The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing mental health challenges. We took inspiration to make an app that can support the user when navigating daily life. As mental illnesses come in different shades, we wanted to make an app that can accommodate and at the same time, not overwhelm.
Through Check In, users can input reminders for drinking water, stretching, and getting enough sleep, all tasks that can get to be overwhelming in the current environment. Additionally, the user will be soothed by affirmations that will change throughout the day to encourage and center them. Users can also access a series of resources tailored to their current emotional state through the 'How are you feeling?' portal. They will be suggested to choose among five emotional states:
- I am feeling anxious.
- I am feeling depressed.
- I am feeling angry.
- I am feeling overwhelmed.
- I am okay!
According to the choice made above, the user will be led to a page where, alongside an encouraging message, they will have access to a series of resources to tackle their emotions.
Check In is built using Flutter in an Android development environment, and Firebase as the backend using MaterialUI guidelines.
Developing a product using an SDK not experimented with previously, offered plenty of positive challenges. Additionally, when there is a time crunch, it is inevitable that concessions will have to be made. We originally intended for the user to have push notifications, but adding this functionality proved to be too complex for the allocated time, so it was replaced by a carousel at the top of the home page. The challenges faced, we believe, have made us just that much wiser.
The team is proud of having developed a complete product in the span of a weekend. Not only that, but we are proud of having had the courage to experiment with and develop this app through flutter, dart, and firebase - all tools previously foreign to us.
Although we had to make concessions, we learned that sometimes having to make such sacrifices can end up having a positive effect. Adding some of the features we had originally planned could overwhelm the user and ultimately work against our overarching goal.
These are the features we hope to implement as we continue working on Check In:
- Providing users with the option to connect their Spotify accounts, so Check In can recommend songs and playlists that match their mood. The music will be filtered according to tone, beats per minute (BPM), key, volume, pitch, and cadence.
- Customizing reminders outside of the three that are offered currently.
- Enabling push notifications so users can see reminders on their home screens.
- Linking the user's personal calendar for a more streamlined experience.