ASIL | Devpost

Inspiration

The core idea that inspired us to create ASIL was to help people become the best version of themselves. In the fast pace of everyday life, full of distractions and challenges, it’s easy to dismiss the small yet impactful habits that can significantly affect one’s health and well-being. These habits, from smoking and excessive drinking to overeating or poor sleep, often go unnoticed but play a crucial role in shaping our lives.

With this in mind, we created ASIL – a web app that combines journaling, daily reminders, and emotional support with interactive, engaging experiences. ASIL empowers people to break free from harmful habits, track their progress, and stay motivated with rewards along the way. Small steps can lead to big changes!

What it does

The user begins their journey by creating an account and specifying the harmful habit they want to overcome, along with setting a goal - the period they want to avoid the habit (ex. 1 month). Then, they select a fictional creature, like a tree or animal, that will grow and level up with each successful day. Each day, the user logs into the web app to complete a brief “Check-in” form, tracking whether they avoided the bad habit, and writing a short journal entry to capture their feelings, thoughts, and progress.

At any time, users can review their progress and adjust their goals, ensuring continuous growth and keeping them motivated as they stay on track toward their goals.

How we built it

ASIL was built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the front-end, and Python with the Flask framework for the back-end.

Two of the four team members, Long and Anthony, focused on the back-end development, handling aspects such as API integration and data storage. Meanwhile, Juliana and Shai concentrated on the front-end, designing the user interface (UI) and enhancing the user experience (UX). In the final stages, the team worked together to integrate the front-end and back-end, creating a fully functional, full-stack web application.

Challenges we ran into

One of our primary challenges was navigating the complexities of database management and properly using GitHub. At one point, we accidentally deleted the SQL database that we spent a couple of hours developing due to a GitHub mishap. Despite this setback, we subsequently rebuilt the database several times, making it more efficient and robust with each attempt, while deepening our understanding of SQL in the process. However, due to time constraints, we opted to temporarily replace the database with a Python dictionary to store user information, with plans to implement a full database solution in the future.

Another significant challenge was integrating the front-end with the back-end to ensure smooth communication between the two. But, through trial and error and strong teamwork, we successfully overcame this obstacle and delivered a fully functional web application.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re incredibly proud of creating a fully functional web application within just 30 hours, especially as a newly formed team! Despite facing numerous challenges, we successfully combined our skills to create a project that exceeded our expectations. This experience has not only highlighted our adaptability, creativity, and resilience under pressure, but also strengthened our teamwork.

What we learned

We learned to develop both front-end and back-end systems, integrate them effectively, create a database, and adapt to real-time challenges. For many of us, this hackathon was our first, pushing us to explore new tools, workflows, and collaboration techniques under tight deadlines.

What's next for ASIL

Implement a fully functional database to improve data storage and management.
Improve the design and user interface to make the platform more intuitive and engaging.
Add more habit-tracking features, giving users more control over their goals and progress.
Expand the range of fictional creatures, allowing full customization and the option to add accessories for a more personalized experience.
Develop a mobile app, which enables users to track their progress on the go.