Dino Journey is a mental health and productivity app designed to provide non-judgmental support through a growing dino companion that evolves with the user. The app encourages emotional well-being without inducing guilt, helping users stay productive while maintaining a sense of support and growth. Built during ShellHacks 2024, this app integrates elements of gamification and mental health research to ensure a positive, supportive experience for its users.
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🥚 Egg Hatching: Hatch your own your personal dino companion.
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💬 Dino Companion Interaction: The dino offers non-invasive, gentle prompts and positive reinforcement to support your mental health.
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❤️ Heart Animation: Experience moments of emotional connection as your dino companion helps you through life’s highs and lows.
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🎮 Gamification: Complete tasks to level up your dino companion, maintaining long-term engagement without adding pressure or guilt.
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🔒 Privacy-First Design: All user data is stored locally, ensuring your privacy and personal growth are protected.
Dino Journey is grounded in research on mental health benefits from pets and gamification. Our app addresses issues of guilt-based productivity and impersonal support in existing tools by providing a companion that grows with the user in a non-judgmental way. We used a research-backed approach to develop features like:
- The positive impact of virtual companions on mental health.
- Avoiding guilt-based reinforcement methods.
- Using gamification to improve app retention and user engagement.
- Onboarding: Answer questions for a personalized experience.
- Companion Matching: Hatch your dino companion tailored to you.
- Task Tracking: Log your daily tasks, and your companion will grow alongside you.
- Non-Judgmental Support: Your dino offers gentle, encouraging feedback without guilt or pressure.
- Emotional Growth: Through highs and lows, your dino supports you with animations.
- Gamification: As you complete tasks, level up your dino and get rewards.
Dino Journey was created during ShellHacks 2024, Florida’s largest hackathon, as part of a project to promote mental health and well-being.
- Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/your_username/dino-journey.git
- Install dependencies:
npm install
- Run the app:
npm start
- Special thanks to ShellHacks 2024 for hosting the event and fostering innovation.
- Research and inspiration from studies on gamification, pet therapy, and mental health.