photoJOUR

I have always found that mindfulness is an aspect of my everyday practice. It helps me set the tone or re-ground my outlook on the day. For years I have practiced mindfulness through photography, a freely-expressive medium. I have found monthly-based photo challenges, but have never found one that keeps me motivated and consistent. I believe that this lack of motivation is due to the form and one-tiered delivery. Many of these challenges are a simple image that lists numbers 1-30 with a word next to it, which you keep yourself accountable for and lacks a location of submission.  Another contributing factor of the quick fall-off rate is the absence of community, which often assists with motivation and accountability. Rather than having an image that simply lists the topic of the day, I believe an app that has a daily-reveal of the word creates a sense of anticipation, which drives engagement. Additionally, the app will give consumers an option to keep their photos private, share them with their friends, or post them publicly to the photoJOUR community. This aspect of community and accountability would add another tier to the mindfulness journey.

 

When considering how users would capture the photos, I decided the method that made the most sense was to require in-app photography. This aspect challenges the user to get up and create based on their thoughts and interpretations of the prompt in that moment. In order to participate, real-time photography must occur, which further promotes motivation and creativity. Included in the camera interface, there are opportunities to display the “word of the day” in text, with different formatting options available. This feature is yet another opportunity for users to express their creative freedom in a way that feels fit for them. 

 

The aesthetic of the app includes a simplistic design with a cozy brown color palette. Different elements include private/friend/public mood boards, a tracking calendar, definition for the daily prompts, light and dark mode, text formatting, profile clusters, settings, and a search function where users can search previous prompts. In order to retain individual expression, each entry will only have the metatag of that day’s prompt. Regarding the name of the app, photoJOUR was suggested by Professor Kemell because Jour means “day” in French and reminds us of the words “journey” or “journal,” which are both large components of the app’s purpose.