Rem (Master’s Thesis → Independent Project)

Rethinking Thought Capture & Recall for Creatives

October - December 2024: Defining the Problem

January - March 2025: Building a Solution

Designing for Momentum

Rem imagines idea capture as a system of engagement—not just storage. This project explores how adaptive design, intentional friction, and predictive logic can help people surface and act on their own thinking. The result is a tool that behaves more like a creative partner than a repository, inviting questions about how we build systems for momentum, not just memory.

This project teaches me how to think differently and shape interaction.

Problem space introduction

Feature Overview

Re: Opinionated Software

  • Ideas don’t arrive neatly categorized → Tools should accommodate mess before asking for structure

  • Capturing is only half the job → Retrieval and reactivation are just as essential to creative flow

  • Creative thought is nonlinear → Interfaces should enable exploration, not enforce hierarchy

  • Friction can be useful → A little effort at the right moment can prompt deeper reflection or intentionality

  • Memory is contextual → Resurfacing should be sensitive to timing, patterns, and emotional relevance

  • Metadata is valuable but often skipped → Assistive AI should reduce the cost of organizing without forcing decisions

  • The interface is a thinking partner → The tool should stimulate connections, not just store information

  • Too much structure too early kills momentum → Let users move quickly first, organize later if needed

  • Play is productive → Discovery and surprise are part of creative work, not distractions from it

Rem is a living project.

As I explore its future and seek guidance from more experienced builders, I welcome conversations about the creative process and how we think with our tools.