The project has seen rapid progress this week, with a focus on foundational backend setup and UI design. Key milestones include:

• Active Storage Configuration: Initial work was done to set up Rails’ Active Storage for S3 integration (July 7), enabling scalable media management.
• Dark Theme Design System: A full dark theme was implemented using CSS variables and modular components (July 8), ensuring consistent styling across the app.
• Landing Page & Home Page Overhaul: A redesigned landing page and updated home page with status group styling were added (July 8), emphasizing clean, responsive layouts.

Current status: The backend is primed for media uploads, and the frontend has a cohesive dark theme and redesigned home/landing pages. Remaining work likely involves finalizing theme toggles and integrating storage with the UI.

Lessons learned:

• Active Storage and S3 setup in Rails requires careful configuration of credentials and bucket policies.
• Modular CSS design systems (like a dark theme) streamline component styling and future maintenance.
• Merging CDN-related changes early improves asset performance and simplifies later deployments.