7 Projects You Can Build to Learn React in 2021
By: Jaidev Singh Bhui
Tags: Web Development, JavaScript, Nodejs, React, Frontend Development

React is one of the most in-demand web technologies to learn in 2021, and has a very large community, and lots of jobs too.

What is React?

In case you don’t have any prior knowledge about React and decided to read this article, this section is for you.

React is a Javascript library popularly used by new-age frontend web developers. It is a great choice for creating smooth user interfaces and front-end development of web and mobile applications.

What makes React so popular is that it’s easier to grasp than other frameworks and libraries — which is good for beginners. It is also because of its blazingly fast performance with help of Virtual DOM.

Other Javascript frontend libraries and frameworks include Angular, Vue, jQuery, etc.

When to learn React?

One should start learning React (or any other Javascript library or framework for that matter), after having clear fundamentals and good control over HTML, CSS, and vanilla Javascript.

It is recommended to learn and have experience with Javascript first, because React is built upon it, and you should definitely build some projects using pure vanilla Javascript.

Most interviews or coding rounds for front-end developer roles ask candidates not to use any libraries or frameworks and test their skill in using pure Javascript.

Top Javascript projects using React

The below projects are ordered based on their difficulty and complexity level, with beginner-friendly projects being covered first, and then gradually we would move onto some advanced projects.

You will find each of these projects (and more) in Crio Projects Hub. All projects available in Crio Projects Hub are methodically explained in a step-by-step manner and will guide you to complete the projects on your own. The best part about these projects is that they are absolutely free!

Dive in and find out which project you will be working on first :)

Project 1: Rat in a Maze

Difficulty: Beginner

Time required: 10 hours

This is a simple React web app, which displays all the possible ways a rat can navigate its way out of a square maze while avoiding all the obstacles which come in its way.

It is an interesting project to challenge your problem-solving skills as it visualizes the famous Rat in a Maze problem.

While building this project, you will extensively apply important programming concepts such as Recursion and Backtracking, as well as get hands-on with the basis of React.

Project 2: Markdown Editor

Difficulty: Beginner

Time required: 5 hours

Markdown is a way to style text on the web, which has its own way of writing or a “syntax”. Many people write blog posts, jot down their thoughts, or create notes for a subject using markdown.

You might’ve encountered markdown files while creating a repository on GitHub and creating the README.md file to describe that repo.

This is a web application that can be used to create and edit Markdown files.

It is a simple and fun project to implement and gain a deeper understanding of creating custom hooks, and working with Context API and React markdown.

Project 3: Resume Builder Web Application

Difficulty: Beginner

Time required: 15 Hours

Have you ever wanted to automatically generate resumes by using amazing templates? Or considered working on a project to build your own resume?

If so, this is your opportunity to grab the idea and start building a handy solution.

In this project, you’ll get to create multi-step forms using React, styling the components using Material UI (a UI library), and learn some basics of Node.js, used on the server-side.

Project 4: Online Code Editor

Difficulty: Intermediate

Time required: 35 Hours

This is a great project for frontend developers to showcase their skills and in turn, build something useful for the community.

In this project, you will build an online code editor that works exactly like codepen. It’s a great project to understand how codepen works and also highlight valuable skills in your resume.

Project 5: 450 DSA Tracker

Difficulty: Intermediate

Time required: 40 Hours

As a developer, you might have been solving DSA (Data Structures and Algorithms) problems, and you might have also experienced the need for a checklist or a tracker for tracking your progress.

If you relate to this, the 450 DSA tracker is just what you need to build.

As you build this project, you’ll learn about IndexedDB, building custom context APIs, creating custom hooks, and Typescript.

Project 6: Slack clone using React

Difficulty: Advanced

Time required: 80 hours

If you’re an advanced developer looking for a challenging and noteworthy project, this one is for you. Building a clone of a popular messaging and collaboration app such as Slack will help you grow relevant skills such as React-Redux, Firebase fundamentals, website hosting, and more.

As you finish developing this project, you’ll be able to flaunt a messaging app that is functionally similar to Slack. This is a great project to include in your resume and impress interviewers with your work.

Project 7: Amazon clone using React

Difficulty: Advanced

Time required: 100 Hours

Nowadays, new businesses and well-established ones too, convert their commerce to e-commerce as that provides a more accessible platform for trading goods and conducting business with customers.

For some businesses, e-commerce is the sole source of income.

As more businesses are shifting online, the demand for developers with a knowledge of building e-commerce websites is growing in the tech industry. This project is your first step to building an entire e-commerce application all by yourself.

By the end of this project, you’ll end up with a clone of the famous e-commerce platform Amazon, while also learning more about Firebase, Stripe payment gateway integration, Context API, React Router, and Deployment of a React App.