Building an Authenticated Supabase Storage Gallery

The Supabase S3 Bucket Image Gallery is a portfolio project built to show more than a polished screen. The goal was to demonstrate a full product flow: a user can authenticate, upload images, browse stored files, and use a deployed interface that feels intentional.

The important engineering signal is the boundary between the interface and storage. Image uploads are not just files on a page. They need a clear access model, predictable object paths, and UI states that explain what is happening when a user signs in, uploads, waits, or hits an error.

Problem

The project started with a practical question:

How do I build a small storage-backed app that proves I can connect authentication, object storage, UI state, and deployment without hiding the hard parts?

That means the app needed to cover:

1. Authentication before the user reaches private gallery behavior.
2. A storage bucket flow that can handle uploads and file listing.
3. A UI that makes the product path obvious.
4. Deployment that is stable enough to share with recruiters.

Technical Choices

The stack is intentionally focused:

• Next.js for the application shell and routing.
• TypeScript for safer component and data handling.
• Supabase for auth and object storage.
• Tailwind CSS for a consistent interface without a large custom CSS layer.

Supabase was a good fit because the project is about the full product path, not only the file upload API. Auth, storage, and dashboard visibility live close together, which makes it easier to reason about the system while still exposing real engineering decisions.

Product Flow

The gallery is designed around a simple flow:

1. The user lands on the app.
2. The app requires authentication before private actions.
3. The user uploads an image.
4. The image is stored in a bucket.
5. The gallery view reflects the uploaded content.

That flow is intentionally small. A narrow project can still be strong if it shows clean boundaries, error awareness, and a deployed result.

What I Wanted Recruiters To See

The project is meant to show:

• I can wire a real backend service into a frontend app.
• I understand that file storage needs access control and naming discipline.
• I can ship a focused product instead of stopping at a local demo.
• I can explain the technical choices behind the project.

For a portfolio, this matters because a recruiter or engineer should not have to guess whether the app is only a static UI. The live app and case study language should make the backend work visible.

Next Improvements

The next version would be stronger with:

• Better empty, loading, and error states.
• A clearer file ownership model.
• Image metadata and filtering.
• A short architecture diagram in the project writeup.
• A public README that explains setup and deployment.

The current version already does the most important portfolio job: it shows a deployed full-stack flow with auth, storage, and practical product decisions.