The Journalizr Story

With the app launch on the horizon, I thought it would be worth sharing how Journalizr came to be. My goals are to build a close-knit community of users and develop the app to include the features they want to use. Ultimately, I want a community-led, digital journaling platform. I am Jack Christian, a Freelance Web Developer and the creator of Journalizr. With introductions out the way, let's get into the Journalizr story.

How the Journalizr concept came to be

It all started on a phone call with my girlfriend. She told me she wanted to start journaling. She wanted clarity over issues from her life. She thought journaling was a great way to achieve that. Unfortunately, she found it difficult to start due to limited time because of her work. Her dyslexia and attention disorder also make writing for long periods very challenging. We were talking about alternative approaches that might make it easier for her. I have always thought the main function of journaling is to get thoughts out of your head. You give them shape with words and gain more clarity as a result. I also believe that that process is not limited to classical journaling. You can get the same result from talking to a friend or even recording your voice. Then, it occurred to me. Why not use an app that records your voice and transcribes it for you? Like a ghostwriter. I decided to create one. With that, Journalizr was born.

How Journalizr was built

DISCLAIMER: I am a nerd. I will try to keep to the story and not go too deep on the technical side but if it gets boring, just skip to the next section.

As I mentioned earlier, I am a Web Developer. I love coding and building apps. Once the concept solidified, I started breaking down how to make it real. The main goal was to have something for my girlfriend to use. For that reason, I needed to build it quickly. I researched Speech-to-Text AI tools and found the best one for my needs. Within a day, I had a working prototype. Now, it was time to develop the full app. Google's app-building platform, Firebase, helped me create the app structure. Then, I put together a minimal and functional front-end. Speed and simplicity were king. I wasted no time on non-essential features. It took around three weeks to complete Journalizr.

Journalizr's goals

Primarily, I built Journalizr to help my girlfriend form a journaling habit. Now, I see an app to build a community around. I want to create a home for those who seek the benefits of journaling but struggle to form the habit. No matter if someone has difficulties with limited time, writing ability or focus. Journalizr offers a quick, easy-to-use experience that requires no writing.

In time, I will develop and adapt Journalizr to include community-requested features. That is one reason why I kept it so simple to begin with. We can start with a minimal product and iterate based on what users want. My hope is for Journalizr to become a home for those who struggle with classical journaling. Those people can still reap the benefits. Instead of writing in a journal, they can use the digital journaling platform - Journalizr.