Intermediate · Case Study

TaskMatrix

Project management that actually works.

TaskMatrix is a full-stack task management platform built with React, Node.js and MongoDB. It supports real-time collaboration, drag-and-drop boards, and detailed progress analytics — all in a clean, distraction-free interface.

ReactTypeScriptNode.jsMongoDBReal-time

Live Demo GitHub

The Problem

What needed solving.

Most task managers are either too simple (sticky notes, basic todos) or too bloated (Jira, ClickUp) for small teams and solo developers. There's a gap for something that's powerful but doesn't require a 30-minute setup.

The Solution

How I solved it.

TaskMatrix gives you Kanban boards, priority queues, team assignment, and real-time sync — all in a single-page app that loads in under 2 seconds. Everything is keyboard-accessible and mobile-friendly.

Features

What it does.

Kanban Boards

Drag-and-drop cards across columns — Backlog, In Progress, Review, Done. State persists in real-time across all connected users.

Team Assignment

Assign tasks to team members, set due dates, and attach priority labels. Instant email notifications on assignment.

Progress Analytics

Visual burndown charts, completion rates by team member, and weekly velocity tracking.

Real-Time Sync

Built on Socket.io — all board updates propagate to every connected client within 50ms.

System Architecture

How it's built.

FrontendReact + TypeScriptSPA with component-level state, Socket.io client

BackendNode.js + ExpressREST API + WebSocket server

DatabaseMongoDB AtlasTask, user, and board storage with indexed queries

Real-TimeSocket.ioBidirectional event bus for live board updates

AuthJWT + bcryptStateless token auth with hashed passwords

DeploymentVercel + RailwayFrontend on Vercel edge, backend on Railway

Technology Stack

Frontend

ReactTypeScript

Backend

Node.jsExpress

Database

MongoDB

Real-Time

Socket.io

Auth

JWT

Deployment

Vercel

Challenges & Solutions

Real problems, real fixes.

Challenge

Real-time updates conflicting when two users edit the same task simultaneously.

Solution

Optimistic UI with server-side conflict resolution — last-write-wins with a timestamp diff check.

Challenge

Drag-and-drop reorder causing O(n) DB writes on every move.

Solution

Switched to fractional indexing — only the moved card's order value is updated.

Challenge

JWT tokens not expiring on the client after server-side invalidation.

Solution

Added a token blocklist in Redis with a 15-minute TTL, checked on every protected route.

Demo & Screenshots

See it live.

Main Kanban workspace

Team velocity and progress charts

Task detail with assignment and history

Explore the full source code and documentation.

View on GitHub Live Demo ← All Projects