Hocus Focus

Are you a student who can code for hours together but cannot get yourself to focus on reading a 10-page paper? Yeah, we're here to fix that!

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Inspiration

An article from The Atlantic revealed that many Cornell students struggled to finish reading an entire book, highlighting a broader issue of declining focus in today's digital age. Motivated by this challenge, we created Hocus Focus, a mobile app designed to help people rediscover the joy of reading and improve their focus.

What it does

Hocus Focus encourages users to increase their focus while reading through a system of positive and negative reinforcement. The app features a diverse library covering multiple genres and tracks users' screen time, comparing the time spent reading on Hocus Focus with time spent on other apps. Users earn points for reading and completing quizzes at the end of each chapter, while time spent on social media incurs penalties. Points can be redeemed for exclusive books or used to make charitable donations.

How we built it

We built the app using Figma for design and React-Native, HTML, CSS, JavaScript for the front-end, Python Flask, and Crew.ai for the simulation. Android Studio was used for testing and deployment.

Challenges we ran into

Given a limited amount of time, it's difficult for us to deploy all the desired backend functionalities or integrate AI features like Crew.ai.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of the sleek and intuitive UI we designed. The app performs smoothly on IOS simulator, web app using Crew.ai, with seamless transitions and interactive features that elevate the user experience.

What we learned

Throughout this project, we learned how to better navigate documentation (Crew.ai) and streamline the app deployment process. It also strengthened our understanding of user interface design and cross-platform development.

What's next for Hocus Focus

Looking ahead, we aim to introduce audiobooks and an offline mode, allowing users to download books and quizzes for uninterrupted reading. We also envision a "Community" feature, where users can join virtual book clubs, fostering motivation and discussion around shared reading goals.

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