Habitant

Home view
Calendar view, with upcoming vinculation with google calendar.
Profile Customization
Push Notification that reminds users to practice their habit

Inspiration

The idea for Habitant came from the desire to make habit tracking more engaging and fun. We wanted to move beyond simple checklists and create a gamified experience where users can collect and grow virtual characters, "habitants," as they build positive routines. The competitive aspect of challenging others adds a social element that helps keep users motivated.

What it does

Habitant allows users to track their daily habits and collect unique habitants based on their progress. Each habitant grows and evolves as the user maintains their habits. Additionally, users can challenge others to habit-based competitions, adding a friendly rivalry to staying consistent in their habits. The app encourages long-term commitment to personal growth while making the experience enjoyable and rewarding.

How we built it

We built Habitant using Oracle APEX, a platform that we just started working with during this project. Oracle APEX allowed us to quickly build and deploy the app with a SQL-based backend for tracking user progress and habitant data. Despite being new to the platform, we leveraged its low-code environment to rapidly prototype and implement key features like habit tracking, real-time user challenges, and habitant evolution. The static files feature in APEX also helped us manage and display habitant images efficiently.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was learning Oracle APEX from scratch. We had to familiarize ourselves with its unique development environment, particularly how to handle database interactions and store user images in the platform’s static files. Additionally, integrating the habitant evolution system with the habit-tracking data while keeping the user experience smooth was complex. Managing real-time challenges between users and ensuring efficient image storage for each habitant were technical hurdles we overcame.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're proud of how quickly we adapted to Oracle APEX, learning to use its tools and building a functional, engaging app in a short time. Developing the habitant evolution feature and implementing the challenge system between users was a major accomplishment. Seeing users engage with their evolving habitants as they maintain their habits felt rewarding.

What we learned

We learned a lot about Oracle APEX, a powerful platform for rapid application development. We also deepened our understanding of gamification, user motivation, and how to balance fun with function in an app. The process of working with Oracle APEX has made us more confident in using low-code platforms to develop future projects quickly and efficiently.

What's next for Habitant

Next, we plan to enhance the app by adding more habitant types, a customization marketplace, and more advanced social features, such as team-based challenges. We also want to integrate analytics, enabling users to track their long-term progress and visualize their habit-building journey. We're excited to continue improving Habitant as we grow more comfortable with Oracle APEX.