Role: Product Architect & Developer
Live Links: Events Archive | Single Event Detail
The TL;DR
I replaced a fragile, disconnected event management workflow (WhatsApp + Google Forms) with a custom-architected, native WordPress events system. This eliminated day-of registration errors, empowered non-technical staff with a custom dashboard, and turned ephemeral event data into permanent, SEO-friendly website assets.
1. Product (The Business Problem)
The Chaos of Disconnected Tools As Wonder Workers grew, their operational processes began to break down. Event management lived primarily in WhatsApp chats, where critical posters and details were quickly buried. Registration was handled via Google Forms, creating a severe “stale-export” problem: staff had to export a spreadsheet the day before an event for check-ins, meaning anyone who registered in the final 24 hours was missing at the door.
Furthermore, the off-the-shelf WordPress theme they purchased bundled a bloated, generic events plugin. It was overly complex, relied heavily on the Gutenberg block editor (which confused non-technical staff), and simply deleted events from the site once they passed—erasing valuable historical content.
The Scope: They didn’t just need a new plugin; they needed a single source of truth for their operations that could handle real-world edge cases like postponements and distinct speaker hierarchies.
2. Architecture (Strategic Decisions & System Design)
Building for Data Integrity and Staff Usability Instead of forcing the team to learn complex WordPress mechanics, I engineered the Modern Events Plugin v1.
- A Purpose-Built Admin Dashboard: I bypassed the standard WordPress editor entirely. I built a tabbed, plain-language dashboard (Event Details, Venue, Speakers, Itinerary, Registration). Non-technical staff can now build events and registration forms without knowing what a “meta box” or a “block” is.
- Relational Data Modeling: Initially, venues and organizers were stored as flat JSON data. I strategically migrated these to independent Custom Post Types (CPTs). Now, staff can select existing speakers or venues from a dropdown, building a reusable library that speeds up future event creation.
- Ruthless Scope Management: I intentionally deferred building a multi-day event feature. Multi-day complexity wasn’t needed yet, and building it would have unnecessarily bloated the database. We focused entirely on perfecting the single-day workflow.
- Rapid UI Implementation: Instead of spending weeks in Figma, I utilized Google Stitch to rapidly generate design references that aligned with the existing Material-based design system, implementing the frontend UI in parallel with the backend data models.
3. Growth (The Measurable Impact)
From Ephemeral Events to Permanent Assets The new system fundamentally changed how the organization interacts with its audience and its own data.
Behavioral Shift: By making the website reliable and comprehensive, we successfully shifted the audience’s default behavior from asking questions in chaotic WhatsApp threads to checking the website first.
Zero-Error Registrations: Because registration forms are now native to the website, submissions go directly into the WordPress database. Check-in sheets are queried live on the morning of the event. The “stale-export” problem has been completely eliminated.
Dynamic Utility: The itinerary was built as a responsive web component rather than a static PDF. Attendees now open the event page on their phones during the event to follow the schedule in real-time.
SEO and Content Retention: Instead of events disappearing when they end, the system automatically flips the UI state. Upcoming “Landing Pages” seamlessly transform into past “Recap Pages” featuring speaker notes, key takeaways, and video recordings. This preserves the organization’s history and drives long-term organic traffic.
