This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nicholas-Amsler
🎬 Producer Perch: Building an Emotionally-Aware Productivity App with React, AI, and Real Life in Mind
By Nicholas Amsler — Combat Medic turned AI Engineer
🧠 Why I Built Producer Perch
In early 2025, I built something under the radar for my wife-an amazing Executive Producer- a Mother's day surprise.
As a combat medic turned AI engineer, I watched her manage chaos with grace: juggling production timelines, emotional labor, and burnout. But she didn’t need another project board — she needed a digital workspace that supported her mind as much as her tasks.
So I built Producer Perch: a personal productivity suite that doesn’t just manage workload — it recognizes emotional context, helps regulate creative energy, and reminds the user to breathe.
🔧 Tech Stack Overview
This is a modern React SPA with some surprisingly deep integrations:
- 🧩 React 18+ — functional components, custom hooks
- 🎨 Tailwind CSS — themed interface with state-aware styles
- 🎧 Web Audio API — ambient sound + audio triggers
- 🧠 ChatGPT API — voice-to-text, emotional affirmations, journaling assistant
- 🧭 Custom State Engine — mode switching between Zen, Reset, and Output workflows
🎯 Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 🧘 Zen Mode | Clears interface noise, loads ambient tracks, and slows the mind. |
| 📢 5PM Shutdown Reminder | Sends a spoken message to “log off” and rejoin the world. |
| 💬 Emotional AI Assistant | Uses GPT-4o to generate affirmations and reframe negative spirals. |
| 🎬 Three Work Modes | Creative Output, Reflect/Reset, and Focus mode with different tools. |
| 🧾 Daily Wrap Journal | Summarizes your day and helps plan tomorrow with intelligent prompts. |
💡 Design Philosophy
Most productivity tools scream “do more.”
Producer Perch whispers “how are you doing?”
It’s not built for scale. It was built for someone I love. But in doing so, I stumbled on something bigger:
We can build software that cares.
🧪 Developer Notes
Some things I discovered along the way:
- Tailwind’s dark mode + focus ring hacks = a delight
- The Web Audio API has quirks — especially on Safari
- GPT emotional prompts require nuance to avoid generic affirmations
- State isolation across modes (Zen vs. Output) required careful context separation
🔒 Access Note (for Now)
Producer Perch is currently password-protected and undergoing private testing.
The GitHub repo is private and the app is not yet public-facing. This is intentional while I finalize authentication middleware and secure deployment.
📨 Want to explore it?
DM me here or on LinkedIn and I’d be happy to walk you through it.
🚀 What’s Next?
I might open-source a minimal version or evolve it into a lightweight SaaS for creative professionals.
For now, it’s a portfolio piece — and a personal reminder that we can design tech with heart.
💬 Final Thoughts
Most devs build dashboards. I built a digital desk for the person behind the projects.
And it turns out that’s exactly what she needed.
🛠 Built with love
🎖 Combat medic → AI engineer
💬 Open to feedback — who else is building emotionally intelligent apps?
🏷 Tags
#react #productivity #emotionaldesign #webdev #ai #tailwindcss
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Nicholas-Amsler
Nicholas-Amsler | Sciencx (2025-06-27T12:13:00+00:00) Producer Perch: A React + AI Productivity App That Actually Cares. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/06/27/producer-perch-a-react-ai-productivity-app-that-actually-cares/
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