Avalanche

Inspiration

There are many goals we want to achieve, and we wondered how we could adjust our schedules to benefit ourselves. We realized that the best way to change ourselves is to do it gradually. Slow and steady changes can lead to incredible transformations over time, much like how an avalanche starts with a few rocks tumbling down and ends with an entire side of the mountain falling away.

What it does

Avalanche is an AI-integrated journal that provides users with personalized advice by learning about their habits and goals to better understand them. By offering consistent, small-scale advice, it can realistically help users reach their objectives. A user's profile is built by taking certain information such as their goals, hobbies, interests, occupation, as well as 2 daily journal entries that give a glimpse into the user's day. With this information, Avalanche is able to produce personalized advice that helps the user reach their designated goal (such as making gradual changes in their routine overtime).

How we built it

We built Avalanche using a combination of AI technology and user-friendly design elements. The platform includes a login/signup system for unique users, which then leads to an onboarding process that gathers key information such as the user's goals, hobbies, and occupation. From there, the user is prompted to enter 2 daily journal entries—a plan and a reflection—using text-to-speech for ease of use.

The AI component, powered by Llama, curates small-scale, personalized advice based on the user’s profile. The advice helps users gradually improve their daily routines by 1% every day, leading to significant progress over time. The platform also includes a chat history feature that allows users to review past advice and journal entries, keeping them engaged and on track.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was data parsing from AI to ensure that the advice generated was both relevant and actionable. Additionally, designing the layout for the website was more complex than anticipated, as we wanted it to be both intuitive and visually appealing.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of successfully integrating AI into the journaling system in a meaningful way, offering personalized and actionable advice to users. We are also proud of creating a platform that can genuinely help people track their goals and make progress over time. Furthermore, we are thrilled with the smooth text-to-speech functionality that enhances user experience and accessibility.

What we learned

Throughout this process, we learned many new skills, such as product planning, working with AI technology (like Llama), and collaborating as a team using Git for version control. These experiences helped us improve both our technical and teamwork capabilities.

What's next for Avalanche

Next, we plan to improve Avalanche by refining the AI’s ability to provide even more tailored advice based on a broader range of user data. We also aim to expand the onboarding process to capture deeper insights into user behaviors and preferences. Furthermore, we are considering adding features that allow users to share their progress with a community or track milestones over longer periods. Finally, we hope to launch mobile applications to make the platform more accessible and to integrate with other tools like calendars or productivity apps for a seamless experience.