Stampi Pal

Inspiration

Stampi Pal was inspired by the idea that journaling shouldn’t feel like a task. A lot of existing journaling apps are very text-heavy, which can feel slow or uninspiring—especially for people who already document their lives visually through photos.

The concept came from physical scrapbooks and photo albums, where memories feel more tangible. I wanted to recreate that experience digitally by letting users “stamp” images into their journal, making entries feel more creative, personal, and fun.

What it does

Stampi Pal is a mobile-first web app that lets users create daily journal entries using stamped images and flowing text.

Users can:

Upload images and convert them into stylized “stamps”
Place, resize, rotate, and layer images freely within a journal entry
Write text that flows naturally around those images
Browse entries through a swipeable, rolodex-style “mail” feed
View a collage-style weekly summary of their memories
Generate a simple AI-assisted summary of their day (UI-supported)

It blends journaling with a scrapbook-like creative experience.

How we built it

We focused on building a lightweight, responsive frontend that works well even on low-power devices like a Raspberry Pi.

Designed the full UI and flows in Figma
Structured the app as a mobile-first web application
Used modular JavaScript and avoided heavy frameworks to keep performance high
Built a hybrid editor that combines text input with draggable image elements
Implemented gesture-based interactions like swiping for navigation and dragging for image placement
Designed animations (slide, flip, microinteractions) to make the app feel smooth and playful

We also structured everything to be ready for future backend integration (e.g., Snowflake), even though the current version focuses on frontend behavior.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was creating a natural-feeling layout system where text and images interact.

True text wrapping around irregular image shapes is difficult on the web
We had to balance between a realistic layout and performance constraints

Another challenge was the stamp system:

Maintaining a consistent custom shape for images
Supporting transformations like resizing and rotating without breaking the layout

We also had to carefully balance flexibility and usability:

Too much freedom made the editor confusing
Too much structure made it feel restrictive

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Creating a unique journaling concept that feels more like a scrapbook than a traditional app
Designing a smooth, gesture-based “mail” feed with a looping daily experience
Building a flexible editor that allows users to freely arrange stamped images
Maintaining performance while keeping animations and interactions polished
Structuring the project cleanly for future backend and AI integration