Shipmas Advent is a festive advent calendar designed for developers. Each day in December, a new door opens to reveal a useful tool, resource, or product for the developer community.
The Idea
The concept came from wanting to combine the holiday spirit with something genuinely useful for the developer community. Traditional advent calendars are fun, but what if each day could introduce you to a tool that might change how you work?
The goal was simple: curate 24 of the best developer tools and resources, and reveal one each day leading up to Christmas.
Tech Stack
I built the project using modern web technologies:
- Next.js — For the React framework and server-side rendering
- React — Component-based UI development
- Tailwind CSS — For rapid, utility-first styling
- Vercel — Deployment and hosting
Key Features
Time-Locked Doors
Each door only becomes clickable on its designated day. This creates anticipation and gives users a reason to come back daily. The logic checks the current date against each door's unlock date.
Responsive Grid Layout
The calendar grid adapts beautifully from mobile to desktop. On smaller screens, the doors stack nicely, while on larger screens you get the full calendar experience.
Festive Design
The design leans into the holiday theme with warm colors, subtle animations, and a cozy aesthetic that makes browsing enjoyable.
Challenges & Solutions
Timezone Handling
One tricky aspect was ensuring doors unlock at the right time regardless of the user's timezone. I opted to use UTC midnight as the unlock time, which keeps things consistent globally.
Content Curation
Finding 24 genuinely useful tools was harder than expected. I wanted each reveal to feel valuable, not just filler. I spent weeks researching, testing, and curating the list before development even started.
Results & Learnings
The project was well-received by the developer community. Key takeaways:
- Simplicity wins — The concept is immediately understandable
- Timing matters — Launching at the start of December created natural momentum
- Community value — Focusing on genuinely helpful content built trust
What's Next
Plans for future iterations include:
- User submissions for featured tools
- Categories for different developer interests
- Email notifications for daily reveals
Building Shipmas Advent was a fun way to give back to the developer community while sharpening my own skills. Sometimes the best projects are the ones that combine usefulness with a bit of joy.