Building Graveyard Shift: How Kiro Changed My Development Workflow
When I started building Graveyard Shift - a Halloween-themed task management app - I had no idea it would fundamentally change how I approach development. This is the story of how Kiro transformed my workflow from chaotic coding to structured, confident building.
The Idea: Spooky Productivity
The concept was simple: what if your todo list lived in a graveyard? Tasks become tombstones, goals become cursed dolls, and your productivity is tracked by moon phases. It's quirky, it's fun, and it needed to be polished.
But here's the thing - I wanted to build it fast without sacrificing quality. That's where Kiro came in.
The Old Way vs. The Kiro Way
Before Kiro
My typical workflow looked like this:
- Start coding immediately
- Realize I forgot something important
- Refactor everything
- Break something else
- Spend hours debugging
- Repeat
With Kiro
The workflow became:
- Spec it out - Define requirements, design, and tasks
- Build iteratively - Implement feature by feature
- Get instant feedback - Kiro catches issues immediately
- Refactor fearlessly - Context awareness means no broken connections
- Ship confidently - Everything works together
The Spec-Driven Approach
One of Kiro's killer features is the spec system. Instead of diving into code, I started by creating structured specifications:
Requirements (EARS Syntax)
WHEN a user completes a task
THEN the system SHALL update the task status to 'completed'
AND the system SHALL record the completion timestamp
AND the system SHALL update the weekly progress moon phase
This forced me to think through the entire feature before writing a single line of code. Game changer.
Design (Property-Based Testing)
Property: Task Status Consistency
GIVEN any task in the system
WHEN the task status is updated
THEN the status MUST be one of: pending, completed, or overdue
AND the status MUST be reflected consistently across all views
By defining properties upfront, I knew exactly what needed to be tested and what "correct" looked like.
Real Examples: Features That Came Together Fast
1. Pomodoro Timer Integration
I wanted users to track focus sessions alongside their tasks. With Kiro:
- Defined the spec in 10 minutes
- Implemented the backend routes with instant validation
- Built the React component with real-time feedback
- Integrated with the existing task system seamlessly
Total time: ~2 hours for a fully working feature with backend persistence.
2. 3D Tombstone Cemetery
The visual centerpiece of the app - interactive 3D tombstones that users can click to view task details.
The challenge? Making it accessible, performant, and gracefully degrading for older browsers.
Kiro helped me:
- Implement keyboard navigation (arrow keys, Enter, Escape)
- Add ARIA labels for screen readers
- Detect 3D transform support and fallback gracefully
- Handle focus management for modals
All while maintaining the spooky aesthetic.
3. Cursed Dolls (Goal Tracking)
This was the most complex feature - long-term goals with progress tracking, milestone management, and visual feedback.
What would have taken days took hours because:
- Kiro understood the entire codebase context
- Suggested consistent patterns from existing features
- Caught edge cases I would have missed
- Helped refactor without breaking anything
The Technical Stack
Frontend:
- React 19 with React Router
- Framer Motion for animations
- Three.js for 3D effects
- Tailwind CSS + custom spooky styling
Backend:
- Node.js + Express
- MongoDB with Mongoose
- JWT authentication
- Appwrite for user management
The Kiro Advantage:
Kiro kept everything consistent across the stack. When I updated the task schema in the backend, it helped me update all the frontend components that depended on it. No more hunting through files wondering what I broke.
Lessons Learned
1. Specs Save Time
Writing specs felt slow at first, but it saved hours of refactoring later. Knowing exactly what you're building before you build it is powerful.
2. Context Awareness is Everything
Not having to explain my codebase repeatedly was liberating. Kiro just knew what I was working with.
3. Iteration Speed Matters
The faster you can try ideas, the better your final product. Kiro's instant feedback loop meant I could experiment without fear.
4. Quality and Speed Aren't Opposites
I shipped faster and with better code quality. Property-based testing, accessibility compliance, and error handling all came naturally.
The Results
In less time than I'd normally spend on a basic CRUD app, I built:
✅ Full authentication system with JWT
✅ Task management with priority levels and status tracking
✅ Pomodoro timer with session history
✅ Goal tracking with milestones and progress visualization
✅ Bookmark management for quick links
✅ Weekly progress tracking with moon phases
✅ 3D interactive cemetery view
✅ Fully accessible keyboard navigation
✅ Responsive design with spooky animations
✅ Property-based tests for core functionality
The "Aha!" Moment
The moment I realized Kiro had changed my workflow was when I needed to add task statistics to the Settings page.
I just described what I wanted, and within minutes:
- The calculations were implemented
- The UI was styled consistently with the rest of the app
- The responsive grid layout worked perfectly
- The animated completion bar had a shimmer effect
It felt less like coding and more like designing the solution, then watching it come to life.
Tips for Using Kiro Effectively
- Start with specs - Even for small features, write it down first
- Use steering files - Document your tech stack and patterns
- Iterate in small chunks - Build feature by feature, not all at once
- Trust the context - Kiro remembers your codebase, use that
- Refactor confidently - The safety net is real
What's Next for Graveyard Shift?
The app is live and functional, but there's always more to build:
- Team collaboration features (shared graveyards)
- Mobile app with React Native
- Dark ritual animations for completing goals
- Integration with calendar apps
- Gamification with achievement badges
And with Kiro, I'm actually excited to build these features instead of dreading the complexity.
Try It Yourself
If you're curious about the project:
- GitHub: https://github.com/sridurgeshv/Kiroween-Challenge
- Tech Stack: React, Node.js, MongoDB, Appwrite
And if you want to experience the Kiro workflow yourself, check out kiro.dev.
Final Thoughts
Building Graveyard Shift taught me that the right tools don't just make you faster - they make you better. Kiro didn't just help me write code; it helped me think through problems, maintain consistency, and ship with confidence.
The future of development isn't about replacing developers with AI. It's about augmenting our abilities, removing friction, and letting us focus on the creative parts of building.
That's what Kiro does. And honestly? I'm hooked.
Built with Kiro for the Kiro Hackathon. #kiro
What's your biggest development workflow pain point? Drop a comment below! 👇
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