First Project

What this is

The first project is a small website a beginner can finish in one guided session.

Pick something real, but keep it simple enough to ship.

Good examples:

• Cafe website.
• Salon website.
• Portfolio website.
• Simple product landing page.
• Bakery website.
• Barber shop website.
• Fitness coach landing page.
• Tuition class website.
• Photographer portfolio.
• Event invitation page.
• Home cleaning service page.
• Small online menu page.

Why it matters

The first project teaches the system, not every possible feature.

The goal is to finish with a working website, understand what changed, and learn how to guide AI without losing control.

What to do

Use ChatGPT or Perplexity to choose one simple website.

Do this planning step in ChatGPT or Perplexity, not inside the IDE. The IDE comes later, after the project brief is clear.

Starting prompt:

You are a senior web developer helping a beginner.

I want to build a simple website.

Topic:
[cafe / salon / portfolio / bakery / barber shop / fitness coach / tuition class / photographer / event invitation / home cleaning service / online menu]

Requirements:
- beginner friendly
- simple and clean
- can be built in a few hours

Your job:
1. Suggest the best tech stack
2. Suggest max 3 features
3. Suggest sections/pages
4. Suggest build order

Then ask me questions to refine the idea.

After the first answer, do not start coding yet. Refine the idea, simplify features, and clarify the layout.

Keep this rule:

Max 3 features.

If the idea needs login, payments, chat, dashboards, or complex data, shrink it.

Common mistakes

• Choosing an app instead of a website.
• Adding login, database, and payments too early.
• Accepting the first AI answer without refinement.
• Starting to code before the project is clear.
• Picking an idea that cannot be explained in one sentence.