Ink & Keys

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  INK & KEYS

Inspiration

As a writer myself, I tend to jot down ideas and chapters in class or whenever I don't have access to my laptop. I also am a very descriptive writer. I find it hard to find accurate pictures that portray the scenes I write.

What it does

Ink&Keys allows writers like me to upload their handwritten notes. Be it through images or PDFs, extracting the text into an editable chapter for versioning and adjustment. It also allows writers to simply copy and paste a paragraph from a descriptive scene, allowing AI to replicate the imagery and save it as the chapter's or book's cover.

How we built it

I used a specs-to-code approach. It was quite an experience since this was my first time using an AI agent. I did some research before prompting Kiro to make sure I cover all areas of the proposed application.

This was my first prompt I'm creating a note-taking app with OCR functionality for writers(can type their chapters as well as upload handwritten ones. There are more features, but this is the core, and I need you to brainstorm a comprehensive design system that feels unique and memorable

The AI Image idea wasn't a core feature but an added functionality after the OCR feature was completed. I enjoy the Image generation feature the best!

Challenges we ran into

Sometimes, I get confused and overwhelmed after looking through my codebase after a task implementation. I have minimal knowledge of frontend development. Sometimes, Kiro uses code concepts beyond my basic understanding of React. In times like this, I ask Kiro to explain the code generated by the recently completed tasks in a way even I, a beginner, can understand.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The cover image feature is definitely my proudest accomplishment from this project. I always wanted to build a platform for my hobbies where I can add features over time depending on my current interests. Sure, there a writing platforms out there that support some or all of the current features of Ink&Keys. But my app will always grow in features relative to my desires. That's what makes it special. It's a platform for solving both my current and future problems as a writer.

What we learned

While I relied heavily on Kiro for the React logic, I realised again the need to deepen my frontend skills. Identifying the sources behind bugs and errors for the backend was much easier compared to the frontend since I'm a backend developer. My next goal is to deepen my knowledge of Contexts, State Management and Component Hierarchy.

What's next for Ink & Keys

Introduce offline usage, the ability to download my draft as an epub. Also want to introduce workspaces for collaborations between writers. Finally, I plan to introduce new fallbacks for the OCR functionality like Google Cloud Vision AI, Amazon Textract and Microsoft Azure AI Vision

Built With

• cloudinary
• docker
• nestjs
• postgresql
• qwen-image
• react
• tesseract
• tiptap