For my Interactive Design course, I designed Ponder: a modern-day digital scrapbook that invites users to document their lives through audio, photos, videos, time capsules, and inspiring quotes. Unlike traditional journaling apps, Ponder embraces emotional expression in all forms, offering a multimedia canvas for reflection, creativity, and memory-keeping. Whether it’s writing a letter to your future self or capturing a passing thought in a voice note, the app is designed to feel intimate, expressive, and deeply personal.
Timeline
January 2025 - April 2025
Background
Growing up, I used to write digital diary entries in my phone’s Notes app. While it served as a quick outlet, it was never secure, organized, or built to preserve meaningful memories over time. I couldn’t attach photos or audio, and the app wasn’t designed for the kind of personal reflection I craved. That experience inspired Ponder: a journaling app that reimagines what it means to document your life digitally. By combining multimedia elements like audio, photos, videos, future letters, and quotes, Ponder becomes a modern-day scrapbook: expressive, safe, and built to last. It offers users an intentional, emotionally rich space to record what matters most, in their own way.
Pain Points ❌
Emotionally Sterile (Notion, GoodNotes)
While powerful, these platforms feel too work-oriented or utilitarian for personal reflection, lacking warmth or emotional connection.
Text-Centric Limitations (Day One, Notion)
Most platforms prioritize written entries, making it hard to express thoughts through multimedia like audio, video, or collaged visuals.
Limited Personalization
Users often want a journaling space that feels “theirs” — with mood, music, and self-expression at the core, which many competitors lack.
How might we design a digital journaling experience that seamlessly integrates multimedia elements to enhance personal reflection and memory preservation?
ESTABLISHING HIERARCHY & PURPOSE
From Pain Points to Possibilities
❌ → ✅
Digital journaling apps often prioritize functionality over emotional resonance, resulting in experiences that feel cold, cluttered, or creatively limiting. Ponder set out to reframe this, offering a reflective space that is visually soothing, emotionally rich, and creatively flexible.
Before
Mid-Fidelity Mockup
🧘♀️ Improved Mental Wellbeing
By encouraging intentional reflection through mood-based journaling, PondeR promotes emotional clarity and self-awareness, helping users better manage stress, anxiety, and everyday thoughts through small, consistent habits.
⏳ Reduced Cognitive Overload
With thoughtfully designed prompts and a distraction-free interface, PondeR removes the pressure of “what to write,” making journaling approachable and sustainable even for users new to reflective practices.
🌍 Greater Access to Mindfulness
Unlike traditional wellness tools that can feel clinical or overwhelming, PondeR’s calming, sensory-rich experience makes mindfulness feel welcoming, personal, and culturally adaptable, opening the door for more people to begin their self-reflection journey.
This project highlighted the power of intentional experience design in shaping how users reflect, engage, and care for their emotional wellbeing. By prioritizing empathy, personalization, and clarity, I transformed PondeR into a calming, reflective space that feels both intuitive and emotionally resonant. The process reinforced the importance of aligning interaction design with emotional impact — ensuring that each screen not only functions smoothly but also supports mindfulness and self-expression. Ultimately, this project deepened my understanding of how thoughtful UX design can foster meaningful habits and emotional connection, creating an experience that is not just functional, but deeply human.
Other Projects
Cobra Clip Files
UI/UX
A project improving the digital presence of Tulasi Files’ eco-friendly office products.
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Spectrum Magazine
Graphic Design
Work on magazine layouts, social media, and issue curation, with published artwork.
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Ponder
UI/UX
An app concept for personalized journaling, life planning, and financial tracking.
Read More