Intelligent E-commerce Platform for Small and Home-based Businesses

Abstract

Hirftna (حرفتنا — "Our Craft") is a hybrid web marketplace for Algerian artisans and small home-based businesses. It combines a product marketplace, where sellers list handmade goods with images and price ranges, with a service workflow, where clients submit custom orders that go through negotiation, production, and delivery. The idea is straightforward: with handmade goods, the product and the service of making it cannot really be separated. There is no shopping cart. A client describes what they want, sets a budget and deadline, and optionally attaches reference images. The seller accepts or rejects, works on the piece, sets a final price, and the client confirms completion. No direct messaging; the order flow handles everything. We also built a mutual rating system because artisans frequently deal with clients who place orders and then disappear. After each completed order, both sides rate each other publicly, so a seller can check a client's track record before agreeing to take on their work. The backend runs on Node.js and Express.js, the frontend on React, and Supabase manages the database, authentication, and storage. The platform supports Arabic, English, and French with a full RTL (Right-to-Left) layout, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbot powered by Google Gemini, two-factor authentication via email OTP (One-Time Password), seller verification, and a promotion system for featured placements. Hirftna was deployed as a working MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and is accessible online.