A voice-first journaling web app with real-time speech-to-text, Gemini-powered reflections, and a distraction-free rich-text editor.

This client set out to make personal journaling effortless by building a voice-first web app that captures thoughts naturally and surfaces personalized insights over time.

Challenge

Typing is a barrier to consistent journaling. The app needed to capture high-accuracy voice recordings, transcribe them in real time, analyze emotional sentiment, extract themes, and present everything in a clean editor, all while protecting user privacy.

Solution

We built a secure, interactive journaling web app:

  • Fastify API & Next.js Web: A decoupled, high-performance monorepo deployed to Render.com.
  • Speech-to-Text & Gemini AI: Google Cloud Speech for accurate transcription and Google Gemini for personalized weekly reflections and emotional insights.
  • Milkdown Editor: A customized, distraction-free Markdown editor with block-based formatting.
  • Supabase Backend: Secure database storage, authentication, and document storage.

Results

The app reached strong weekly retention among early adopters. Voice-first capture dramatically reduced the friction of writing, helping users build a consistent journaling habit and gain meaningful reflections.