Balance Pad

Bringing mental health support, productivity, and fun together for a positive user experience

Comment

Inspiration

There are variety of factors that contribute to mental health and wellbeing. For many students, the stresses of remote learning have taken a toll on their overall sense of peace. Our group created Balance Pad as a way to serve these needs. Thus, Balance Pads landing page gives users access to various features that aim to improve their wellbeing.

What it does

Balance Pad is a web-based application that gives users access to several resources relating to mental health, education, and productivity. Its initial landing page is a dashboard tying everything together to make a clear and cohesive user experience.

Professional Help

  1. Chat Pad: The first subpage of the application has a built in Chatbot offering direct access to a mental heath professional for instant messaging.

Productivity

  1. Class Pad: With the use of the Assembly API, users can convert live lecture content into text based notes. This feature will allow students to focus on live lectures without the stress of taking notes. Additionally, this text to speech aide will increase accessibility for those requiring note takers.
  2. Work Pad: Timed working sessions using the Pomodoro technique and notification restriction are also available on our webpage. The Pomodoro technique is a proven method to enhance focus on productivity and will benefit students
  3. To Do Pad: Helps users stay organized

Positivity and Rest

  1. Affirmation Pad: Users can upload their accomplishments throughout their working sessions. Congratulatory texts and positive affirmations will be sent to the provided mobile number during break sessions!
  2. Break Pad: Offers options to entertain students while resting from studying. Users are given a range of games to play with and streaming options for fun videos!

Information and Education

  1. Information Pad: is dedicated to info about all things mental health
  2. Quiz Pad: This subpage tests what users know about mental health. By taking the quiz, users gain valuable insight into how they are and information on how to improve their mental health, wellbeing, and productivity.

How we built it

React: Balance Pad was built using React. This allowed for us to easily combine the different webpages we each worked on.

JavaScript, HTML, and CSS: React builds on these languages so it was necessary to gain familiarity with them

Assembly API: The assembly API was used to convert live audio/video into text

Twilio: This was used to send instant messages to users based on tracked accomplishments

Challenges we ran into

  • Launching new apps with React via Visual Studio Code
  • Using Axios to run API calls
  • Displaying JSON information
  • Domain hosting of Class Pad
  • Working with Twilio

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Pranati: I am proud that I was able to learn React from scratch, work with new tech such as Axios, and successfully use the Assembly API to create the Class Pad (something I am passionate about). I was able to persevere through errors and build a working product that is impactful. This is my first hackathon and I am glad I had so much fun.

Simi: This was my first time using React, Node.js, and Visual Studio. I don't have a lot of CS experience so the learning curve was steep but rewarding!

Amitesh: Got to work with a team to bring a complicated idea to life!

What we learned

Amitesh: Troubleshooting domain creation for various pages, supporting teammates and teaching concepts

Pranati: I learned how to use new tech such as React, new concepts such API calls using Axios, how to debug efficiently, and how to work and collaborate in a team

Simi: I learned how APIs work, basic html, and how React modularizes code. Also learned the value of hackathons as this was my first

What's next for Balance Pad

Visualizing Music: Our group hopes to integrate BeatCaps software to our page in the future. This would allow a more interactive music experience for users and also allow hearing impaired individuals to experience music Real Time Transcription: Our group hopes to implement in real time transcription in the Class Pad to make it even easier for students.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates