Internships at Exaud: Maryana Silva’s Task Management App

Great software often starts with a real problem. During her internship at Exaud, Maryana Silva turned a daily family challenge into a fully structured software project: a Family Task Management System designed to help parents and children stay organized and motivated. In this interview, she walks us through her inspiration, development process, and advice for future interns.

Can you tell us a bit about your internship project and what you’ve been working on?

My internship project involved developing a Family Task Management System. The main objective was to create a platform for parents to transparently assign, monitor, and incentivize their children's chores and school assignments. My primary focus was constructing a secure and resilient backend using Java Spring Boot, ensuring full implementation of the business logic and security protocols. A significant advantage was the immediate application of professional methodologies, specifically Jira for ticket management and Git for version control, skills I acquired during my experience at Exaud.

What inspired you to create a task management application, and how did the idea come about?

The inspiration was born from my personal experience as a mother. Dealing daily with the complexity of managing the household routine, school tasks, and promoting responsibility in my children at the same time is a universal challenge. During my internship, I learned to use tools like Jira to manage IT projects. I thought: 'If I can manage a complex software project with these tools, why not apply that methodology, made simpler and fun, to manage the most important project of all: my family? The idea came from crossing my new IT skills with my real-life experience in family management.

You mentioned that your family life played a role in this concept. Could you elaborate on how your personal experience influenced the project?

As a mother of a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old, I knew the system had to be simple and engaging. We decided early on that the key was motivation and clarity, not just another complicated organizational tool. That personal insight led to a crucial design choice: to make the platform super easy to use, we skipped complex logins and opted for a simple profile selection model.

You wanted the app to be both functional and family-oriented. How did you combine these two aspects?

The functionality relies on a robust backend with secure authentication, deadline settings, and full task status tracking. The family focus comes from Profile Segregation: we clearly separate the Parent Profile (for management and assigning) from the Child Profile (for execution and feedback).

Could you walk us through the first steps of your development process?

The project was launched with a professional mindset. After learning about Java Spring Boot, we immediately used Jira to translate ideas into tracked, estimated requirements, just like a real project. Crucially, I designed a solid three-layer architecture and enforced Git Version Control from day one, using feature branches to ensure every step of development was organized, robust, and traceable.

How did you define the key functionalities for the app?

Defining the core functionalities was a strategic exercise in prioritization and scope management, fully aligned with the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) principle. We focused on three pillars: First, the Core, Security was non-negotiable, as no project is viable without secure authentication. Second, the Logic, implementing the CRUD operations for Tasks and the Profile .

What tools or technologies did you use to design and prototype the application?

The project was developed with a robust, professional workflow, beginning with Jira for comprehensive Project Management, including defining tickets, estimating effort, and tracking the workflow. Git/GitHub was implemented for reliable Version Control from day one. The core of the system is a RESTful API built with Java Spring Boot, chosen for its efficiency and stability, with Spring Security providing role-based authentication and authorization. Finally, the design phase included using simple diagrams for database interaction, and Postman was utilized to test and validate all API endpoints before integration, ensuring a solid, well-tested backend foundation.

What were the main challenges you faced during the initial phase of the project?

The biggest technical challenge was the complete implementation of the Security module using Spring Security. On the methodological side, the main difficulty was initial estimation. Learning to be realistic about the time required for task, which often seem simple but involve framework configurations and testing, was absolutely crucial. Thankfully, my previous test project helped mitigate this challenge by establishing a strong learning curve.

What do you think are the biggest benefits of this app for families?

As both a mother and a developer, I see the benefits as transformative. The system provides Peace of Mind for Parents by automating task assignment and tracking, effectively removing the burden of constant supervision and reminders, which frees them up to focus on positive interactions with their children. Simultaneously, it fosters Autonomy and Responsibility for Children, teaching them the value of organization and work in a fun and engaging way.

What part of the project are you most proud of?

I am particularly proud of the backend's robustness. Delivering the complete business logic and security perfectly functional is the proof of my ability to build a system from the ground up, utilizing the good software engineering practices that I learned here at Exaud.

Finally, what advice would you give to other interns who want to create their own meaningful projects?

My advice is threefold: First, choose a problem you are passionate about, because that personal passion will give you the motivation to overcome the toughest technical challenges. Second, don't start with code, but with methodology: use Jira (or equivalent) to manage your time, create tickets, and estimate effort. This is what truly prepares you for the job market. Finally, focus on the MVP (Minimum Viable Product): don't try to do everything, but rather ensure that what you defined as essential is delivered with 100% quality which is always better than a project that is 50% complete across all its parts.