Coding My First Real App: Thumbnail Generator Frontend (Next js + AI Help)

Description

I'm building a real AI-powered thumbnail generator to save money on design tools. This is Part 1 where we build the complete frontend interface. Backend and AI integration coming next! In this 40-minute build, I create the entire frontend from scratch with the help of Cursor AI. As someone learning to code, I show the real process - including some struggles along the way. 🚀 WHAT WE BUILD (FRONTEND): - Complete thumbnail generator interface - Text overlay system with customization - Gradient and solid color backgrounds - Multiple style presets (Thumbnail, Blog, Social Media) - Live preview functionality - Component-based architecture with React 💻 TECH STACK: - Next.js 14 & React - TypeScript - Tailwind CSS - Lucide Icons - Cursor AI for coding assistance 📚 CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction - What We're Building 01:06 Chapter 1: Project Setup & Framework Installations 09:56 Chapter 2: UI Layout & App Sketch 14:54 Chapter 3: Zod Schema Validation 20:30 Chapter 4: Building Core Components 23:05 Chapter 5: Mock API & Variant Grid Functionality 28:36 Chapter 6: UI & UX Polish 35:21 Outro & What's Next 🔗 COMING NEXT: Part 2: UI Design Upgrade (Making it beautiful) Part 3: Backend & Database 🏷️ TAGS: #frontend #webdevelopment #nextjs #react #AIcoding #thumbnailgenerator #buildingpublic #learninginpublic #cursor #typescript #tailwindcss I'm documenting my entire journey learning to code with AI. This is my 2nd project as a complete beginner. Subscribe to follow the series! ```