Case Study: Koru - A Secure and Private Mental Wellness Journal

The Challenge: Creating a True Digital Safe Space for Mental Wellness

In a digital world where data privacy is a constant concern, many individuals are understandably hesitant to use online tools for personal reflection and mental health. The challenge was to create a mental wellness application that not only provided effective tools for self-care but also guaranteed absolute user privacy through robust, modern security measures. The goal was to build a digital sanctuary where users could feel completely safe to explore their thoughts and emotions without any fear of their deeply personal data being compromised or read by others.

My Solution: Koru, a Mental Wellness App with Privacy at its Core

I developed Koru, a web application designed to be a comprehensive toolkit for mental wellness, with a non-negotiable focus on user privacy and security. The platform offers a range of features to support users on their mental health journey, all built on a foundation of trust:

• End-to-End Encrypted Journaling: The core feature of Koru is a secure, private journal. All journal entries are encrypted on the user's device using the Web Crypto API and their password as the key. This means the data stored in the database is completely unreadable to anyone—not even me, the database administrator. This commitment to privacy is central to my development philosophy, as highlighted in my cybersecurity and reliability services.
• Comprehensive Wellness Toolkit: Beyond the journal, Koru includes a suite of tools for daily self-care, including a simple mood tracker, guided journaling prompts for when you're feeling stuck, a sleep log, daily affirmations, and mindfulness exercises like guided breathing.
• Data-Driven Personal Insights: The application provides users with beautiful visualizations of their mood and sleep history, helping them identify patterns and gain a deeper understanding of their mental well-being over time. All of this data remains private to the user.
• Supportive Anonymous Community: An optional, anonymous community space allows users to share their thoughts and experiences, fostering a sense of connection and mutual support without compromising their identity or privacy.

The Technology Stack for a Secure Experience

The technology stack for Koru was chosen specifically to ensure a secure, seamless, and performant user experience:

• Frontend: Next.js (App Router) and TypeScript for a type-safe, fast, and modern user interface that works beautifully on all devices.
• Styling: Tailwind CSS for a clean, minimalist, and responsive design that creates a calm and focused user environment.
• Backend and Database: Firebase was used, leveraging Firestore for real-time data and Firebase Authentication for secure user management.
• Encryption: The browser-native Web Crypto API was used for robust, client-side encryption of all journal entries, ensuring data is secure before it even leaves the user's device.
• Deployment: Vercel for reliable, scalable, and secure hosting.

This project is a testament to my ability as a web designer and developer to build secure, full-stack applications that prioritize user privacy and well-being. If you have a project that requires a similar level of care and technical expertise, please get in touch.