Overview / About
CarFinder is a full-stack car marketplace platform built for the Egyptian automotive market. It provides a unified space for buyers, sellers, dealers, and administrators to browse, list, search, and manage both new and used vehicles. The platform features an AI-powered chatbot for conversational car discovery, role-based dashboards, and a comprehensive REST API — all designed with a user-centered approach as part of a Human-Computer Interaction course project.
Problem
Finding a car in Egypt means navigating fragmented listings across multiple platforms, dealing with incomplete or unreliable vehicle information, and having no way to efficiently compare options across the new and used markets. Buyers waste time jumping between sources, sellers struggle to reach the right audience, and dealers lack a centralized tool to manage their inventory alongside individual listings.
Solution
Build a single, intuitive marketplace that connects all participants in the car buying process — buyers, individual sellers, and dealers — under one platform. By combining smart search, structured listings, role-based access control, and an AI chatbot, CarFinder streamlines the entire journey from discovery to decision.
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Live Search | Real-time search with debouncing across brand, model, and type with instant visual results |
| AI Chatbot | Gemini-powered conversational assistant that helps users find cars through natural language |
| Role-Based Access | Four distinct user roles — buyer, seller, dealer, admin — each with tailored permissions and dashboards |
| Car Type Browsing | Browse vehicles by category: SUVs, Sedans, Electric Vehicles, Hybrids |
| New and Used Listings | Unified catalog for both new dealer inventory and used car listings with photo management |
| Admin Panel | Full administrative control over users, car listings, and platform content |
| Secure Authentication | JWT-based auth with registration, login, and password reset flows |
| Responsive UI | Animated, mobile-friendly interface with smooth transitions and modern design |
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technologies |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion, Lucide Icons |
| Backend | Go (Golang), REST API, JWT Authentication |
| Database | MongoDB Atlas |
| AI Integration | Google Gemini API |
| DevOps | Docker, Docker Compose |
| Design | Figma (wireframes and prototyping) |
How It Works
- User Registration — Users register with one of four roles (buyer, seller, dealer, admin), each granting different platform capabilities and dashboard views
- Car Discovery — Buyers search for vehicles using the live search bar or browse by type; results display instantly with images, condition badges, and pricing
- AI Assistance — The integrated chatbot accepts natural language queries and returns relevant car recommendations based on user preferences
- Listing Management — Sellers and dealers create, update, and manage car listings with full photo support; sellers have listing limits while dealers have expanded access
- Admin Oversight — Administrators manage users, moderate listings, and control homepage content through a dedicated admin panel
- Authentication — All sensitive operations are protected by JWT tokens with role-based middleware ensuring proper access control
Results / Outcomes
- Delivered a fully functional marketplace supporting the complete lifecycle of car listing, discovery, and management
- AI chatbot successfully handles natural language car queries, reducing the friction of traditional filter-based search
- Role-based architecture cleanly separates concerns across four user types without code duplication
- Responsive, animated UI provides a polished experience across desktop and mobile devices
- Dockerized deployment ensures consistent setup across development and production environments
My Role
- Designed and built the RESTful API in Go with structured routing, middleware, and error handling
- Implemented JWT-based authentication with role-based access control for four user types
- Integrated MongoDB Atlas for persistent storage of users, car listings, and platform content
- Contributed to the Gemini API integration powering the AI chatbot feature