant rethinking UX over and over.
Shifting Between Roles
I often had to think like a developer, designer, and even a staff member at the same time. Switching hats so quickly wasn't easy, but it forced me to stay pragmatic.
Making Internal Work Visible
The hardest part wasn't coding features — it was understanding the invisible workflows (lost emails, scattered notes, ad-hoc fixes) and turning them into something structured without overcomplicating things.
Design Evolution
Basic navigation, simple layout
Enhanced UX, modern interface
Page-by-Page Comparison
Basic services layout
Enhanced services presentation
Unintuitive contact/find us page
Clear contact and navigation