Brain Dump

Inspiration- When your head is full of tasks, worries and half-ideas, it's hard to know where to start. Most to-do apps expect you to be organised already. We wanted something kinder that lets you dump everything out first, then helps you find one clear next step

What it does- BrainDump lets you write or say everything on your mind at once and turns it into a short priority checklist. The Today view shows your progress, how much time you have, and what's in your way. There's also a Focus mode, a History page and an encouraging "North Star" message. When you switch between light and dark mode, the new theme spreads across the screen as a smooth ripple from the toggle button. You can use it as a guest, and signing up saves your progress

How we built it- We built BrainDump with a vibecoding tool, an AI-assisted development platform that turns product specifications into working code. We defined the product, designed the user flows and ran each feature through repeated cycles of testing and refinement. The stack uses TypeScript, the View Transitions API for theme animation, and accessibility-aware motion handling. The app is deployed live and version-controlled on GitHub

Challenges we ran into- The hardest part was deciding what "most important" means. It's different for everyone. A task that's urgent for one person can wait for another, and people weigh deadlines, energy, effort and personal priorities in different ways. We had to balance real urgency, like deadlines and consequences, against what each user actually cares about. On top of that, the checklist still had to feel calm rather than pushy. We designed the prioritisation so it shows what's urgent without overwhelming anyone or overriding their own judgement. That meant time available, blockers and effort all had to be part of the decision

Accomplishments that we're proud of- We built a solution to something a lot of people struggle with every day, including me: having too much in your head and not knowing where to start. BrainDump takes that mental clutter and turns it into one clear next step. The design focuses on reducing overwhelm and decision fatigue, which could especially help people with ADHD and anyone who finds it hard to get started on tasks. We're proud that it feels supportive rather than demanding

What we learned- Productivity is less about doing more and more about deciding well. Overwhelm usually comes from unclear priorities rather than a lack of effort. We learned that the right next step depends on context: urgency, time, energy and what's in the way. A tool that respects that works far better than one that just lists tasks. We also learned how much tone matters. Calm, encouraging language and a simple interface can decide whether someone starts or gives up

What's next for Brain Dump-

• prioritisation:learning each user's habits and preferences so the next step feels even more right over time.
• Gentle reminders: nudges at the right moment that don't add pressure
• Calendar integration:fitting tasks around real schedules and deadlines
• Voice brain dumps:speaking your thoughts out loud for faster capture.
• Mobile app: clearing your head anywhere, anytime
• Focus and wellbeing features: break suggestions, energy tracking and support designed with people with ADHD in mind

Built With

• github
• manus
• manus-hosting
• the-view-transitions-api-for-the-ripple-effect
• typescript