2 min read
Step 5: Polish
Refine the experience.
Where We Are
The app works. Now make it feel good.
Improve the Loading State
While weather data is loading:
- Show a subtle loading spinner or skeleton cards
- Disable the search button to prevent double-clicks
- Clear the old data before showing new resultsAdd Keyboard Support
Make sure pressing Enter in the search input triggers the search.
Focus the input when the page loads so you can start typing immediately.Visual Polish
Refine the design:
- Add a subtle gradient or background that hints at the weather
- Make the current temperature really prominent — big and bold
- Add smooth transitions when data loads
- Style the forecast cards with a hover effect
- Make the temperature unit toggle look polishedHandle Edge Cases
Handle these situations gracefully:
- Empty search input — don't fetch, show a hint
- Very long city names — truncate or wrap
- Network errors — show a friendly retry message
- No results — "City not found. Try another name."Checkpoint
By now you should have:
- Smooth loading states
- Keyboard support
- Polished visuals
- Edge cases handled
What You Learned
- Loading states improve perceived performance
- Small details (focus, keyboard, transitions) make apps feel professional
- Edge cases separate working apps from good apps