Creating HowIfeel, a mood tracking app powered by AI-driven insights
About the project
At Halo Lab, we initiated HowIfeel as an internal product to explore how AI could transform the way people track and manage their emotional well-being. The app combines journaling with AI-powered prompts, helping users articulate feelings, identify mood patterns, and build healthier habits.
From the start, the goal was to build a market-ready MVP with scalable infrastructure, seamless subscriptions, and a design system that could support both individual users and future growth. In doing so, we positioned HowIfeel as both a personal wellness companion and a scalable product with subscription-based growth potential.
About the project
At Halo Lab, we initiated HowIfeel as an internal product to explore how AI could transform the way people track and manage their emotional well-being. The app combines journaling with AI-powered prompts, helping users articulate feelings, identify mood patterns, and build healthier habits.
From the start, the goal was to build a market-ready MVP with scalable infrastructure, seamless subscriptions, and a design system that could support both individual users and future growth. In doing so, we positioned HowIfeel as both a personal wellness companion and a scalable product with subscription-based growth potential.
Client’s challenges & expectations
Building HowIfeel meant holding ourselves to the same standards we set for client products. We had to deliver more than a functional app — it needed to stand out in a saturated wellness space and prove its value to both users and investors.
The challenge was to combine complex AI-driven functionality with an experience simple enough for everyday use, while also ensuring the product could scale technically and commercially. From the beginning, our expectation was clear: design and develop an MVP that not only worked flawlessly but also laid the groundwork for long-term growth and credibility in the health and wellness sector.
Our approach
- Product strategy &
user experience- Defined MVP essentials: Apple authentication, AI journaling with OpenAI, Supabase backend, RevenueCat for subscriptions
- Conducted competitor and audience analysis to identify differentiation opportunities
- Designed clear onboarding with Apple sign-in and journaling flows supported by AI prompts
- Built a scalable structure for future features like voice input and offline use
- Design system &
interface- Created a calm, emotionally supportive interface aligned with the app’s wellness purpose
- Developed a reusable UI components library to ensure consistency and accelerate updates
- Mobile development &
delivery- Built the app with React Native and Expo to support both iOS and Android
- Configured EAS build profiles for development, preview, staging, and production environments
- Automated builds through CI/CD pipelines for reliability and speed
- Documented setup and handover process to support future developers and QA
- Conversion & business
logic- Seamless payment integration (RevenueCat) to encourage smooth subscription upgrades
- Optimized app architecture for smooth user flow and readiness for monetization
Results
The initial version of HowIfeel delivered a polished MVP that integrates journaling, AI-powered prompts, secure authentication, and subscription management. With test builds available on iOS and Android, the product is technically ready for validation. So far, the app has undergone internal validation, with early feedback highlighting the calendar feature as especially valuable. Acting as an analytics dashboard, it helped users track mood changes over time and encouraged consistent engagement.
Looking ahead, validation will expand through the planned go-to-market strategy. This includes a launch on Product Hunt and the Apple App Store, followed by a broader public release supported by marketing campaigns across social media, influencer partnerships, and targeted outreach. Success will be measured through app downloads, engagement rates, and structured feedback collection.
- Business value
- Positive internal feedback on the calendar dashboard, motivating daily use
- Clear pathway to broader validation through Product Hunt and App Store launches
- Subscription-ready flow positioned for monetization
- Scalable architecture prepared for future features and growth
- Stronger investor and market appeal with a polished, differentiated MVP
Client’s challenges & expectations
Building HowIfeel meant holding ourselves to the same standards we set for client products. We had to deliver more than a functional app — it needed to stand out in a saturated wellness space and prove its value to both users and investors.
The challenge was to combine complex AI-driven functionality with an experience simple enough for everyday use, while also ensuring the product could scale technically and commercially. From the beginning, our expectation was clear: design and develop an MVP that not only worked flawlessly but also laid the groundwork for long-term growth and credibility in the health and wellness sector.
Our approach
- Product strategy &
user experience- Defined MVP essentials: Apple authentication, AI journaling with OpenAI, Supabase backend, RevenueCat for subscriptions
- Conducted competitor and audience analysis to identify differentiation opportunities
- Designed clear onboarding with Apple sign-in and journaling flows supported by AI prompts
- Built a scalable structure for future features like voice input and offline use
- Design system &
interface- Created a calm, emotionally supportive interface aligned with the app’s wellness purpose
- Developed a reusable UI components library to ensure consistency and accelerate updates
- Mobile development &
delivery- Built the app with React Native and Expo to support both iOS and Android
- Configured EAS build profiles for development, preview, staging, and production environments
- Automated builds through CI/CD pipelines for reliability and speed
- Documented setup and handover process to support future developers and QA
- Conversion & business
logic- Seamless payment integration (RevenueCat) to encourage smooth subscription upgrades
- Optimized app architecture for smooth user flow and readiness for monetization
Results
The initial version of HowIfeel delivered a polished MVP that integrates journaling, AI-powered prompts, secure authentication, and subscription management. With test builds available on iOS and Android, the product is technically ready for validation. So far, the app has undergone internal validation, with early feedback highlighting the calendar feature as especially valuable. Acting as an analytics dashboard, it helped users track mood changes over time and encouraged consistent engagement.
Looking ahead, validation will expand through the planned go-to-market strategy. This includes a launch on Product Hunt and the Apple App Store, followed by a broader public release supported by marketing campaigns across social media, influencer partnerships, and targeted outreach. Success will be measured through app downloads, engagement rates, and structured feedback collection.
- Business value
- Positive internal feedback on the calendar dashboard, motivating daily use
- Clear pathway to broader validation through Product Hunt and App Store launches
- Subscription-ready flow positioned for monetization
- Scalable architecture prepared for future features and growth
- Stronger investor and market appeal with a polished, differentiated MVP
Results
Daryna P.
Project Manager
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