How I Built VibePulse
A story about building with AI (and learning a ton along the way)
The Story
As a developer, I wanted to explore how AI is changing the way we build software. VibePulse became my experiment—could I build a full-stack app using AI-assisted development and see how it compares to traditional coding workflows?
I used Figma Make, V0, Vercel's AI assistant, to handle the heavy lifting. Instead of writing every line of code myself, I focused on architecture decisions, feature requirements, and iterative refinement. The result? A fully functional app built in a fraction of the time it would normally take (It took me an hour to put this together).
How It Went Down
Step 1: Defining the Vision
I started with a clear product vision: an AI-powered music recommendation engine that analyzes mood through text and images. I described the requirements to V0 and let it scaffold the initial architecture.
Step 2: Design Implementation
I created a quick UI using Figma Make with the futuristic aesthetic I wanted, purple gradients (what says AI more than purple gradients), glassmorphism, subtle animations. Shared it with V0 and it translated the visual language into production-ready code using modern CSS techniques and Tailwind.
Step 3: Tech Stack Setup
V0 set up a Next.js 15 app with React Server Components, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS v4. The entire project structure, routing, and component architecture was generated based on best practices—no boilerplate setup needed.
Step 4: Spotify API Integration
I specified the need for Spotify integration, and V0 built the OAuth flow, API routes, and data fetching logic. It handled authentication, token management, and search queries—all the tedious API work abstracted away.
Step 5: AI-Powered Analysis
The core feature: AI mood detection. V0 integrated GPT-4 Vision for image analysis and natural language processing for text input. The AI extracts emotional context and maps it to musical characteristics for accurate recommendations.
Step 6: Iteration & Refinement
I iterated on UX details—adding suggested moods, making tracks link to Spotify, optimizing mobile responsiveness, implementing share functionality. Each refinement was a conversation with V0, rapidly prototyping and testing ideas.
What Powers This Thing
V0 by Vercel
The AI assistant that turned my descriptions into actual working code. Honestly, this project wouldn't exist without it.
Spotify API
Gives the app access to Spotify's entire music library so it can search for tracks and build playlists based on your mood.
Next.js & React
The modern web frameworks that make everything run smoothly and look good. They handle all the behind-the-scenes stuff.
AI Vision Models
The AI tech that looks at your photos and figures out the mood and vibe so it can recommend matching music.
What I Learned
Building VibePulse showed me that AI-assisted development isn't about replacing developers, it's about amplifying what we can do. I spent less time on boilerplate and more time on product decisions, feature design, and user experience.
The workflow shift is significant: instead of writing every function and component from scratch, I focused on architecture, requirements, and iteration. V0 handled implementation details while I guided the product vision. This is what modern development looks like and it's pretty damn efficient.