Nube

Nube helps preteens make sense of growing up by giving them a safe space to express emotions, learn about their bodies, and feel supported through gamified learning and positive peer interactions.

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Inspiration

We created Nube around a cloud theme to represent growth, reflection, and navigating both light and dark moments. Just like clouds carry water that nurtures life and move through storms, young people are constantly growing as they learn to process difficult emotions. We noticed that most digital spaces for kids don’t support this—they either ignore emotional development or create pressure through comparison and negativity. Nube was designed as a response: a safe, supportive space where kids can understand themselves, grow, and feel supported while navigating challenges.

What it does

Nube is an interactive app that helps children and preteens build emotional awareness through reflection, connection, and play.

Users can:

  • Track their mood and energy to understand patterns in their feelings
  • Use simple, visual bioanalytics to recognize emotional trends over time
  • Connect with a small, trusted group of friends (“Cloud Crew”)
  • Send and receive encouraging, positive messages
  • Play light games that reinforce learning in a low-pressure way

Every feature is designed to feel like part of the cloud system: supportive, calm, and growth-oriented, rather than overwhelming, adult-centric, or competitive.

How we built it

We built Nube using Firebase Studio to rapidly prototype and iterate on a user-centered design.

Our stack includes:

  • Firebase for backend and data management
  • Gemini API to support development and ideation
  • React/Next.js for modular components
  • Tailwind CSS for a soft, consistent UI

We intentionally designed the interface with rounded shapes, soft colors, and cloud-inspired elements to reinforce the emotional tone of the app.

Challenges we ran into

Our group consists of Mechanical Engineers who have little to no experience in coding or app development. These 24 hours have been challenging as we had to learn as we developed our app. Designing the avatar and its being able to be fully customizable was a big challenge, as some of the outfits and accessories were not in place and needed fixing. Making a game that was both engaging and educational was a big task for us, as this app is intended to be a learning experience. We had a big challenge with this, as we didn’t know how to develop a game and encountered some obstacles with bugs.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Nube supports a child’s development across key areas:

  • Emotional expression and regulation through check-ins and the AI chat
  • Social connection and communication through the crew tab, where they can connect and support their friends
  • Self-autonomy through their journey tab, which gives them an overview of their overall status throughout the week, month, and year
  • Learning progress through play using an interactive matching game that connects hard questions to proper solutions

What we learned

Through building Nube, we learned that designing for younger users, especially around emotional well-being, requires far more intentionality than traditional app development. It’s not just about functionality, but about creating a space that feels safe, gentle, and engaging.

We learned how powerful design language can be. Small choices like soft colors, cloud-inspired shapes, and friendly wording significantly impact how approachable and comforting the app feels to tweens and preteens navigating complex emotions.

On the technical side, we gained experience integrating AI-assisted development tools and Firebase-based workflows to rapidly prototype and iterate. This taught us how to balance speed with thoughtful design, ensuring that features like mood tracking, pattern visualization, and social interaction remain meaningful, not overwhelming.

We also learned the importance of translating emotional experiences into data. Building features around patterns (like mood trends and energy levels) challenged us to think about how bioanalytics and simple data insights can empower users to better understand themselves without feeling clinical or intimidating.

Finally, we learned that “Tech for Good” isn’t just about solving a problem: it’s about how you solve it. Nube reinforced that technology can be both functional and empathetic, helping young users feel seen, supported, and connected as they grow through every feeling.

What's next for Nube

Parent involvement and understanding are crucial for the development of a child. In the future, we would like to develop a way for parents to support their child and update them on the progress their child has made while maintaining the user's right to privacy safely. This can be done through email or through a parent app that works in conjunction with the children’s application. This will help parents learn about patterns and growth, not to observe and analyze the child directly.

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