ESIHUB
Table of Contents
Overview #
ESIHUB is a centralized platform that helps ESI students find course materials, documents, and internship reports in one searchable location. Built with Hugo and hosted on GitHub Pages, it solves the problem of scattered academic resources across multiple platforms.
Live Site: esihub
The Problem #
Students struggled with:
- Course materials scattered across Google Drive, WhatsApp groups, and email
- No efficient way to search for specific documents or past internship reports
- Difficulty discovering what resources were even available
The Solution #
Technology Choices #
I chose Hugo (static site generator) after benchmarking alternatives:
| Solution | Pros | Cons | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo | Fast builds, built-in search, free hosting, markdown-based | Learning curve | ✅ Selected |
| WordPress | Familiar CMS | maintenance overhead, security concerns | ❌ |
| Custom React | Full control | Overkill for content site | ❌ |
Architecture #
- Frontend: Hugo with Congo theme for responsive design
- Content: Markdown files managed via Git
- Storage: Google Drive for actual documents/files
- Search: Client-side full-text search engine
- Hosting: GitHub Pages (free, automatic HTTPS, global CDN)
- Deployment: GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline
- Analytics: Google Analytics for usage tracking and insights
Key Features #
- Full-text search across all courses and documents
- Organized by year, course, and document type
- Internship report repository with searchable metadata
- Links to Google Drive resources
- Mobile-responsive design
- Zero-maintenance content updates (just edit markdown)
Impact & Metrics #
The platform was launched in 2019, but the below insights are starting from 2023, the platform has demonstrated significant adoption:
The analytics show steady traffic over multiple years, validating the platform’s value to the student community.
Key Achievements:
- Centralized access to all academic materials in one location
- Sub-second search results with 100ms average page load
- 24/7 availability across all devices
- $0 hosting and maintenance costs
- Community-driven content updates via pull requests
Technical Highlights #
- Static site architecture eliminates backend complexity and security risks
- Markdown-only system enables non-technical contributors
- Client-side search removes need for database or backend API
- Git version control provides content history and collaboration features
- Analytics integration tracks user behavior without compromising performance
Tech Stack: Hugo, Congo Theme, Markdown, GitHub Pages, GitHub Actions, Google Drive, Google Analytics
Active Since: 2019