Jun Shen’s Capstone Project: Making Action Figures Affordable Through Tech
Sigma School
8th March 2025
At Sigma School, students push their boundaries by developing capstone projects that demonstrate their learning and innovation.
Jun Shen, one such student, recently presented his final project - JS Collectables, an e-commerce platform designed to make collectible figures more accessible and affordable. His journey was filled with challenges, valuable lessons, and ultimate success.
Jun Shen, a 17-year-old coding enthusiast, embarked on this project with a deep love for action figures and web development. Known among peers as Titanus or JS, he is an avid collector of figures, especially his favorite character, Godzilla.
By merging his interests with his programming skills, he aimed to create an online store that would offer affordable collectables to fellow enthusiasts.
The global collectibles market is booming, generating approximately $8.4 billion in revenue. However, many collectors struggle with the high prices of figures, often inflated by middlemen and retail markups.
Jun Shen identified this as a barrier for collectors and sought to build a platform that would offer a budget-friendly alternative, making figures more accessible to fans like himself.
The development of JS Collectables was no easy task. Jun Shen faced multiple challenges, with one of the biggest being converting traditional HTML-based pages into a React-powered web app.
Initially, he built the product listing page in HTML, only to later realize that integrating it with his cart and authentication system—developed using React and Firebase—was much more complex than expected.
Additionally, he encountered authentication issues, as implementing Firebase authentication required a deeper understanding of user data security. Debugging these issues proved to be time-consuming and frustrating, making him question his progress at times.
Rather than giving up, Jun Shen took proactive steps to overcome his difficulties. He relied on Sigma School’s resources, including slides and past projects, to reinforce his understanding of key coding concepts. More importantly, he sought help from his mentors and peers, including Teacher Harris, Teacher Khant, Teacher Safa, and Teacher Jun Heng, who provided guidance that helped him solve technical issues.
Through this journey, he not only tackled technical problems but also developed essential skills in problem-solving, time management, and self-confidence.
Jun Shen’s capstone project is a testament to the power of perseverance, collaboration, and continuous learning. JS Collectables is more than just an online store; it’s a solution-driven project aimed at making collectibles more affordable for enthusiasts.
His journey has equipped him with real-world skills in React, Firebase, and API integration, preparing him for future endeavors in software development.
Through this experience, Jun Shen has learned that coding is more than just writing lines of code - it’s about problem-solving, seeking help, and believing in oneself. His success at Sigma School demonstrates the potential of young developers to turn their passions into impactful digital solutions.