Edvia

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  Shows the front page. A clean design, clean rotating backgrounds, a clean computer simulator on the right, overall a powerful landing page.

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  Shows the dashboard. Clean dashboard to paste/type text into for simplifying.

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  Shows difference in text density. You can see just how powerful the simplification is from such dense text to readable text.

Inspiration

I first realized how challenging reading could be for some students when I noticed my younger cousin struggling through a story. She kept rereading the same paragraphs, stumbling over difficult words, and eventually giving up in frustration. Watching her, I felt a mix of concern and determination, concern that reading was so discouraging for her, and determination to create something that could make texts more approachable. I wanted to create a tool that would help students feel confident while reading, providing them with ways to understand, explore, and retain information independently. That idea became Edvia: a platform designed to simplify, clarify, and support every reader.

What it does

Edvia helps students engage with texts in ways that make understanding easier and more intuitive. It can simplify difficult passages, highlight and annotate key ideas, summarize sections, build vocabulary through interactive tools, and create flashcards to reinforce learning. Instead of feeling lost in a sea of words, students can focus on comprehension, recall, and exploration. Edvia transforms reading from a frustrating task into a more empowering and engaging experience, giving students the confidence to tackle texts they might have avoided before.

How I built it

I built Edvia by focusing on the student experience. I experimented with different ways to simplify text, designed tools for highlighting and annotating, and created interactive flashcards to help reinforce new vocabulary. Each feature was tested with real reading material to see how students responded and which tools actually improved understanding. I carefully designed the interface to be intuitive and approachable, something that feels like a natural extension of the reading process rather than another obstacle. Every decision, from wording to layout, was guided by the goal of helping students feel supported and capable while reading.

Challenges I ran into

The hardest part was making complex reading tools feel simple and natural. Simplifying passages without losing meaning, designing flashcards that actually help recall, and creating highlights and annotations that guide without overwhelming took multiple iterations. At times, I had to step back, test features, and rethink the approach entirely. These challenges taught me the importance of empathy: truly understanding how someone struggles with a text and how even a small tool can make a big difference.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I’m proud that Edvia turns reading, which can feel discouraging or overwhelming, into a more approachable and empowering experience. Every feature, from simplifying text to building vocabulary, annotating, summarizing, or using flashcards, helps students feel capable and confident. Seeing students use the platform and realize they can understand passages that once seemed impossible is incredibly rewarding.

What I learned

Building Edvia taught me that technology is most effective when it responds to real human needs. I learned the value of empathy in design, the power of iteration, and the importance of creating tools that genuinely help students rather than exist. I also gained a deeper understanding of how students interact with text and how small interventions—like simplifying a sentence or highlighting key ideas—can completely change comprehension.

What's next for Edvia

Next, I want to refine Edvia’s tools to make them even more responsive to each reader’s needs, add ways for students to track their own progress, and expand the platform to support more types of reading materials. My goal is to continue turning reading into an empowering, confidence-building experience for everyone who uses it. I hope you enjoy this project I made!

Built With

• api
• axios
• css
• express.js
• gemini
• github
• javascript
• node.js
• react.js
• tailwind
• vercel