This is a submission for the GitHub Copilot Challenge : Fresh Starts
What I Built
Communicating with my parents has always been a challenge, but I still want to stay connected with them in a way that is not as intrusive to my private life as I would like. Also, I realized I don't know very simple things about my parents, e.g., what are their favorite colors? Would they prefer oranges or apples? Hence, I made DearFamz, a mobile application that aims to help family members connect and understand each other better through simple interactions.
Inspired by BeReal but tailored for families, I hope that DearFamz will foster fresh starts in family relationships. The app prompts family members at regular intervals (daily or weekly) to answer engaging questions, giving them the opportunity to share thoughts, memories, photos, or even something seemingly trivial. You choose what to share, maintaining healthy boundaries while building stronger, more meaningful connections with your loved ones.
Demo
Check out the demo video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Fq9UFbdz9xg
| Signup Page | Signup Name Page | (Home Page) Feed Today | (Home Page) Feed All Time |
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| Connect Today Page | Edit Family Page | Profile Page | Profile Edit Page |
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Repo
DearFamz
Communicating with my parents has always been a challenge, but I still want to stay connected with them in a way that is not as intrusive to my private life as I would like. Hence, I made DearFamz, a mobile application that aims to help family members connect and understand each other better through simple interactions.
DearFamz prompts families at regular intervals (daily or weekly) to share genuine answers to engaging questions. Choose what you wish to share, keep healthy boundaries, and stay connected with your loved ones. This app is heavily inspired by BeReal.
Screenshots
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| Connect Today Page | Edit Family Page | Profile Page | Profile Edit Page |
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Project Structure
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lib/contains all the ui pages-
flutter runto run
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functions/contains code to generate questions weekly-
firebase emulators:start --only firestoreto emulate Firestore -
firebase…
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Copilot Experience
Throughout the development of DearFamz, Copilot massively enhanced my productivity:
- Project Overview: At the start, I asked Copilot for an overview of how to build the app. It suggested high-level guidance on structuring the project.
- Code Autocomplete: Copilot’s autocomplete feature for editing code files, which makes it incredibly convenient to quickly write repetitive or boilerplate code.
- Inline Chat for Small Edits: For minor edits or improvements. Quick edits without switching away from the code file.
- Feature Development & Refactoring: When I needed to implement new features that required architectural changes or refactoring, I used Copilot’s chat feature to brainstorm and get suggestions. This made it easier to think through the design and implementation process.
- Switching Models: Claude for coding, o1 for reasoning. This is what I found what each model is better at.
GitHub Models
I used GitHub Models to generate the core content for the app:
- Content Generation: A key part of DearFamz is its database of daily or weekly questions designed to engage users. I used GitHub Models to prototype and generate a diverse range of questions that are meaningful, engaging, and family-focused.
- Experimenting with Models: I tested different models to evaluate their performance in generating relevant and creative question prompts.
Conclusion
I built this app for my own family to use. If you think you'll like it too, look out for the launch! 🚀
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