Sculpted Goddess.

A CS50 final project built in Python and Flask

-- THE ORIGIN

Sculpted Goddess was created as the final project for Harvard's CS50x Introduction to Computer Science course — a nutrition and fitness tool built to help women set up personalised meal plans and work toward their fitness goals.

The original version was built with Python, Flask, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and SCSS. It connected to the Edamam Recipe Search API and handled user authentication, a macronutrient calculator, and recipe search and saving — all server-side rendered. The design was created in Adobe XD before a single line of code was written.

The application worked, but over time it became increasingly difficult to maintain and extend. The Python knowledge faded, the API integration aged, and the architecture wasn't built to scale. That gap between the original idea and what the technology could actually support became the motivation for a complete rebuild.

Starting with design — then and now

-- DESIGN CONCEPT

The original Sculpted Goddess was designed in Adobe XD before any code was written — a deliberate, design-first approach that carried into the rebuilt version. The visual language needed to feel strong and intentional: a platform for women who are serious about nutrition and fitness, not a generic wellness app. Clean structure, clear hierarchy, and a confident aesthetic that communicates trust and precision.

Original design concept — Adobe XD

Rebuilding the platform on a modern stack

-- REBUILD & ARCHITECTURE

The rebuild was not a cosmetic update — it was a complete re-engineering of the application from the ground up. The goal was to keep the core product logic intact while replacing the technical foundation with something modern, maintainable, and scalable.

The new stack uses Next.js with TypeScript for server-side rendering and type safety, SCSS for styling, and libSQL for the database layer. The Edamam API integration was replaced with MealDB, a free and actively maintained recipe API. User authentication, recipe saving, and the macronutrient calculator were all rebuilt with the same feature scope — but with significantly cleaner architecture underneath.

What the platform does

-- CORE FEATURES

Sculpted Goddess is built around four main features: a recipe search powered by the MealDB API with individual nutritional data per recipe, a personal recipe library where logged-in users can save and revisit their favourites, a macronutrient and BMI calculator that takes personal data and fitness goals as input, and a contact form for direct client enquiries.

The platform is open to browse for anyone, but signing up and logging in unlocks the full feature set — recipe saving, personal data, and macro tracking. This structure keeps the barrier to entry low while creating a meaningful reason to register.

The rebuilt platform live — recipe search, nutrition data, and personal macro tracking

From Flask to Next.js — what changed and why

-- TECHNICAL EVOLUTION

The technical improvements in the rebuild are not simply about switching frameworks. They reflect a fundamentally different approach to how the application is structured, typed, and maintained over time.

Note: Python and Flask are excellent tools for many use cases. The decision to rebuild in Next.js was driven by the specific goals of this project: demonstrating modern frontend architecture, improving long-term maintainability, and aligning the codebase with the stack I use for client work.

Performance · Python/Flask vs Next.js (Lighthouse)

A structured SCSS design system built for consistency across the application

-- DESIGN SYSTEM

Sculpted Goddess is styled through a structured SCSS architecture: colors.scss, fontSizes.scss, and breakPoints.scss are imported into a central constants.module.scss that exports all design tokens directly to JavaScript components. Spacing, typography, breakpoints, and colour values are defined once and consumed throughout the application — no magic numbers, no repeated hex codes.

The typography system uses two distinct typefaces with clear roles: Cinzel (serif) for h1 headings — uppercase, high-impact, and fitting for the brand — and Open Sans for all body text, labels, and navigation. Font sizes are defined across three explicit breakpoints (mobile, tablet, desktop) via CSS custom properties set in globals.scss, giving every text element a consistent, predictable scale across devices.

Design system · SCSS colour tokens and responsive type scale

A personal project that became a professional case study

-- THE OUTCOME

Sculpted Goddess grew from a course assignment into a real demonstration of how I approach complex problems: starting with design, building with intention, and being willing to rebuild something entirely when the foundation no longer serves the product.

This project reflects exactly the kind of work I do for clients — modernising legacy applications, migrating to scalable architectures, and rebuilding products without losing the core business logic that made them valuable in the first place.