Inspiration
We were inspired by the symbolism behind wishing upon a star and other organizations built off that concept, such as the Wishing Star Foundation that helps grant wishes for children that are terminally ill or have life threatening conditions. We also took great influence from Chinese culture and the belief that folding a thousand cranes or stars can bring luck and fulfill wishes to those who make it or it’s given to. These stars can also be circulated and spread positivity and joy among friends and family. Combined with a positivity jar or a blessing jar, we would fill the jar of stars with a more tangible version of our wishes, in which we can look back to remind ourselves of our dreams and passions. A simple note of positivity can brighten up one’s day when feeling lost or going through tough times, especially now during a global pandemic. Our website virtualizes this idea, while promoting the art of origami simultaneously. Studies have shown that origami is beneficial to both our mental and physical health and has been used in multiple therapeutic ways. In addition to simulating parts of our brains, origami can be a fun activity that strengthens family bonding.
What it does
It is a motivational jar to store all your wishes, dreams, moments in your life. You will be able to look look back on it when you are feeling a certain way, such as feeling sad and you can see one of your happy times or be reminded of your dream when you are feeling exhausted. It is both interactive on the screen and has a tutorial to make the folding star so it can be done physically.
How I built it
First we sketched out how the website would look like, then we coded in repl.it and made animations to make our website more visually appealing and engaging. Along the way, we were able to resolve any confusion with the aid of youtube and other online resources.
Challenges I ran into
We were challenged to create a product under a time limit, so coming up with our idea and coding it had to be fast paced. A big challenge we had was trying to learn JavaScript and make it so the user input is recorded under a specific emotion.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
We are proud of completing our first hackathon and learning more about coding.
What I learned
We were able to experience what people who participated in hackathons have gone through, and broadened our understanding of html and css, as well as JavaScript. We learned how to incorporate user input and forms, and how to include emojis using its corresponding UTF-8 code.
What's next for Wish Upon a Jar
We hope to make the website functional.
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