I’m still new to programming. 😧 Honestly, I didn’t even know what an “algorithm” was until now.
But while trying to figure out how my app should actually work, I ended up learning about it—and it turns out, it’s such a helpful way to lay things out. It helped me take all the scattered thoughts in my head and line them up into something that actually makes sense. I didn’t expect that.
Since Mind Journal won’t use a server, everything will be saved directly on the phone. That made me think carefully about how to keep things simple, private, and meaningful. Instead of making people write things (which I probably wouldn’t do either), I decided the app will just ask a few small questions and then offer a quiet suggestion in return. When the app opens, it’ll ask how you’re feeling with just an emoji to choose from. Then it’ll ask why. There’s a list of reasons at the school, friends, family, health, studying, and so on—and you can pick a few that fit. After that, there’s one more question: “Did you sleep well?” It’s optional. You don’t have to answer it. Based on those answers, the app gently gives back something small. A short message like, “It’s okay to rest for a bit,” or “You’ve done enough for today.”
That message, along with everything you answered, gets saved—quietly—in the phone. Just for you. You can come back to it if you ever want to see how you’ve been feeling over time.
I ended up drawing a flowchart for all of this.
At first, it was just boxes and arrows, but it helped me see the whole picture more clearly.
It’s still a work in progress, and I have a long way to go.
But this felt like a real step forward. I created the design using Figma’s FigJam tool, and it’s really amazing! I’m still figuring it out, but it already feels like it was made exactly for people like me who need to map out their ideas visually. Whoever made this tool is a genius. Seriously. 🤩