Secure Client Portal Web Application for Architecture and building company

Client: Studio Maiva Ltd — Architecture, Interior Design & Construction Project Management, Dorset, UK Project type: Fixed-price, milestone-based Budget: USD $3000-$4000 (Phase 1 MVP — see scope). Phase 2 to follow as a separate paid engagement for the right developer. Timeline: Target 4-6 weeks from kick-off to live deployment. 1. About Us & The Project Studio Maiva is a UK architectural and construction project management practice. We run residential building projects for private clients and want a simple, secure, branded web portal where each client can log in and see everything about their project in one place: drawings awaiting approval, project information, fees, and messages with our team. Think of a much simpler, construction-specific version of platforms like Assembly or Softr — but bespoke, owned by us, with no per-user platform fees. This brief covers Phase 1 (MVP). A defined Phase 2 (cost schedules, change requests, programme/Gantt) will be commissioned afterwards with the same developer if Phase 1 goes well — so this is an opportunity for an ongoing relationship, not a one-off. 2. Phase 1 Scope — What You Will Build A responsive web application (desktop-first, mobile-friendly) with two user types: Studio Maiva staff (admin) and clients. 2.1 Authentication & User Management Email + password login over HTTPS; passwords hashed; optional 2FA (email or TOTP) is a plus Admin issues client invites by email; client sets own password on first login Admin can suspend/revoke any client account Strict per-project isolation: a client sees only their own project, never another client's data Roles: Admin (full access, all projects), Staff (edit access, all projects), Client (view/respond, own project only) 2.2 Client Dashboard Project name, address, cover image Status summary cards: items awaiting client action (e.g. Recent activity feed "2 drawings to approve", "1 unread message") 2.3 Drawings Module — SharePoint Integration (core feature) Each portal project is linked by an admin to a SharePoint folder (Microsoft 365 Business). Integration via Microsoft Graph API with scoped, least-privilege permissions Staff upload drawings to SharePoint as part of their normal workflow; the portal lists files from the linked folder (no file duplication) Staff tag each drawing in the portal: category (Planning / Building Regulations / Construction / Other), revision, status ("For information" / "For approval") Client actions per drawing: Approve / Approve with comments / Request amendment, each with a comment box In-browser PDF preview required (drawings are PDFs) Full audit trail: every approval/comment recorded with user, date and time — immutable record Automatic email notification to the client when a drawing is issued for approval, and to staff when a client responds 2.4 RFI Board (Requests for Information) Either side can raise an RFI via a structured form: category dropdown (Design / Cost / Programme / Site / Other), priority dropdown (Low / Medium / High), free-text description, optional file attachment Status workflow: Open → Answered → Closed, with date stamps Staff see a combined RFI queue across all projects; clients see only their own 2.5 Administration Page (per project) Simple staff-editable content blocks: fee summary, quotes issued, invoices raised, payments received, balance Professional team directory (name, role, company, email, phone) Key documents list (links to SharePoint files) No payment processing in Phase 1 — display only 2.6 Messaging One message thread per project between client and Studio Maiva team Attachments supported; everything date-stamped and permanently retained Email notification on new message (with sensible batching to avoid spam) 2.7 Admin Console Create/edit projects, link SharePoint folder, manage users, see all outstanding client actions, open RFIs and unread messages across all projects in one view Staff data entry must be fast and simple — clean forms, no technical knowledge required Out of scope for Phase 1 (do not price) Cost schedule module, change requests with risk flags, programme/Gantt view, online payments, e-signatures, native mobile apps. (However, P1 must be mobile ready) 3. Technical Requirements Stack: open to your recommendation — we expect something mainstream and maintainable (e.g. React/Next.js or similar frontend; Node/Python/PHP backend; PostgreSQL/MySQL). Justify your choice in your proposal. No proprietary lock-in. SharePoint: Microsoft Graph API, OAuth app registration in our Microsoft 365 tenant, scoped to designated folders only Hosting: UK/EU data residency (e.g. Azure UK, AWS London, Hetzner EU). You set up; we own the hosting account and pay hosting directly Domain: portal.studiomaiva.co.uk (we own the domain; you configure DNS/SSL) Security: HTTPS everywhere, encrypted database at rest, OWASP top-10 awareness, rate-limited login, full audit logging of approvals/decisions, UK GDPR compliance, automated daily backups Branding: we supply a brand guidelines/logo pack at kick-off; the UI must look clean, modern and professional — this is client-facing for a design practice, so visual polish matters Email: transactional email via a standard provider (e.g. Postmark, SendGrid, AWS SES) 4. Deliverables 1. 3. 4. 5. Deployed, working application on our hosting and subdomain 2. Full source code in a Git repository we own — all IP transfers to Studio Maiva Ltd on final payment Admin guide (short, plain-English: how to create a project, link SharePoint, invite a client) Handover document: hosting setup, environment variables, deployment process, backup/restore 30 days post-launch bug-fix warranty included in the fixed price 5. Proposed Milestones & Payment Milestone Deliverable Payment M1 Clickable UI designs / wireframes approved + technical setup (repo, hosting, auth working) 20% M2 Drawings module with SharePoint integration + approvals working end-to-end 30% M3 Dashboard, RFI board, admin page, messaging complete 30% M4 Polish, testing, deployment to live domain, handover docs, training call 20% We will review and may adjust milestone structure with the selected developer. 6. What To Include In Your Proposal Generic copy-paste proposals will be rejected. Please include: 1. Two or three relevant portfolio examples — ideally client portals, dashboards, or apps with role-based logins. Live links preferred 2. Have you integrated Microsoft Graph / SharePoint before? Describe the project. If not, explain how you'd approach it 3. Your recommended stack and why, in two or three sentences 4. Confirmation you can deliver Phase 1 within budget and timeline, or a clear counter-proposal 5. 6. Your availability and expected weekly communication rhythm (we expect a short written update at least weekly) Start your proposal with the word "Drawingboard" so we know you've read this brief 7. Selection Criteria Evidence of similar portal/dashboard builds with clean, modern UI Microsoft Graph/SharePoint API experience (strong advantage) Clear written English and responsive communication Sensible questions — we welcome challenges to this brief where you see a better way Willingness to take on Phase 2 and ongoing support afterwards 8. Phase 2 Preview (future engagement, not priced now) For context on where this is heading: build cost schedule (budget vs tender vs contract positions with variance), client change requests with cost/programme risk flags, and a visual build programme with milestones. A developer who architects Phase 1 with these in mind will be strongly preferred. Studio Maiva Ltd retains all intellectual property in this brief and the resulting application. By submitting a proposal you confirm the work will be performed by you/your named team and not subcontracted without written agreement.