SmartNote

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  Our app wireframe

About the Project

Inspiration

We were inspired by our own experiences as students, juggling tons of lecture materials in different formats, trying to stay organized, and figuring out how to study effectively. We realized that a lot of study tools out there are either too generic or too complicated. We wanted to create something that felt personal, simple, and actually helpful.

What We Learned

This project taught us a lot:

• Everyone studies differently, some are visual learners, others need structure or repetition.
• Even small features (like the way reminders work or how mind maps are shown) can make a big difference in how useful the tool feels.

How We Built It

We focused on three key features:

1. Uploading Mode – Students can upload lecture materials (PDFs, slides, videos, audio) and get three types of mind maps to choose from. It’s a quick way to visualize complex topics.
   
2. Professor Mode – Based on the lecture content, users can generate practice questions in formats like multiple choice, short answer, or essay. The goal is to make self-testing feel more aligned with what professors actually ask.
   
3. Memory Tracker Mode – Helps students stay on top of what they’ve studied using spaced review reminders. It suggests when to review and what to focus on.

We designed the flow to be clean, distraction-free, and easy to use, especially for overwhelmed or busy students.

Challenges We Faced

• Trying to make the app flexible enough for different learning styles without making it feel too complex.
  
• Figuring out how to turn lecture materials into mind maps and questions in a way that still makes sense.
  
• Getting feedback and adjusting our ideas quickly during the design process.
  
• Managing our time and splitting up tasks with a small team and limited time and tech skills, but we leaned on each other’s strengths.

Built With

• figma