Turning Pages with AI: How I Built a Smarter Book App

My Journey Building an AI-Powered Book App

Design and technology have always intrigued me, especially in their ability to address personal challenges. For me, that challenge has been reading. As someone with dyslexia, reading has often felt like scaling a wall—exhausting and frustrating. Yet, perhaps because of this, my fascination with books only grew stronger. Books, especially non-fiction, became a gateway to knowledge I craved. Over the years, I dove into biographical and management books, building a personal library filled with valuable insights. But there was one major hurdle: remembering the key details.

I experimented with all kinds of solutions—note-taking, digital tools, even the Zettelkasten system. Each helped a little, but none really solved the problem of forgetting details. Reading on the go, especially, made these methods inefficient. I needed something more intuitive, more integrated into how I process information.

Then came ChatGPT and the rise of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. At the time, I was working with a knowledge base company, and we played around with these new AI tools. They were powerful but flawed. The systems were drowning in too much information, often giving inaccurate or outdated responses. The AI would hallucinate or pull the wrong context—frustrating, to say the least. But this is where my mind clicked into action.

Connecting the Dots

The breakthrough came when I realized: What if I could talk to my books? What if I could leverage this technology to help me remember the important parts, refresh my memory, and keep the information relevant to me without the fluff?

Building a system that could interact intelligently with my personal library suddenly seemed within reach. Books offered reliable, evergreen information, and using AI to enhance their accessibility would be like having a personalized, ever-available reference guide. And with so many incredible open-source tools available, the barrier to entry was lower than ever. So, I built a quick prototype—something functional, not flashy—and shared it online. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Even though I shelved the project for a while due to time constraints, people kept asking to use it for their studies. That interest lit a fire in me.

Designing with Purpose

As I delved deeper into the app’s development, it became clear that good design would be the difference between a tool people can use and one they want to use. With my background in design, I’ve always been guided by a core principle: function first. This project was no different. Every design decision I made was rooted in a clear purpose—keeping the interface simple, intuitive, and accessible.

The logo itself is a reflection of this philosophy. I wanted it to symbolize the experience the app provides, so I created an image of an open book with pages forming a rising sun. It wasn’t just about aesthetics; the metaphor was intentional: Where knowledge unfolds like the dawn of a new day, opening pages that illuminate the path to discovery. This speaks to the heart of what I’ve always aimed for in my design work: clarity, purpose, and a seamless journey for the user.

Learning on the Go

Here’s where things got interesting. I’m not a developer by trade, which made this whole journey an intense learning experience. I knew the basics, but the complexities of building a fully functional, AI-powered app were well beyond my comfort zone. Fortunately, I had a tool that made the process easier—Cursor, an AI-powered (Claude 3.5) version of VSCode. Cursor was invaluable. It guided me through writing the code, helping me debug and optimize the app’s functionality. I simply couldn’t have built this app without it. Every step was a lesson—from coding the front-end interface to integrating AI chat models and deploying the application. I constantly found myself in deep dives into new technologies, figuring out how they worked and how they could fit into my vision.

While this was rewarding, it was also challenging. I had to balance the excitement of building with the reality of my limitations, and I still had to consider the final step: preparing the app for a global rollout.

Time to Build

Fast forward to a holiday break—I had the time, and more importantly, the drive. The technology had advanced in leaps and bounds, making it easier to create something more refined. I wanted this app to not only work but also feel polished. The design had to be simple and intuitive, following my philosophy of function first.

From a design standpoint, the challenge was to make the app accessible to everyone, regardless of the device they were using. Responsiveness was a key priority—the app needed to transition effortlessly from phones to tablets to desktops. As someone who values accessibility personally, this wasn’t just a design choice—it was a necessity. Every feature had to be easy to use and highly functional without overwhelming the user.

One of the most exciting features I added was an embedded e-book reader. Now, not only could users talk to their books, but they could also jump directly to specific pages. This made engaging with books even more seamless and intuitive.

Preparing for a Global Rollout

While the app was functional and even had a small group of early users, the real challenge still lies ahead: rolling it out to the world. There are so many more elements to consider—scalability, security, and ensuring that the app works smoothly across different devices and languages. This phase is where the rubber meets the road, and it’s something I’m currently preparing for. I’ve learned so much throughout this journey, but there’s still a lot to tackle. The global launch is on the horizon, and I’m making sure that when it happens, the app is ready for the spotlight.

The Future Is Bright

There’s so much more I want to explore with this app. From building a bookstore to offering free, license-free eBooks, to integrating a screen reader for added accessibility—the possibilities are endless. The app is currently optimized for non-fiction, making it perfect for people who want to absorb large amounts of information quickly and efficiently. And by integrating various APIs, I’ve been able to enrich the books with even more data, giving users an even deeper reading experience.

Ultimately, this journey has been about solving a personal problem in a way that benefits others. And as technology continues to evolve, I’m excited to see where this project goes next. I built this app because I needed it—but it turns out a lot of other people need it too.

If you’ve ever felt like reading was just out of reach, or if you struggle to remember the important things from a book months after you’ve read it, this app might just be for you. Stay tuned.