System Requirements Document for la-la-land

1. Introduction

The project "la-la-land" is a full-stack movie and TV review website inspired by platforms like Letterboxd and IMDb. It aims to provide users with a vibrant and engaging platform for discovering, reviewing, and discussing movies and TV shows. The target audience includes movie enthusiasts who enjoy sharing their opinions and discovering new content through social interactions and curated recommendations.

2. System Overview

La-la-land is designed to be a socially vibrant movie review platform with features that facilitate user interaction, content discovery, and personalized content management. The platform will include user profiles, a comprehensive movie and TV database, review and rating systems, social features, and an admin panel for content curation. The UI will be clean, poster-grid heavy, mobile-responsive, and default to dark mode, aligning with the playful maximalism design direction inspired by Jessica Walsh.

2a. Product Interpretation and Delivery Boundary

The platform will be delivered as a web application accessible to users via standard web browsers. User access will be managed through a sign-up and login system, with options for email/password and Google login. The TMDB API will be integrated for movie and TV show data. The platform will not include features outside the specified scope, such as video streaming or advanced analytics.

2b. Source Content Inventory

Not applicable as no explicit content source directive was provided.

2c. Page Content and Component Coverage

User Profile

• Information/State: Avatar, bio, list of reviewed titles.
• Primary Actions: Edit profile, view reviews, follow/unfollow users.
• Supporting Actions: View followers, view following list.
• Components: Profile header, review list, follow buttons.

Movie/TV Database

• Information/State: Movie/TV show details from TMDB (poster, synopsis, cast, release date, etc.).
• Primary Actions: Search, view title details.
• Supporting Actions: Filter/sort results, view similar titles.
• Components: Search bar, title list, filter/sort controls.

Title Page

• Information/State: Title details, trailer, cast/crew, user ratings.
• Primary Actions: Rate title, write/edit/delete review.
• Supporting Actions: Like/upvote reviews, comment on reviews.
• Components: Title header, rating section, review section, comment threads.

Lists & Tracking

• Information/State: Watched list, watchlist, custom lists, watch history.
• Primary Actions: Add/remove titles from lists, create custom lists.
• Supporting Actions: View diary/log.
• Components: List management interface, diary view.

Social Features

• Information/State: Activity feed, trending/popular reviews.
• Primary Actions: Follow users, view activity feed.
• Supporting Actions: Interact with trending reviews.
• Components: Activity feed, trending section.

Admin Panel

• Information/State: Curated reviews, editorial picks.
• Primary Actions: Feature reviews, manage editorial content.
• Components: Admin dashboard, content management tools.

3. Functional Requirements

• As a user, I should be able to sign up and log in using email/password or Google login to access my profile and interact with the platform. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to create and edit my profile, including an avatar, bio, and list of reviewed titles. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to search for movies and TV shows using the TMDB API to find detailed information about titles. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to view individual title pages with details, trailers, cast/crew information, and aggregate user ratings. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to rate titles and write short or long-form reviews, which will be displayed on title pages. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to edit or delete my own reviews. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to like/upvote other users' reviews and comment on them. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to manage lists such as "Watched," "Watchlist," and create custom lists. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to view a chronological diary/log of my watch history. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to follow other users and see an activity feed of their interactions. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to view trending/popular reviews on the homepage. (explicit)
• As a user, I should be able to filter and sort titles by genre, year, rating, and popularity. (explicit)
• As a user, I should receive "similar titles" recommendations based on my interactions. (explicit)
• As an admin, I should be able to feature curated reviews or editorial picks in the admin panel. (explicit)

4. User Personas

Regular User

• Context: Engages with the platform to discover, review, and discuss movies and TV shows.
• Primary Goal: To share opinions on titles and discover new content through social interactions.
• Responsibilities: Creating and managing profiles, writing reviews, interacting with other users, managing lists.
• Interactions: Follows other users, participates in discussions, and engages with trending content.
• Success: Successfully shares reviews, discovers new content, and interacts with the community.

Admin User

• Context: Manages content curation and editorial features on the platform.
• Primary Goal: To ensure high-quality content is featured and maintain the platform's editorial standards.
• Responsibilities: Featuring reviews, managing editorial picks, overseeing user interactions.
• Interactions: Works with content management tools to curate and feature content.
• Success: Successfully curates content that engages users and maintains platform standards.

5. Core User Flows

5.1 Regular User: Sign Up and Profile Management

1. Start: User accesses the sign-up page.
2. Action: User signs up using email/password or Google login.
3. Result: User is logged in and redirected to their profile page.
4. Continuation: User edits profile by adding an avatar and bio.

5.2 Regular User: Searching and Reviewing Titles

1. Start: User accesses the search page.
2. Action: User searches for a movie or TV show.
3. Result: Search results are displayed with relevant titles.
4. Continuation: User selects a title to view its details.
5. Action: User rates the title and writes a review.
6. Result: Review is published on the title page.

5.3 Regular User: Managing Lists

1. Start: User accesses their profile or lists page.
2. Action: User adds a title to "Watched" or "Watchlist."
3. Result: Title is added to the respective list.
4. Continuation: User creates a custom list and adds titles to it.

5.4 Admin User: Featuring Content

1. Start: Admin accesses the admin panel.
2. Action: Admin selects reviews to feature as curated content.
3. Result: Selected reviews are featured on the platform.
4. Continuation: Admin manages editorial picks and updates content.

6. Visuals Colors and Theme

• Muse: Jessica Walsh
• Palette:
  • Background: #1B1B1B
  • Surface: #2A2A2A
  • Text: #FFFFFF
  • Primary: #FF4081
  • Accent: #FFD700
  • Muted: #444444
• Typography:
  • Headings: Archivo Black
  • Body: Syne
  • Scale: 64/42/28/18/16
• Shape Language: Bold color fields, overlapping shapes, sticker-like elements
• Layout: Asymmetric grids with unexpected crop areas

7. Signature Design Concept

The public entry page will feature a bold color field background with oversized typography and a playful image dominant. The primary and accent colors will be used to create contrast and energy. Oversized title headlines will dominate the viewport, with playful overlapping sticker-like elements in the UI. Interactive elements will have colorful animated hover states, and marquee text will highlight trending reviews.

8. Interaction Model & Motion Direction

• Interaction Model: Animated
• Motion Tempo: Expressive
• Hero Dimensionality: Layered_2d
• Landing Hero Motion Brief: The landing page will feature a bold color field with oversized typography and a playful image. Upon user interaction, elements will scale in with a bouncy effect, and marquee text will animate to showcase trending reviews. The motion vocabulary will include color flips on hover and quirky geometric shapes as part of the background design. A reduced-motion state will provide a simplified experience for users who prefer less animation.

9. Non-Functional Requirements

• Performance: The platform should load pages within 2 seconds to ensure a smooth user experience.
• Scalability: The system should handle up to 10,000 concurrent users.
• Security: User data must be protected with encryption and secure authentication methods.
• Accessibility: The platform should comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards to ensure accessibility for all users.

10. Tech Stack

• Frontend: React
• Backend: Node/Express
• Database: PostgreSQL
• API Integration: TMDB API
• Authentication: OAuth for Google login
• Deployment: Docker, Kubernetes for container orchestration

11. Assumptions and Constraints

• Assumption: Users will have internet access to use the platform.
• Constraint: The platform will not support video streaming.
• Assumption: TMDB API will provide reliable and up-to-date movie and TV show data.

12. Glossary

• TMDB API: The Movie Database API, used for retrieving movie and TV show data.
• OAuth: Open Authorization, a standard for token-based authentication.
• WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, standards for web accessibility.