When we started building Hischool, we made one clear decision:
Web-first is not a compromise — it’s a foundation.
Instead of treating the web as a secondary platform, we designed Hischool as a first-class web application that could power everything else: mobile, desktop, and beyond.
This changelog post explains how and why we built the Hischool web app the way we did.
Web-first architecture
Hischool is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA).
This means:
- One codebase
- One source of truth
- One experience across devices
The same web app runs on:
- Desktop browsers
- Mobile browsers
- Android (via TWA)
- iOS (via native wrapper)
- Desktop apps (wrapper-based)
From day one, we designed for responsiveness, performance, and stability — not just visuals.
Reactive by design
Hischool is a real-time education network.
That means the UI must always reflect the current state of learning, messaging, and collaboration.
We built the entire web app on a reactive system using SolidJS.
Why SolidJS?
Because it:
- Uses fine-grained reactivity (no virtual DOM)
- Updates only what changes
- Feels instant even with large data sets
- Scales naturally for real-time apps
SolidJS gave us the performance of vanilla JS with the ergonomics of modern frameworks.
Tooling: Vite + TypeScript
The entire app is written in TypeScript, giving us:
- Strong type safety
- Safer refactors
- Clearer contracts between frontend and backend
We use Vite for bundling and development:
- Lightning-fast dev server
- Instant HMR
- Optimized production builds
Responsive on every screen
The Hischool web app is fully responsive:
- Mobile
- Tablet
- Laptop
- Wide desktop
We didn’t build “mobile vs desktop” versions.
We built one adaptive UI system that naturally adjusts to any screen size.
No feature is hidden. No experience is downgraded.
Offline-ready & cached
The web app works even when your connection isn’t perfect.
We use:
- Service workers
- Smart caching strategies
- Background sync
Data is cached locally, giving users a stable and fast experience, even on slow networks.
Real-time backend sync
Hischool web app works hand-in-hand with our backend services.
- Data updates stream to the client in real time
- Changes instantly reflect in the UI
- No page reloads
- No manual refresh
When something changes in your school — you see it immediately.
Why this matters
This architecture lets us:
- Ship faster
- Maintain one product
- Keep all platforms in sync
- Deliver updates instantly
- Focus on learning, not rebuilding apps
It’s the reason we can ship mobile apps in 3 days, and still keep everything consistent.
Tech stack summary
- Language: TypeScript / JavaScript
- Framework: SolidJS
- Bundler: Vite
- App type: Progressive Web App (PWA)
- Architecture: Reactive, real-time, web-first
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS, Desktop
What’s next?
This is just the beginning.
In upcoming changelogs, we’ll share:
- Backend architecture
- Mobile wrappers
- Desktop app design
- Realtime messaging system
- Offline sync strategies
Stay tuned 👀
Hischool Web is not just a website — it’s the engine of the entire platform.