Burgeon

Inspiration

Friends I spend my day-to-day with often have a low attention span when we allot time to work in the library or in lounges together, as they regularly return to their phones to view their notifications and have a difficult time using complex applications just to make a simple to-do list.

What it does

Users can open the desktop app to be able to edit and delete their tasks to do throughout the day in a mushroom-shaped post it. This post-it can rest on top of windows to keep their mind on what they need to complete before the day's end. With each task checked off, 10 points are gained, which add up in the Seed shop. There is also a link to the web game itself, pointing users to a welcome page where they can start their world and upgrade it by cashing in their Seed points.

How we built it

This project was built in VS Code using Java syntax. I used OpenAI for help on the architecture and syntax of the code, while I primarily focused on the reach of the project, as well as specific design elements to make the project particularly appealing.

Challenges we ran into

I thought the idea I had come up with was a relatively simple one, with a scope well confined within the 24 hours I had been given to start and finish my project. However, making the mushroom-shaped to-do list was nearing 400 lines of code in itself, which showed me just how complex these projects are capable of getting. Sorting through errors also became difficult with the more lines that were present, and with more lines depending on previous lines of code, knowing when to declare which objects when going back into the code was crucial for the program to work.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I'm proud of the desktop Post-it I was able to make out of the mushroom-shaped to-do list. The design being interactive is what I was aiming for, but being able to accomplish it is another thing in itself. I also made my first website through the creation of the game, which I am proud of as well. Also, learning a bit of how to code in HTML, as well as using style.css and script.js files and learning what they are primarily used for, was especially intriguing and part of what made this an interactive and unforgettable experience for me.

What we learned

I learned that even with the help of AI, applications and games are complex projects that require a thorough blueprint that the engineer understands, as well as a complete understanding of the architectural code so bugs are easier to sort through. I also learned that having a good grasp of marketing tactics and design ideas helps bring customers into using the app, and these design ideas are usually more complex and require more sentimentality than AI is capable of producing.

What's next for Burgeon

Students should be able to input their unique study material into the game to generate related questions to help reinforce topics. These questions will be asked in completion of mini-games. Additionally, seeds (in-game points) could be cashed in to purchase keys used to unlock apps locked by screen time.

Built With

• java
• vscode