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MAL Blogs & Finance

Dynamic headless blog & car finance platform built with Next.js 14 & Contentful CMS

Web ApplicationProduction
Project Overview

What it is

A dynamic web platform combining a headless CMS-powered editorial magazine with an interactive car finance estimation suite and customer quotation workflows.

Who it serves

Automotive buyers, UK car finance applicants, and editorial teams publishing market guides and financial advisory articles.

Business value

Empowers marketing teams to publish rich editorial content independently via Contentful without code deploys, while converting readers into finance leads with integrated calculator tools.

Primary users

Vehicle buyers researching finance options, and content managers authoring dynamic automotive articles and guides.

Quick Facts

Category

Web Application

Role

Full-Stack Developer

Timeline

2 months

Status

Production

Team

Solo

Platform

Web

Industry

Publishing / Automotive Finance

Frontend

Next.js 14

Business Problem

Financial services often struggle with disconnected marketing blogs and calculation tools. Hardcoding articles creates developer bottlenecks, while off-the-shelf WordPress setups suffer from sluggish load times and poor lead conversion.

Key Features

Headless Contentful CMS Pipeline

Dynamic article delivery using Contentful REST API and rich-text rendering for formatted custom embeds, headings, and imagery.

Interactive Finance Calculator

Client-side loan estimator computing representative APR, monthly repayment schedules, deposit amounts, and total payable values in real time.

Dynamic Magazine Hub

Categorized article feed with responsive card grid layouts, reading metadata, and SEO-friendly slug-based dynamic routing.

Compliance & Disclosure Architecture

Integrated financial disclosures, representative loan examples, and regulatory messaging structured for UK finance guidelines.

Technology Stack

Frontend

Next.js 14React 18TypeScriptTailwind CSSRadix UILucide React

Backend

Next.js App RouterContentful Content Delivery APIAxios

Database

Contentful Headless CMS

Infrastructure

VercelEdge CDN

Tools & Services

GitGitHubESLintPostCSS
Architecture Preview

Next.js 14 App Router server components query Contentful's Content Delivery API with on-demand ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration). Client components manage finance slider states and Radix UI accordions with zero server latency.

Challenges Solved
1

Rendering complex rich-text payloads with embedded assets and custom formatting without breaking React component hierarchy or styling.

Built bespoke renderer options for rich-text handling that map custom node types directly to styled Tailwind components.

2

Ensuring precise, real-time financial calculations across variable repayment terms and interest brackets with instantaneous user feedback.

Engineered an interactive math engine in TypeScript that computes amortization and APR tiers instantaneously on state change.

Results
100% headless content authoring enabling non-technical publishing
Sub-second page transitions via Next.js ISR and Edge CDN
Real-time interactive loan estimations driving quote requests
Responsive and accessible across desktop and mobile devices
Lessons Learned
1Decoupling editorial content with a headless CMS dramatically accelerates content operations without degrading frontend velocity.
2Structuring rich-text renderer rules modularly simplifies long-term styling updates as design systems evolve.
Related Projects

Interested in building something similar?

I am always open to discussing new projects, technical challenges, and engineering opportunities.

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