I think that a mixture of both options would be most helpful for me as a reader. As in, a series of articles where you first describe the goals using user stories and such and then following a step by step process on how to achieve the set goals. Additional resources, such as documentations of frameworks, could help me if I don't understand something or want to know something additional. Predefined acceptance tests would then also help me to test if my implementation is correct. Kind-of like a "code along".

If you're worried about the level being too high for beginners, you could start with more simple features that use some basics of the tools/languages/frameworks and then steadily increase the level of complexity from there on. When I think of a social network, I'd probably start with a feed with hardcoded posts coming from some endpoint and then make it dynamic, for example.

I think it really depends on what you want to create: More of a course for people to follow, like FreeCodeCamp, but more with a finished product at the end or a series of articles that tell a story about how to get from an idea to a finished product, all while learning about how to use the chosen tools.

Whatever your path with will be, I'm looking forward to reading it! :)