Inspiration
I built Brainful+ because most diary and journal apps feel like generic notes apps. They give you folders, lists, and a blank page, but not much of an experience around your thoughts and memories.
Brainful+ turns your journal into an interactive brain the place where our thoughts and memories are actually stored.
What it does
Brainful+ gives you a simple place to dump whatever is on your mind. It can be an idea, memory, emotion, vent, or something you want to revisit later.
Thoughts can be organized into clusters that appear around the brain. Users can also add photos, videos, voice notes, and seal older memories inside capsules.
How we built it
I built Brainful+ for iPhone using SwiftUI, SwiftData, SceneKit, CloudKit, StoreKit, and RevenueCat.
SwiftData stores thoughts and memories, CloudKit syncs them across devices, and SceneKit powers the interactive brain. RevenueCat manages Brainful++ subscriptions and permanent feature purchases called Lobes.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenge was keeping the app smooth as the journal grows to thousands of thoughts and media files.
I also spent a lot of time making iCloud syncing and purchases reliable, especially when users restore purchases, change subscriptions, import backups, or move between devices.
Inspiration
I built Brainful+ because most diary and journal apps feel like generic notes apps. They usually give you folders, lists, and a blank page, but there is not much of an experience around your thoughts and memories.
Brainful+ takes a different approach by turning your journal into an interactive brain—the place where our thoughts and memories are actually stored.
What it does
With a simple tap, you can dump any thought into your brain. It can be a quick idea, a memory, a vent, an emotion, or something you want to come back to later.
Thoughts can be grouped into clusters, and every cluster becomes part of the visual brain. Instead of scrolling through a cluttered list of notes, users can explore their thoughts, memories, orbits, and capsules in a more creative and personal way.
Brainful+ is designed to make journaling feel easy. You do not need to choose a complicated template or answer a list of questions. You can simply open the app, tap the brain, and write what is on your mind.
How I built it
I built Brainful+ for iPhone using SwiftUI, SwiftData, SceneKit, CloudKit, StoreKit, and RevenueCat.
RevenueCat powers Brainful++, the optional subscription, as well as permanent one-time purchases called Lobes. I also designed the payment page as an interactive Mind Store, where subscriptions appear as planets and permanent features appear as lobes around the brain.
Challenges
The biggest challenge was keeping the visual experience smooth while supporting a journal that may eventually contain thousands of thoughts, images, videos, voice notes, and memories.
I also spent a lot of time making iCloud syncing, purchase restoration, subscription changes, and permanent purchases work safely without losing or hiding the user's journal.
What I learned
I learned that a journal does not need more menus or more steps to feel useful. Sometimes the best experience is simply giving people a calm and interesting place to put whatever is on their mind.
What's next
I want to keep improving Brainful+ based on real feedback, add more meaningful ways to rediscover old memories, and make the brain feel even more personal over time.
What we learned
I learned that a journal does not need more menus, templates, or steps to feel useful. Sometimes the best experience is simply giving people a calm and interesting place to put whatever is on their mind. I also learned a lot about building with SwiftUI, SwiftData, SceneKit, CloudKit, StoreKit, and RevenueCat especially how important it is to handle syncing, purchases, performance, and data safety as carefully as the visual experience.
What's next for Brainful+ Diary Journal
Next, I want to improve Brainful+ using real feedback from people who journal regularly. I plan to add more meaningful ways to rediscover old thoughts and memories, expand the calendar and reflection experience, and make each brain feel more personal over time. My goal is to keep Brainful+ simple and calm while making it a place people genuinely want to return to every day.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.