Hi everyone! I’m new to database building and working on setting up a comprehensive family management system. My main focus is organizing our homeschool activities and household tasks, but I also want to include things like family goals, meal planning, and expense tracking.
I’ve been learning the database backend structure, but I’m really struggling with the user interface part. I want to create something my family can easily use on different devices throughout our home. They need to check off completed tasks, view their progress, and update information without getting confused.
Does anyone know good tutorials for building custom user interfaces? Or maybe there are better tools I should consider instead?
Also wondering about database organization - right now I have everything in one workspace since our household tasks and education records both connect to individual family member profiles. But maybe I should separate these into different workspaces? What would you recommend for keeping things organized but still connected?
Been building family databases for three years - the interface struggle is definitely real. What broke me through was starting with basic web forms instead of jumping into complex custom stuff right away. I used simple HTML forms connected to my database first. Sounds boring, but family members actually preferred the clean design over fancy stuff that took forever to load. For tutorials, check out beginner web development courses that focus on form handling and basic CSS. Once you’re comfortable with that foundation, adding features gets much easier. Key insight I learned: family members care way more about speed and reliability than flashy design. About your database structure - I made the mistake of separating everything initially and spent months trying to reconnect related data. Your instinct to keep things unified is spot on. Use clear naming conventions and good filtering instead of splitting workspaces. Trust me, when you need to see how homework completion affects chore responsibilities or family goals, having everything in one place saves massive headaches.
I’ve been through something similar organizing my family’s stuff. Keep it simple - that’s what worked for me. I started wanting this super customized interface but quickly realized Airtable’s built-in design options save tons of time. You can track tasks on mobile and set up different views for each family member without any coding. For your database setup, I’d stick with one workspace. Family activities and tasks connect to each other anyway, so splitting them up early just makes things messier. Create different bases within that workspace for your main categories, but keep the links between them. Get the basics working first, then worry about making it perfect later.