steel-app System Requirements Document

Introduction

The purpose of this document is to outline the system requirements for the "steel-app," a productivity application designed to help users manage their time and tasks effectively. This document will detail the functional and non-functional requirements, user personas, core user flows, and design elements specific to the steel-app.

System Overview

The steel-app is designed to assist users, particularly students, in organizing their work sessions through time-blocking and reflective practices. The app provides features such as block planning, post-block check-ins, daily timelines, weekly insights, and streak counters to enhance productivity and self-awareness.

Functional Requirements

• As a student, I should be able to set a timer for 25, 50, or 90 minutes and write one intention for the block (e.g., "Draft intro section").
• As a student, I should be able to complete a post-block check-in with a single prompt: "What happened?" and optionally tag my mood (🔥 / 😐 / 😩).
• As a student, I should be able to view a visual strip showing completed blocks, color-coded by mood.
• As a student, I should receive an auto-generated weekly insight, such as "You hit 73% of intentions this week" or "Your sharpest hours: 9–11 AM."
• As a student, I should be able to track my streak of days with three or more completed blocks.

User Personas

• Student: The primary user of the steel-app, seeking to improve productivity and time management skills through structured work sessions and reflective practices.

Core User Flows

• Student sets a timer for a work block -> Completes the task with an intention -> Checks in post-block with mood tagging -> Views daily timeline -> Receives weekly insights -> Tracks streaks of productive days.

Visuals Colors and Theme

• primary: #1E3A8A (Deep Blue)
• primary_light: #3B82F6 (Light Blue)
• secondary: #F59E0B (Amber)
• accent: #EF4444 (Red)
• highlight: #FBBF24 (Gold)
• bg: #F3F4F6 (Light Gray)
• surface: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8)
• text: #111827 (Dark Gray)
• text_muted: #6B7280 (Muted Gray)
• border: rgba(209, 213, 219, 0.2)

Signature Design Concept

The steel-app will feature an interactive "Time Garden" on the home page. Users will plant "intention seeds" for each work block, which grow into "productivity flowers" as tasks are completed. The garden will visually represent the user's productivity over time, with flowers changing color based on mood tags. Users can click on flowers to view detailed block information. This concept will be implemented using @react-three/fiber for 3D interactions and framer-motion for smooth animations.

Interaction Model & Motion Direction

The landing page will utilize a "parallax" interaction model, providing a layered depth effect as users scroll through the page. Decorative elements like floating clouds and shifting sunlight will move at different speeds, creating an immersive storytelling experience. Internal pages will adopt a "static" model to ensure clarity and focus on productivity features.

Non-Functional Requirements

• The application should be responsive and accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.
• The system should ensure data privacy and secure access control for all user information.
• The app should perform efficiently with minimal load times and smooth transitions.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React for Web
• Backend: Python with FastAPI
• Database: MySQL or MariaDB, using Alembic for migrations
• Local Orchestration: Docker, docker-compose
• Server-side Orchestration: Kubernetes

Assumptions and Constraints

• The app is primarily targeted at students in India, considering local time zones and cultural context.
• The system will support English as the primary language for all interfaces and communications.
• Internet connectivity is assumed for all functionalities, including data synchronization and insights generation.

Glossary

• Block Planner: A feature allowing users to set a timer and define an intention for a work session.
• Post-block Check-in: A reflective prompt completed after a work session.
• Daily Timeline: A visual representation of completed work blocks within a day.
• Weekly Insight: An auto-generated summary of productivity metrics for the week.
• Streak Counter: A feature tracking consecutive days with a specified number of completed work blocks.