Work — Bao To
Every project by Bao To, a design engineer and studio artist in New York: AI-era product work, design systems, and full-stack builds, filterable by kind. Each entry opens a case study.
CAPSULE - FIRST PLACE OVERALL @ RICE DESIGNATHON 2025
Redesigning Digital Journaling in the age of AI
ACHIEVEMENT
🏆 First Place Overall out of 110 teams
ROLE
Product Designer
Interaction Designer
DURATION
February 2025 (36 hours)
TOOLS
Figma
Jitter.video
SKILLS
UI/UX
User Research
Designathon
Collaboration
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Challenge
For Rice Designathon 2025, I teamed up with 3 other college students from UCLA and UPenn to create a mobile app that addresses the prompt "How do we stay human in the age of AI?". We carried out research, interviews, designs, and user testing in an iterative process within 36 hours. We then presented as one of 8 finalist groups, and was able to get First Place Overall out of 110 competing teams!
TL;DR
What is Capsule?
Most people want to journal, but few actually do - not because they lack interest, but because the process feels like work. Capsule reimagines journaling as effortless collection, turning it into something closer to scrapbooking than homework.
In 36 hours, our team built a multimedia journaling app where users can capture moments through one-tap photos, voice notes, or quick texts. Instead of overwhelming users with structure, Capsule lets people gather fragments of life, while AI gently surfaces playful, Spotify-Wrapped-style recaps over time.
By grounding our design in research ('journaling feels too effortful'), focusing on key principles (frictionless capture, delightful feedback, trust in AI), and building a polished prototype under tight constraints, we won First Place Overall out of 110 teams. More importantly, we demonstrated that human-centered design thrives when you strip away friction and make reflection feel fun.
TEAM MEMBERS & ROLES
The Team
Bao To (Columbia)
UI/UX Design
Sahithi Lingampalli (UCLA)
UI & Visual Design
Mandy Lai (UCLA)
UX Design & Research
Mary Liu (UPenn)
Graphic Design
Despite our roles, we were flexible and often switch responsibilities and collaborate with each other throughout the hackathon event.
DEFINING OUR DIRECTION
Why journaling?
In a hyper-digital world, we identified that the act of journaling is the heartbeat of genuine self-expression. It's not just about capturing memories - it's about celebrating the raw, spontaneous beauty of every lived moment. Therefore, from the start, we focused our design ethos and direction towards leveraging the fine line between embracing the technologies and rejecting the addictive usage patterns of mobile apps, while also making sure to center our research and design around the specific human need for authenticity and mindful reflection.
THE PROBLEM
Why People Don't Journal
“Journaling feels too effortful”
Through user interviews, we discovered that while people recognize the benefits of journaling, the traditional approach creates too much friction. Writing long-form entries feels like homework, and the pressure to maintain a consistent practice often leads to abandonment.
RESEARCH
Understanding User Needs
We conducted rapid user interviews and competitive analysis to understand the journaling landscape and identify pain points.
“I want to journal but I always feel like I don't have time to write everything down.”
“I start journaling apps but never keep it up - it feels like another task on my to-do list.”
“I wish I could just capture moments without having to write paragraphs about them.”
Competitive analysis
KEY INSIGHTS
- Friction kills habits: Traditional journaling requires too much effort and time commitment.
- People love looking back: Users enjoy reminiscing but struggle with the act of documenting.
- Multimedia is natural: People communicate in photos, voice, and text - journaling should too.
- AI can help, not replace: AI should enhance reflection, not do the reflecting for users.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Our Guiding Principles
FRICTIONLESS CAPTURE
Make it as easy as possible to capture moments - one tap for photos, quick voice notes, or minimal text. No pressure to write essays.
DELIGHTFUL FEEDBACK
Surface playful, Spotify-Wrapped-style recaps that make looking back feel like a gift, not a chore.
TRUST IN AI
Use AI to gently surface connections and patterns, but never replace the human act of reflection.
SCRAPBOOK OVER DIARY
Embrace the messiness of life. Capsule is about collecting fragments, not writing perfect narratives.
THE SOLUTION
Capsule: Effortless Journaling
Capsule is a multimedia journaling app that prioritizes effortless capture over structured writing. Users can quickly add photos, voice notes, or short text entries with minimal friction. AI works in the background to surface playful recaps and connections over time.
KEY FEATURES
Core Functionality
Capsule focuses on frictionless capture through one-tap photos, quick voice notes, and minimal text entries. AI works in the background to surface playful recaps and connections over time.
Hi-fi designs
Branding & visual design
DESIGN PROCESS
36 Hours of Iteration
Working under extreme time constraints, we followed an iterative process: research → sketch → prototype → test → refine. We prioritized speed without sacrificing quality.
HOURS 0-8
Research, interviews, competitive analysis, and defining the problem space.
HOURS 8-16
Sketching, wireframing, and initial low-fidelity prototypes.
HOURS 16-28
High-fidelity designs, user testing, and iteration based on feedback.
HOURS 28-36
Final polish, presentation deck, and demo video creation.
User flow mapping
Wireflow samples
Prototyping iterations
USER TESTING
Validation & Feedback
We conducted rapid user testing throughout the process, gathering feedback from other designathon participants and potential users. The response was overwhelmingly positive.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
- - “This feels so much easier than other journaling apps!”
- - “I love that I can just snap a photo and be done.”
- - “The recap feature is genius - it's like a gift to my future self.”
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
- - Consider adding tags or categories for better organization
- - Explore social features for shared moments
- - Add reminders without being pushy
RESULTS
Impact & Recognition
🏆 First Place Overall
Out of 110 competing teams at Rice Designathon 2025, Capsule won First Place Overall. The judges praised our user-centered approach, polished prototype, and clear vision for human-AI collaboration.
REFLECTION
What We Learned
1
Deep User Empathy: Understanding user behaviors and motivations is essential; even under tight deadlines, focusing on what people genuinely need leads to impactful design decisions.
2
Simplicity Wins: Streamlining interactions, like our one-tap entry, can drastically reduce friction and encourage habitual use.
3
Balanced AI Integration: When AI is integrated in a subtle, playful way, it can enhance the experience without overwhelming users.
4
Team Collaboration & Resilience: The designathon reinforced my appreciation for collaborative spirit and willingness to adapt - as important as technical skills in achieving breakthrough results.
WHAT'S NEXT
Building the Real Thing
With the app fully designed, why waste this opportunity? I took initiative to program the project into a fully working app. I am using React Native so that it can be published on both iOS and Android devices!
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
GitHub Repository
Follow the development progress
CONNECT WITH ME
Don't like my portfolio? Let me know at btt2118@columbia.edu