Why I Built Yet Another Trend Dashboard
As a developer, I often check trends for ideas, learning, or simple curiosity.
Search trends, social media, videos, podcasts, news.
At some point, I realized something uncomfortable:
I was spending more time tracking trends than actually thinking or building.
Many tools are optimized for deep analysis:
- Long-term graphs
- Historical comparisons
- Detailed metrics
Those are useful — but not always.
Most days, what I really want is much simpler:
“What’s happening right now?”
A Constraint I Chose on Purpose
When I started this project, I made one very deliberate decision:
The dashboard does not store historical data.
At first glance, that sounds like a missing feature.
In reality, it’s the core design.
No history means:
- No overanalysis
- No pressure to keep up
- No sense that you’re “behind”
You open the page, scan the signals, and move on.
If you didn’t see today’s trends, that’s fine.
Tomorrow will already look different.
Why One Trend Source Isn’t Enough
Google Trends is powerful, but it reflects only search behavior.
It doesn’t fully show:
- What creators are publishing today
- What people are watching or listening to
- Where attention is moving, not just being searched
Trends aren’t a single graph.
They’re signals scattered across platforms.
That’s why this dashboard focuses on aggregating current trends from multiple sources, rather than going deep into one.
What the Dashboard Actually Does
The dashboard shows:
- Search trends
- Video trends
- Podcast trends
- Other media signals
Everything is:
- Read-only
- Stateless
- Focused entirely on the present
There are no accounts, no saved preferences, and no personalization.
You don’t “use” it for long.
You just check it.
🔗 Live demo:
https://trends-dashboard.fly.dev/us
Why the Dashboard Focuses on US and Japan
This dashboard currently focuses on two regions: the US and Japan.
The US is an obvious choice.
Many global trends — in technology, media, and culture — tend to emerge there first.
Japan, on the other hand, plays a different role.
Some trends arrive later, some evolve differently, and some exist almost entirely within the local context.
By placing US and Japan side by side, it becomes easier to notice those differences.
This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive global view.
It’s a deliberate contrast — between where trends often start and how they appear in a different environment.
That contrast is part of what makes watching trends interesting to me.
How I Approached Building It
I started with a straightforward implementation and iterated quickly.
Instead of optimizing architecture early, I focused on:
- Fast feedback loops
- Clear, calm UI
- Reducing cognitive load
I did use AI-assisted tools along the way, but this wasn’t about technical novelty.
It was an exercise in deciding what not to build.
Possible Improvements (Carefully)
Even with this constraint, I do think about future improvements.
Some ideas:
- Lightweight history Short snapshots, not full analytics
- Email digests Daily or weekly trend summaries you don’t have to actively check
- More sources Industry-specific or regional signals
There’s one rule, though:
If a feature turns awareness into work, it doesn’t belong here.
A Preference for “Just Enough”
This product reflects a preference I have when it comes to software.
I tend to like tools that are:
- Calm
- Lightweight
- Respectful of attention
Not everything needs to be stored.
Not everything needs to be optimized.
Sometimes, awareness alone is sufficient.
In Japanese, there’s a word I like: 「ほどほど」 — just enough.
This dashboard is my attempt to apply that idea to modern software design.
Ephemeral by Design
Many products treat history as value.
Here, impermanence is the value.
Trends fade.
Attention shifts.
So the tool should, too.
Closing Thoughts
Most dashboards try to answer:
“What happened?”
This one asks:
“What’s happening?”
And then it steps aside.
If you’re interested in building:
- Stateless tools
- Minimal products
- Or software that intentionally does less
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Top comments (1)
Added a short note explaining why the dashboard focuses on US and Japan.