Every productivity app starts the same way: someone gets frustrated with the existing options and decides to build something better. TaskPath was no different — except we actually shipped it.
TaskPath is a clean, distraction-free to-do list web app built by LSD Dev Studio. No accounts. No onboarding flows. No premium tiers. Just your tasks, in a list, ready to be checked off.
This case study breaks down why we built it, how we built it, and what we learned along the way.
The Problem
The productivity app market is saturated. Todoist, TickTick, Things 3, Microsoft To Do, Notion, Asana — the list goes on. Most of them share the same problem: they do too much.
When you just want to write down three things you need to do today, you shouldn't need to:
- Create an account
- Verify your email
- Choose a plan
- Dismiss an onboarding tour
- Navigate past a sidebar full of features you'll never use
We wanted a to-do list that was immediately usable. Open the page, start adding tasks. No friction. No cognitive overhead. Just a list.
The Goal
Build a to-do list web app that:
- Works instantly — no account creation, no sign-up flow
- Loads fast — sub-second first paint, no JavaScript bloat
- Looks clean — minimal UI, focused entirely on the task list
- Persists locally — tasks survive browser refreshes using local storage
- Ships in under two weeks — a real product, not a prototype
This was a project built by LSD Dev Studio for LSD Dev Studio — an internal tool that we decided to ship publicly because other people clearly needed it too.
Tech Stack
We chose the simplest stack that could deliver the experience we wanted:
| Layer | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js | Our standard. SSR for fast initial paint, App Router for clean routing |
| Language | TypeScript | Type safety, autocomplete, fewer bugs |
| Styling | Tailwind CSS | Rapid UI development, consistent spacing/typography |
| State | React state + localStorage | No backend needed — all data stays on the user's device |
| Hosting | Vercel | Zero-config deployment, global CDN, free tier |
No database. No authentication service. No API layer. The entire app runs client-side after the initial server render. This was a deliberate constraint — complexity is the enemy of shipping.
Design Decisions
Minimalism as a Feature
Every UI decision was filtered through one question: does this help the user manage their tasks? If the answer was no, it didn't make it in.
- No sidebar. The task list is the entire interface.
- No categories or tags. If you need project management, use a project management tool. TaskPath is a list.
- No colour coding. Colours add visual complexity. A task is either done or not done.
- No due dates. This is a daily list, not a calendar. Write what you need to do. Do it. Check it off.
This level of restraint is harder than it sounds. The temptation to add "just one more feature" is constant. We resisted it because the product's value is its simplicity.
Visual Design
The interface follows LSD Dev Studio's design language:
- Dark theme — easy on the eyes, modern feel
- Monospace typography — clean, developer-friendly aesthetic
- Generous spacing — every element has room to breathe
- Subtle animations — checkbox transitions and list reordering use smooth, non-distracting motion
- High contrast — task text is clearly legible against the dark background
The design took one day. Not because we rushed it, but because constraints make decisions faster. When the scope is "a list of tasks with checkboxes," there aren't many design decisions to agonise over.
Interaction Design
- Add a task: Type in the input field, press Enter. That's it.
- Complete a task: Click the checkbox. The task gets a strikethrough and fades slightly.
- Delete a task: Hover to reveal the delete action. One click removes it.
- Reorder tasks: Drag and drop (on desktop) to prioritise.
Every interaction is immediate. No loading spinners. No optimistic updates that might fail. The data is local — writes are instant.
Development Process
Week 1: Build
Day 1-2: Setup and core functionality. Initialised the Next.js project, set up Tailwind, built the task list component with add, complete, and delete functionality. localStorage persistence implemented from the start.
Day 3-4: Polish and animations. Added checkbox transitions, list item enter/exit animations, and the drag-to-reorder feature. Refined spacing, typography, and responsive behaviour.
Day 5: Testing and edge cases. Tested across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and mobile browsers. Handled edge cases: empty state, very long task text, localStorage quota limits, browser privacy modes that block localStorage.
Week 2: Ship
Day 6-7: Performance optimisation. Audited bundle size, removed unnecessary dependencies, optimised for Core Web Vitals. The final bundle ships under 50KB of JavaScript.
Day 8: Deployment and DNS.
Deployed to Vercel, configured the subdomain taskpath.launchsupportdevelop.com, set up SSL, and verified everything worked end-to-end.
Day 9-10: Launch. Added TaskPath to the LSD Dev Studio products page, wrote the product description, and made it live. Total development time: 10 working days.
Performance Results
Performance was a primary goal. Here's how TaskPath scored:
| Metric | Score |
|---|---|
| Lighthouse Performance | 99 |
| First Contentful Paint | 0.5s |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 0.8s |
| Total Blocking Time | 10ms |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 0 |
| JavaScript bundle size | 47 KB (compressed) |
| Time to Interactive | 0.9s |
These numbers aren't accidental. They're the result of choosing a minimal tech stack, shipping minimal JavaScript, and rendering the initial HTML on the server.
For comparison, most to-do list apps score 60-80 on Lighthouse and load 500KB+ of JavaScript before you can interact with them.
Lessons Learned
1. Constraints accelerate shipping
We scoped TaskPath aggressively. No accounts. No backend. No collaboration features. Every constraint removed a category of decisions, dependencies, and potential bugs.
The result: a complete, polished product in 10 days. If we'd included user accounts alone, the timeline would have tripled — authentication, email verification, password reset, database schema, API endpoints, session management.
2. localStorage is underrated
For single-user applications that don't need sync across devices, localStorage is a perfectly valid persistence layer. It's fast (synchronous reads/writes), requires no backend, and works offline. The trade-off — data lives only on one device — was acceptable for a simple to-do list.
3. Simplicity is a product advantage
In a market where every competitor adds features to justify subscription pricing, doing less is a genuine differentiator. TaskPath has no pricing page because there's nothing to pay for. It has no settings page because there's nothing to configure.
Users don't want features. They want outcomes. For a to-do list, the outcome is: "I wrote down what I need to do. I did it. I checked it off." Everything else is overhead.
4. Internal tools make the best case studies
We built TaskPath because we wanted it. The fact that it's useful to other people is a bonus. Building internal tools that you ship publicly serves two purposes: it solves a real problem for your team, and it demonstrates your craft to potential clients.
Every line of code in TaskPath reflects how LSD Dev Studio builds software — clean architecture, minimal dependencies, obsessive performance tuning, and a bias toward shipping.
What's Next for TaskPath
TaskPath will stay simple. We're not adding accounts, collaboration, or mobile apps. The roadmap is focused on refinement:
- Keyboard shortcuts — power users should be able to manage their list without touching the mouse
- Accessibility improvements — screen reader testing and ARIA refinements
- PWA support — install TaskPath as a standalone app on mobile and desktop
The product philosophy won't change: do one thing well.
Try TaskPath
TaskPath is live at taskpath.launchsupportdevelop.com. Open it, add a task, and see for yourself.
If you're looking to build a web application — whether it's a productivity tool, a SaaS platform, or something entirely different — LSD Dev Studio can help. We build the same way we built TaskPath: fast, clean, and focused on shipping.
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