Scratching an Itch

I built Hikari because I wanted to scratch an itch.

As a developer, I found myself in need of a robust starter template for numerous SaaS projects I was actively building at the time. Moreover, I wanted a solution that would serve as a solid foundation for my future projects.

This pressing need and forward-thinking approach led me to create a more modern and personalized version of Taxonomy, a comprehensive and customizable solution that could adapt to various SaaS scenarios and evolve with my future requirements.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for this project is Taxonomy, which is a modern starter template for Nextjs.13. Initially, I used Taxonomy as a way to understand Next.js -- I loved how the design was simple and clean. After using Taxonomy for a while, I discovered it lacked certain features and the level of customization I desired. For instance:

Documentation: Contentlayer, which was a crucial component for building a documentation site, was no longer supported in Next.js 14.
Authentication: Clerk was an easy authentication system, but I preferred Supabase for its flexibility and ease of use. While there was a Supabase version of Taxonomy, its authentication logic differed from my preferred implementation.
Database: I also preferred using Supabase Postgres over Planetscale or Prisma for database management.

I often found myself returning to the Supabase subscription repository as a starting point, customizing it to include components from Taxonomy. This repetitive process made me realize the need for a more tailored solution.

Modern Features and Design Choices

In developing Hikari, I wanted to incorporate more modern features and make design choices that would enhance both functionality and user experience. Here are some key changes and additions:

Documentation Framework: Replaced Contentlayer with Fumadocs, a powerful documentation framework. Its design language and flexibility resonated strongly with my vision for Hikari.
Authentication: Moved away from Clerk in favor of Supabase for authentication. This change offers more flexibility and better integration with other Supabase services.
Modular Component Library: Developed a comprehensive set of components that can be easily mixed and matched for various website needs. This includes:
- Landing page components
- Documentation components
- Blog layout and styling
- Dashboard elements
Cohesive Design Language: Implemented a design system that aligns with my personal aesthetic preferences - simple, clean, and modern. This ensures a consistent look and feel across all parts of the application.
Simplicity and Ease of Use: Prioritized a user-friendly experience, making it intuitive for both developers using the template and end-users interacting with the final product.
Performance Optimization: Incorporated best practices for performance, including code splitting, lazy loading, and optimized asset delivery.
Responsive Design: Ensured that all components and layouts are fully responsive, providing a seamless experience across devices of all sizes.
SEO Friendly: Implemented SEO best practices, including proper meta tag management and semantic HTML structure.

These features and design choices make Hikari not just a template, but a comprehensive toolkit for building modern, efficient, and user-friendly SaaS applications.

The Philosophy Behind Hikari

Open Source and Community

Building Hikari wasn't just about solving my own problems. I'm a firm believer in open source and wanted to give back to the community that has helped me learn and grow. By sharing Hikari, I hope to contribute to the ecosystem and help other developers who might face similar challenges. So I'd like to give a special thanks to all the open source projects that I've used to build Hikari.

ShadcnUI: A collection of accessible UI components for building modern web applications.
Taxonomy: A modern starter template for Next.js 13.
Fumadocs: A documentation framework for building beautiful documentation sites.
Next.js: A React framework for production.
Supabase: A starter template for Supabase Authentication/Database + Vercel + Stripe.
MagicUI: A collection of accessible UI components for designing web applications.

Looking Forward

Hikari is just the beginning. Over the past six months, I've been studying and working on a variety of projects, each addressing different "itches" I've encountered in my development journey. I'm excited to release these projects in the coming months and share my progress with the community.

If you're interested in following along with these projects or want to see what else I'm working on, feel free to check out my Twitter: @antoineross__.