Clear Read

My Story I started learning UI/UX just three months ago. This is my first hackathon. And honestly? I didn't build this to win—I built it because I couldn't stop thinking about a problem I see every day.

It started when I noticed how much I rely on Grok and X AI to explain tweets and give me context. I'd read something and think, "Wait, is that really what's happening?" The AI would break it down and suddenly I'd see the full picture.

Then I started noticing it everywhere. Journalists—good people doing their jobs—still write from their own perspective. They're human. But sometimes that means the story gets twisted. Headlines exaggerate. Narratives form. And politicians? They use propaganda like a weapon during campaigns and elections.

I kept thinking: this isn't fair to society. We're being manipulated. Fueled by hate that someone else profits from. We all have freedom of speech. We all deserve access to real information. But we shouldn't be pawns in someone else's game.

So I thought: what if people had a way to see beyond all that? What if AI could help us get the actual facts first—before the opinions, before the framing, before the narrative?

That's why I made Clear Read.

What It Does Clear Read is a news experience that helps you understand what an article is actually saying—not just what the headline wants you to think.

You can:

Open a featured news story

Read the article preview

Ask AI to explain what's really happening

See a breakdown of key facts

Understand the main issue behind the story

Get observations about possible exaggeration or framing

The goal isn't to attack journalists. They're human, like all of us. But we need the right information first—before we add perspective. That's media literacy. That's Clear Read.

How I Built It This was my first time building an app from one end to the other. My first time working with AI in a product. My first time using all the features in Figma.

I'm still learning. Still finding my bearings in UI/UX. This hackathon? It's just one step for me. I wanted to see what it's like out there. To be part of something.

I even used ChatGPT to help me figure out the user flow. Because my goal is to become an AI product designer. I want to make lives better for people—and AI is how I do it. I use AI to work faster and smarter. And I want to build things that help others do the same.

The design includes:

Home screen with a featured story

Article reading screen

AI analysis screen

Chat interface for follow-up questions

AI processing state

Listen mode for accessibility

Onboarding experience

Challenges I Faced The biggest challenge? Designing an app that analyzes news without sounding like it's attacking journalists. I don't want to label stories as "biased" or point fingers. I just want to give people tools to think critically.

I also had to figure out how to present AI insights in a way that's helpful, not overwhelming. That meant thinking hard about:

What information matters most

How to organize it clearly

How to keep the interface simple

For someone learning as they go, this was tough. But I loved every minute of it.

What I Learned Three months ago, I didn't know Figma. I'd never built a product. I'd never thought about user flows or AI integration.

Now?

I understand how AI can improve understanding—not just automate tasks

I see why UX matters when presenting complex information

I realize how much headlines shape what we believe

I know how to structure a product around a real problem

Most importantly, I learned that I can do this. I can take an idea that matters to me and turn it into something real.

What's Next If I keep building Clear Read, I want to:

Analyze real-time news from multiple sources

Compare how different outlets frame the same story

Add historical context and references

Help people build stronger media literacy skills

The long-term dream? A tool that helps people navigate information clearly—in a world where headlines move faster than understanding.

One Last Thing I don't know if I'll win this hackathon. That's not why I'm here. I just wanted to see what it's like. To build something that matters to me. To take one step toward becoming the designer I want to be.

If I do win? I'll be really happy. But honestly? I already won by building this.

Thanks for reading my story.

Built With

• figma