brutes
RAKSHANBrutes A habit-and-focus tracker where a creature evolves as you grow — Design Document 1. Concept Overview Brutes is a personal productivity and habit-tracking app, inspired by the app Forest (where a tree grows during focus sessions). Instead of a tree, the user raises a creature that evolves over time based on real behavior — completed tasks, consistent daily routines, and progress fighting addictions or bad habits. Each creature lives within a biome that reflects its evolutionary path, and the app surfaces daily, monthly, and yearly summaries of the user's activity. 2. Why the Creature Exists The creature is not a decoration layered on top of a tracker — it is a visible proxy for otherwise invisible effort. Most self-improvement happens silently: discipline, focus, and recovery accumulate day to day without any way to feel that progress directly. The creature solves this by giving effort a body. This works because of two well-understood psychological effects: Loss aversion for something alive — people protect a living thing far more reliably than an abstract streak counter. Identity reflection — over months, the creature's final form mirrors who the user actually was, not who they intended to be, which is more honest and more motivating than a plain to-do list. Its purpose is threefold: to externalize progress that can't otherwise be felt day-to-day, to create genuine emotional stakes in consistency, and to tell the user's own habit history back to them through its evolution. 3. What Makes the Creature Grow Growth is driven by three distinct behavior types, each treated differently rather than pooled into a single XP number. 3.1 One-off tasks (completion-based) Discrete actions such as a workout, a reading session, or a finished sprint. These grant an immediate, small growth tick right after completion, similar to Forest's tree growing during a focus session. Fast feedback loop, good for short-term motivation. 3.2 Daily routines (consistency-based) Recurring habits such as sleeping on schedule, a morning walk, or journaling. These reward sustained streaks rather than any single instance — small ticks per day, with a larger jump at streak milestones (7, 30, 100 days). This is the primary driver of evolution stage changes, since evolution should represent sustained identity change, not one good day. 3.3 Fighting addiction or avoidance goals (restraint-based) This is tracked by time-since-last-relapse rather than completed actions, since it is about absence of a behavior. Design principles: No punishment mechanic on relapse — a creature that shrinks or dies on relapse mirrors real shame spirals and can cause users to avoid opening the app after a slip, which is the opposite of the intended effect. A dedicated Resilience stat grows with clean time and pauses (never reverses) on a relapse. A private, judgment-free log with no animation or popup on relapse — the app's role here is to add no guilt on top of an already hard moment. 4. Stat System Stat Fed by Represents Vitality Exercise, physical tasks, sleep hygiene Body / energy Focus Deep work sessions, study, reading Mind / concentration Discipline Daily routines, streak consistency Identity / consistency Resilience Time since last relapse on addiction/avoidance goals Restraint / recovery Discipline acts as a meta-stat: it rises slowly whenever any other stat is fed consistently, since consistency itself is the trait the app is ultimately trying to build. 5. Evolution Structure Each stat branch has four stages: Dormant, Stage 1, Stage 2 (intermediate), and Final. Thresholds are time/streak-based rather than raw point totals, so evolution cannot be grinded in a single binge session: Dormant (Day 0–3): identical for every user, no stat lean yet. Stage 1 (~1–3 weeks): first branch, determined by whichever single stat is currently highest. Stage 2 (~4–8 weeks): visibly larger and more developed than Stage 1, escalating the same branch's traits. Final (~2–3 months): branches further based on the ratio between the top two stats, not just the leading one. Design lesson from this project: consecutive stages must differ in structure (silhouette, added features, environment), not just color intensity, or users can't visually tell the creature has evolved. 6. Biomes Branch Biome / terrain Visual language Vitality Volcanic terrain Lava, cracked scorched ground, warm orange sky Focus Cold stone ruins/chambers Mist, blue-white ambient light, no fire Discipline Structured/architectural terrain Carved cliffs, fortress-like stonework Resilience Dawn light over healing terrain Cracked earth with new growth pushing through 7. Creature Branches Branch Archetype Dormant → Stage 1 → Stage 2 → Final Vitality Fire dragon-warrior Scorchling → Cub → Ashfang → Cinderwing Focus Cracked-mask predator Hushling → Fracture → Sever → Wraithmask Discipline Armored ram, gold segments Cairn → (TBD) → (TBD) → (TBD) Resilience Warm, dawn-lit recovery creature (TBD) Naming rule: every evolution stage, across every branch, has its own unique name — no name is reused. 8. Legendary Tier A rare tier above the normal branch lineage, reserved for exceptional milestones: breaking an addiction, an unusually long streak, or an extreme cumulative hour count in one category. Triggered by milestones (e.g. 100-day unbroken streak, 90+ days relapse-free, 500+ cumulative hours), not points — stays rare by design. A small separate roster (roughly 3–5 total), one per milestone type. Distinct visual language from branch creatures — more mythic/ancient, glowing sigils rather than scale cracks. The addiction-recovery legendary should read as serene and dawn-lit, not battle-scarred, consistent with the Resilience branch's non-punishing tone. 9. App Dashboard A timeline showing each evolution stage next to the date/streak that triggered it. An auto-generated monthly growth report: time by category, biggest streak, estimated time to next evolution. A yearly view functioning as a full journey map across biomes visited/unlocked. A simple radar/spider chart of the four stats for an at-a-glance "shape." 10. Open Items Discipline branch: Stage 1, Stage 2, and Final forms and names still to be designed. Resilience branch: full archetype, lineage, and names still to be designed. Full Legendary tier roster and individual designs still to be defined. Evolution transformation video prompts being generated stage-by-stage using first/last frame references (validated on Scorchling → Cub and Cub → Ashfang).
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System Requirements
System Requirements Document for brutes
1. Introduction
Brutes is a personal productivity and habit-tracking application designed to help users improve their habits and focus by raising a virtual creature. This creature evolves based on the user's real-life behaviors, such as completing tasks, maintaining daily routines, and overcoming addictions or bad habits. The app aims to externalize progress, create emotional stakes in consistency, and reflect the user's habit history through the creature's evolution.
2. System Overview
Brutes is delivered as a custom UI application with backend integration, requiring user authentication for personalized tracking and evolution state management. The app features a unique creature evolution system driven by user behavior, with each creature living in a biome that reflects its evolutionary path. The app provides daily, monthly, and yearly summaries of user activity, supporting habit tracking through distinct stats: Vitality, Focus, Discipline, and Resilience. The system is designed to be non-punitive, especially in tracking addiction recovery.
2a. Product Interpretation and Delivery Boundary
Brutes is a single-user application focused on personal habit tracking and creature evolution. It requires user authentication to protect and restore user-owned records and evolution states. The app does not support multi-user workflows or external recipient interactions. Evolution stages are time and streak-based, ensuring progress cannot be artificially accelerated. The app includes a rare Legendary tier for exceptional milestones, visually distinct from regular evolution stages.
2b. Source Content Inventory
Not applicable as no content source directive was provided.
2c. Page Content and Component Coverage
Landing
- Purpose: Introduce Brutes, its concept, and its benefits to anonymous visitors.
- Components:
- Overview of the app's purpose and features.
- Visual introduction to the creature evolution concept.
- Call-to-action for sign-up or login.
Login
- Purpose: Allow returning users to access their personalized data.
- Components:
- User authentication form.
- Password recovery option.
Sign Up
- Purpose: Enable new users to create an account.
- Components:
- User registration form.
- Terms of service and privacy policy acknowledgment.
Dashboard
- Purpose: Provide an overview of daily activities and creature status.
- Components:
- Summary of daily tasks and routines.
- Current creature evolution stage and stats.
- Navigation to detailed tracking areas.
Creature
- Purpose: Display the user's evolving creature and its biome.
- Components:
- Visual representation of the creature and its current stage.
- Biome context and evolution history.
Tasks
- Purpose: Manage and track one-off tasks.
- Components:
- Task creation and management interface.
- Immediate growth feedback upon task completion.
Routines
- Purpose: Track and maintain daily routines.
- Components:
- Routine management interface.
- Streak tracking and milestone notifications.
Recovery
- Purpose: Support addiction recovery and avoidance goals.
- Components:
- Time-since-last-relapse tracker.
- Private, judgment-free relapse log.
Relapse History
- Purpose: Review relapse history privately.
- Components:
- Detailed log of past relapses.
- No animations or popups to ensure a judgment-free experience.
Stats
- Purpose: Review and analyze user stats.
- Components:
- Radar/spider chart of Vitality, Focus, Discipline, and Resilience.
- Detailed stat progression over time.
Evolution Timeline
- Purpose: Display the history of creature evolution stages.
- Components:
- Timeline of evolution stages with triggering dates or streaks.
Growth Reports
- Purpose: Provide monthly growth insights.
- Components:
- Auto-generated reports on time spent by category.
- Biggest streaks and estimated time to next evolution.
Journey Map
- Purpose: Visualize the user's yearly journey across biomes.
- Components:
- Map of visited or unlocked biomes.
- Evolutionary milestones and achievements.
Legendaries
- Purpose: Showcase rare legendary creatures.
- Components:
- List of unlocked legendary creatures.
- Details on milestones that triggered each legendary.
3. Functional Requirements
- As a user, I should be able to track one-off tasks with immediate growth feedback after completion. (explicit)
- As a user, I should be able to track recurring daily routines using streak consistency and milestone growth at 7, 30, and 100 days. (explicit)
- As a user, I should be able to track addiction or avoidance goals by time since last relapse. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have access to a private, judgment-free relapse log with no relapse animation or popup. (explicit)
- As a user, I should not experience any punishment for relapse by shrinking or killing the creature. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see my Resilience stat grow with clean time and pause on relapse. (explicit)
- As a user, I should be able to track Vitality, Focus, Discipline, and Resilience as distinct stats. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see my Discipline stat increase gradually when other stats are fed consistently. (explicit)
- As a user, I should experience evolution thresholds that are time- and streak-based, preventing grinding in a single binge session. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see four evolution stages per stat branch: Dormant, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Final. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have Stage 1 branch determined by the highest current single stat. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have Final branching determined by the ratio of the top two stats. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see evolution represented through structurally distinct creature stages, including silhouette, added features, and environment. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see Vitality, Focus, Discipline, and Resilience creature branches with their specified biome and visual language. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see unique names for every evolution stage across branches. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have access to a rare Legendary tier above normal branch lineages, triggered by exceptional milestones rather than points, with roughly 3–5 total legendary creatures. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see legendary milestone types for exceptional streaks, relapse-free recovery, and extreme cumulative hours, with serene dawn-lit visual language for addiction recovery. (explicit)
- As a user, I should see an evolution timeline with each stage beside its triggering date or streak. (explicit)
- As a user, I should receive automatically generated monthly growth reports containing time by category, biggest streak, and estimated time to next evolution. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have access to a yearly journey map across visited or unlocked biomes. (explicit)
- As a user, I should have access to a radar/spider chart for the four stats. (explicit)
4. User Personas
- Habit and focus tracker user: A user who records tasks, routines, focus, recovery, and observes creature evolution. This persona is responsible for interacting with all aspects of the app, including task management, routine tracking, recovery logging, and reviewing evolution and stats.
5. Core User Flows
Habit and Focus Tracker User
- Landing Page: The user visits the landing page to understand the app's purpose and features.
- Sign Up/Login: The user creates an account or logs in to access personalized data.
- Dashboard: The user views their daily summary, creature status, and navigates to specific tracking areas.
- Tasks Management: The user creates and completes one-off tasks, receiving immediate growth feedback.
- Routine Tracking: The user manages daily routines, maintaining streaks and receiving milestone notifications.
- Recovery Logging: The user logs recovery progress, tracking time since last relapse in a private, judgment-free manner.
- Stats Review: The user reviews their stats using a radar chart and analyzes progression over time.
- Evolution Timeline: The user views the timeline of their creature's evolution stages.
- Growth Reports: The user accesses monthly growth reports for insights into their habits.
- Journey Map: The user explores their yearly journey across biomes.
- Legendaries: The user reviews unlocked legendary creatures and the milestones achieved.
6. Visuals Colors and Theme
- Muse: Bruno Simon
- Palette:
- Background: #F0F8FF
- Surface: #FFFFFF
- Text: #333333
- Primary: #FF4500
- Accent: #32CD32
- Muted: #B0C4DE
- Typography:
- Headings: Fredoka, Bold
- Body: Nunito
- Scale: 1.25 modular, 48/32/24/18/16
- Shape Language: Soft, rounded 3D forms with playful curves.
- Layout: 3D scene-centric with minimal HUD.
- Motion: Physics-driven interaction with playful movements.
7. Signature Design Concept
A full-viewport interactive 3D creature scene as the homepage hero, featuring interactive elements that respond to user actions, mimicking the creature's growth. Floating labels for stats and progress adjust as the creature evolves. Color-coded biomes for each stat visibly change as progress is made. Playful, bouncy transitions between app sections reflect the creature's movements.
8. Interaction Model & Motion Direction
- Interaction Model: Animated
- Motion Tempo: Cinematic
- Hero Dimensionality: WebGL
- Landing Hero Motion Brief: A 3D scene featuring a creature in its biome, with interactive elements and vibrant color contrasts to invite exploration. The primary and accent colors create visual focus, with playful, bouncy transitions reflecting the creature's movements.
9. Non-Functional Requirements
- Performance: The app should load quickly and provide smooth transitions between sections.
- Security: User data must be securely stored and protected.
- Usability: The interface should be intuitive and easy to navigate.
- Accessibility: The app should be accessible to users with disabilities, following WCAG guidelines.
10. Tech Stack
- Frontend: React, WebGL/R3F for 3D interactions
- Backend: Python/FastAPI
- Storage: Appropriate database for user data and evolution state
- Deployment: Docker/docker-compose, Kubernetes if required
11. Assumptions and Constraints
- Assumptions:
- Users will have internet access to use the app.
- Users are interested in personal productivity and habit tracking.
- Constraints:
- The app must not punish users for relapses.
- Evolution stages must be distinct and visually identifiable.
- The app is designed for single-user interaction only.
12. Glossary
- Creature: A virtual representation of the user's progress and habits.
- Evolution Stage: The level of development of the creature, reflecting user progress.
- Biome: The environment in which the creature lives, representing different stat focuses.
- Legendary Tier: A rare evolution stage achieved through exceptional milestones.
- Relapse: A return to a behavior the user is trying to avoid, tracked without punitive measures.
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