mindmate

About the Project

Inspiration

Mental health struggles are often invisible, yet they affect millions worldwide. Many people lack access to affordable, stigma-free support tools. We wanted to build something simple, accessible, and personal a companion in your pocket to help people track, understand, and improve their mental well-being.

What We Learned

Through this project, we deepened our knowledge of:

React Native & Expo for building cross-platform apps
Mobile UI/UX for wellness-focused design
State management & data persistence for saving user mood logs and reflections
The importance of empathetic design when creating tools for mental health

How We Built It

We built MindMate using:

Frontend: React Native with Expo
Backend / Data Storage: Local storage (AsyncStorage) for privacy-first offline functionality
Features:
- Mood tracking with daily prompts
- Guided breathing & mindfulness exercises
- Journal entries with sentiment analysis
- Light/dark mode for user comfort
Design Tools: Figma for prototyping, Expo for rapid testing on Android

Challenges Faced

Expo CLI changes: Adapting to the new npx expo and eas build workflows
UI performance: Ensuring smooth animations without impacting battery life
Mental health sensitivity: Designing language and prompts that are supportive without being intrusive
Testing across devices: Handling differences in Android screen sizes and performance