AI-POWERED JOURNAL ANALYTICS

AI Journaling Analytics: Explore Emotions, Identify Patterns, and Track Aspirations

Role

UX Design & Research

Scope

Zero to One

Timeline

2 Months

A volta is the turning point in mood, direction, or emotion. This project began with a similar pivot.

The ‘aha’ moments always came when my journal wasn’t around, so my reflections were scattered. I tested with fellow journalers and confirmed entries lived in voice notes, Notes, and scraps of paper. But research revealed a deeper need: analog journalers craved growth, a way to revisit, decode emotional loops, and receive personalized prompts.

What if people don’t need a new way to journal, but a new way to reflect?

Research & Planning

Conducted 6 in-depth interviews to map behaviors, pain points, and reflection routines. Performed competitive audit to identify market gaps for analog-first journalers.

Development & Implementation

Synthesized insights via affinity mapping to reveal two key personas and core needs. Framed the problem: emotional patterns invisible in analog practice.

Design & Prototyping

Created rapid sketches and wireframes exploring both aggregation and insight flows. Ran usability tests to refine UI, interaction, and feature priorities.

Delivery & Testing

Finalized Volta’s feature suite: journal scanning, emotional analysis, smart prompts, archive search, loop detection, and aspirations tracker.

Type A: The Growth Explorer

“More often than not, I write about the same thing again and again. If there was a way to help me move on, like prompts or feedback, that would make it better.”

⏤ Hadi, 32, journals twice a week for the past 20 years
uses physical lined and blank notebooks, voice notes, digital note apps

Type B: The Analog Unpacker

“Something about writing with a pen and paper, helps me feel better. I’ve never been able to do it digitally. It just doesn’t feel the same.”

⏤ Raquel, 26, journals based on her emotional state  uses her personal notebook and a pen

user interviews & analysis

affinity map

competitive analysis

Unique value proposition ♥︎

Volta empowers the Analog Unpacker, to preserve her beloved pen‑and‑paper ritual by providing AI‑driven insights, bridging analog emotion with digital growth.

Unique value proposition ♥︎

Information Architecture

Task flow #1

Journal Scanning & Entry

Enable Raquel to capture spontaneous thoughts without breaking her analog habit by scanning her journal, preserving insights before they fade.

from the task flow diagram…

to sketches…

to wireframes

Task flow #2

Insights Exploration & Reflection

Guide Raquel through emotional analysis and deeper reflection, surfacing patterns and prompts to turn scattered journal pages into a meaningful growth narrative.

from the task flow diagram…

to sketches…

to wireframes

Style Guide

Volta's Features Bring User's Pain Points and Desires to Life

journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”

journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”
journal scanning
“I always choose pen and paper. I have my little journal and my pen and I just sit and journal in my bed or wherever.”
emotional analysis
“Journaling helps me track how I feel and how I change over time… That evolution shows growth.”
pattern identification
“Sometimes I still write about the same thing again and again.”
aspiration tracker
“The reason I don’t journal when I’m not feeling low is because its benefits are not immediate - it takes time and effort.”
smart prompts
“Imagine a tool that gives you prompts based on what you wrote before… that would help with reflection and growth.”
smart archive
“I would only read back my journal if I could easily find what I’m looking for. I don’t love having to read everything.”

Usability Testing Feedback

Before refining screens and flows, we tested the core interactions with real users to ensure Volta’s features resonate and work intuitively.

Emotions

1) Y‑axis meaning unclear 2) Graph should adapt to different emotions 3) Emotion bars confusing 4) Unable to adjust date range

▶︎ 1) Y‑axis meaning unclear 2) Graph should adapt to different emotions 3) Emotion bars confusing 4) Unable to adjust date range

83% of participants

▶︎ 83% of participants

90% iteration
completion

▶︎ 90% iteration completion

Archive

1) Need easy search for past entries 2) Scrolling through years is impractical 3) Desire to read and dive deeper

▶︎ 1) Need easy search for past entries 2) Scrolling through years is impractical 3) Desire to read and dive deeper

100% of participants

▶︎ 100% of participants

82% iteration
completion

▶︎ 82% iteration completion

Patterns + Aspirations

1) Ability to edit identified patterns 2) Clarify notification behavior 3) Aspirations flow needs gamification potential

▶︎ 1) Ability to edit identified patterns 2) Clarify notification behavior 3) Aspirations flow needs gamification potential

67% of participants

▶︎ 67% of participants

33% iteration
completion

▶︎ 33% iteration completion

What I Learned

☺︎

Whenever I felt stuck or second-guessed a decision, I reminded myself to go back to user quotes and data, it always clarified the right direction.

☺︎

I learned I can’t solve every problem. Breaking complex features into small, testable steps and timeboxing decisions kept me moving forward without overwhelming myself, and I made hard choices to drop ideas.