Study Buddy

Main Page
Courses Page
Landing Page
Initial Course Page
Buddy Settings Page
Timer Settings Page
Buddy Customisation

Inspiration

One of our teammates used to use a Tamagotchi as a kid so it inspired to integrate it into studying, so by completing work it keeps the Buddy happy. We wanted to make it feel less like another productivity app but more like taking care of something that grows while you do work.

What it does

So study buddy is a desktop study companion that basically lives on your screen while you complete assignments/ do work. Students can add courses or assignments then use the focus timer to study. THe buddy will react to what the student does by roaming around the desktop, and while the student in in a focus session the buddy will study as well. It can also become sleepy during inactivity and celebrate completed work.

How we built it

We built it using Electron, React and Javascript. The buddy basically runs in a transparent Electron window thats always on top while the main dashboard handles the courses, assignments and focus sessions. Study data is stored locally useing SQLite and the buddy behavior is controlled by the current application state, wether the user is either studying or resting

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges was making the Buddy look like it actually lived on the desktop rather than just being in an app window, so trying to manage transparent windows and screen boundaries with different animation states of the buddy. We also had to keep the project quite focused enough for the short time while still trying to make it a usefull real study tool.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The biggest part i would say is using an environment im quite new to, rather than being just. a pomodoro timer but still able to connect academic information like courses and deadlines with milestones that connect to the behaviour of the buddy.

What we learned

I learned a lot about the desktop applcations development using Electron, learning how to manage the application state and storing local data using SQLite. I think a big part was being focused even though we had a lot of ideas we wanted to implement but not enough time.

What's next for Study Buddy

I think i would like to make it cuter, with more animations. Hopefully be able to link it to Canvas so the assignments would automatically be integrated inside or maybe an AI companion.