Building Love into Code: How I Made tomylovemiwa.com
The Inspiration
Valentine's Day has always been special for me and Miwa. This year, I wanted to create something unique that would combine my love for coding with my love for her. The idea of tomylovemiwa.com was born: a website featuring six love-themed games, each unlocking a personal love letter, culminating in a surprise Japan trip planner.
The Games: A Journey of Love
Each game was designed to represent a different aspect of our relationship:
- Memory Match: A card-matching game featuring photos of our favorite moments together, symbolizing how we've grown to know each other's hearts.
- Love Letter Puzzle: A word puzzle where solving it reveals a hidden message, representing the joy of discovering new things about each other.
- Heart Rhythm: A rhythm game where players tap to the beat of our favorite songs, celebrating our shared love for music.
- Photo Gallery Quest: An interactive photo gallery where finding hidden hearts reveals new memories, symbolizing our journey together.
- Love Quiz: A personalized quiz about our relationship, testing how well we know each other's preferences and dreams.
- Message in a Bottle: A virtual message bottle that reveals a special love letter when found, representing the surprises we bring to each other's lives.
Technical Implementation
The website was built with React for the frontend, providing a smooth and interactive user experience. Supabase was chosen for the backend to handle:
- Game progression tracking
- Photo upload and storage
- User authentication (for Miwa's personal access)
- Love letter content management
The Final Surprise: Japan Trip Planner
After completing all six games, the final reward was a custom-built Japan trip planner featuring:
- Google Maps integration for exploring destinations
- Interactive calendar for planning daily activities
- Budget calculator with accurate cost estimates
- Personalized recommendations based on our interests
Design and User Experience
The website's design was carefully crafted to create a warm, romantic atmosphere:
- Soft color palette with light pinks and warm tones
- Handwritten-style typography for a personal touch
- Subtle animations and transitions for a magical feel
- Responsive design for seamless experience across devices
Reflections on Building with Love
Creating tomylovemiwa.com taught me that code can be more than just functional—it can be a medium for expressing love and creating meaningful experiences. The technical challenges were balanced by the joy of seeing Miwa's reactions as she discovered each new game and love letter.
The project reinforced my belief that technology can be used to create emotional connections and lasting memories. It's not just about the code we write, but the love and intention we put into it.
Looking Forward
This project has inspired me to think about how we can use technology to create more meaningful, emotional experiences. Whether it's for love, friendship, or family, there's always room to infuse our code with heart and purpose.
I'd love to hear about your experiences building projects with emotional significance. Connect with me on Twitter to share your stories.