Mira: Built by Loved Ones, Powered by AI

Inspiration

Mira was born from a simple but powerful idea: what if AI could help people with dementia reconnect with their memories and loved ones? After seeing the emotional toll dementia takes on families, I set out to build a companion that’s both deeply personal and technically innovative.

What it does

Mira is an AI-powered memory companion that uses family-uploaded content—photos, stories, sounds—to create meaningful, emotionally aware conversations. It helps individuals with dementia feel more grounded and connected, while giving families peace of mind.

How we built it

The original prototype was built over six months in WordPress, with support from IT students working on custom upload and chatbot functionality. When that direction stalled, I evaluated leading no-code platforms using a detailed PRD and quickly rebuilt the project in Bolt. Over one weekend, I delivered a functional demo—and then spent a week refining the design and experience. I also built a custom stakeholder communications dashboard inside Bolt to streamline project collaboration.

Challenges we ran into

Balancing the vision with technical limitations was a challenge, especially when the custom-coded route proved too slow. Transitioning to no-code required rethinking architecture and workflow, but ultimately accelerated everything. Another challenge was aligning student contributions with project goals—leading to a pivot in approach.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Rebuilding six months of development in just one weekend using Bolt was a breakthrough. The result is not only more functional, but more elegant. Creating a dedicated stakeholder dashboard and embracing no-code workflows has changed how I think about building and scaling software.

What we learned

Speed and creativity don't need to be at odds. The “vibe coding” mindset—prioritising intuition and emotional clarity—can be a powerful tool. No-code platforms, when used well, can unlock entirely new design languages and empower non-technical creators.

What’s next for Mira: Built by Loved Ones, Powered by AI

We’re now focused on turning Mira into a scalable, personalised tool that families can use to support memory care at home. Next steps include deeper conversational AI, live emotional awareness, and seamless content upload via chat. The long-term vision is to enable every family to co-create their own AI companion—one that feels like part of the family.

Built With

• bolt
• supabase