$ cd ~/work/gentler
GentleR
A small, calm web app for adults: three short lessons anyone can read, and a private journal that saves itself as you type.
00//the walkthrough
3 screens · tapclick to enlarge
01//the problem
Most wellbeing apps push streaks, reminders and progress bars, and many quietly track what people write. Someone who just wants a quiet place to read a little and write privately ends up with another app that nags them and doesn't feel private.
02//the approach
Next.js 16 and React 19 over Supabase Auth and Postgres. Row-level security means each entry can only ever be read by the person who wrote it, and every save carries a revision number, so an entry changed in another tab is flagged instead of overwritten. There is no admin console, by design.
03//what I built
Open lessons
Three short lessons, each with a teaching, one small optional action, its sources and reflection prompts.
Honest autosave
The journal saves as you type and only says Saved once the server has confirmed it.
No lost edits
Revision numbers flag an entry changed in another tab instead of overwriting it.
Yours to keep or delete
Export everything as one .txt file, or delete the account with every entry.
Calm by design
No timers, streaks, reminders or tracking; larger text, reduced motion and an evening theme.
// the impact
GentleR is a client project, and not a medical or therapy product. The live demo runs a separate copy: the lessons are open to anyone, and the live demo page lists shared journal accounts. The 2-minute video above shows a lesson, autosave, the journal, display settings and the account page.
// let's build yours
Have a product like this in mind?