Overview
Root is a mobile app that uses object recognition and voice recording to preserve the stories families attach to physical objects — a grandmother's ring, a worn leather wallet, a handmade quilt.
Contributors record short voice notes tied to a specific object. Anyone in the family can point their camera at that object later and hear those stories play back in AR, anchored to the thing itself.
The app is designed for everyone in the family, not just the tech-savvy ones. Recording requires one tap. Listening requires a camera. No account needed to contribute.
People don't tell stories on demand — but hand them an object and they can't stop talking.
Goal
Make it as natural to record a family memory as it is to take a photo — so nothing gets lost when the people who remember are gone.
Project Summary
Root is a mobile app that turns family heirlooms, photos, and everyday objects into living story archives. Scan an object with your phone, hear a grandparent's voice attached to it, and pass both the thing and its meaning down to the next generation.
Some things get passed down. Most stories don't.
Root turns family heirlooms into living archives — point your camera at an object, and hear the stories attached to it in the voices of the people who lived them.
Capturing Memories Before They Fade
Story
Every family has objects full of meaning, but the stories attached to them disappear when the person who knew them does. Root makes capturing those stories as easy as taking a photo.
What is Root?
Root is a mobile app that uses object recognition and voice recording to preserve the stories families attach to physical objects — a grandmother's ring, a worn leather wallet, a handmade quilt. Contributors record short voice notes tied to a specific object. Anyone in the family can point their camera at that object later and hear those stories play back in AR, anchored to the thing itself.
What makes Root unique?
The app is designed for everyone in the family, not just the tech-savvy ones. Recording requires one tap. Listening requires a camera. No account needed to contribute.
Problem
Every family has objects full of meaning, but the stories attached to them disappear when the person who knew them does. Root makes capturing those stories as easy as taking a photo.
Research
Will talk to 3 generations ideally — a grandparent, a parent, and an adult child. Even 5-6 people across those groups gives you rich material.
The study examines how stories emerge through everyday interactions, cherished objects, and meaningful places, while uncovering the emotional and practical barriers that limit long-term preservation.
I'll plan and conduct 5 moderated interviews to understand the need, opportunity, and challenges of getting stories from family and what limits arise.
Goal
To help families preserve their history by transforming everyday memories, photos, and meaningful objects into lasting stories that can be shared across generations
Users want an easy way to preserve and revisit family stories while organizing memories across multiple family members, without the process feeling complicated or time-consuming.
Users
Based on the research, I‘ll focus on three primary Root users seeking preserve and share personal stories.
The Family Historian:
A family member who actively collects, preserves, and organizes stories, photos, and memories to ensure family history is not lost over time.
The Storyteller:
An older family member with valuable life experiences and stories to share, but who may need simple, guided tools to capture them.
The Next Generation:
A younger family member interested in discovering their family's history, learning from past generations, and preserving those stories for the future.
Design Principles
Based on the research, I‘ll focus on three primary Root users seeking preserve and share personal stories.
Objects first, not screens
The app should feel like it disappears.
Voice over text
Stories live in the voice, not the writing.
Low friction for contributors
A 75-year-old shouldn't need a tutorial.
Imperfect is perfect
Crackling audio is a feature, not a bug.
Key Screens
Capture · Story recording · Object page · AR view · Family constellation.
Each screen represents a distinct design decision — from the one-tap record flow designed for 75-year-olds, to the AR layer that anchors stories to physical objects rather than folders on a screen.The app should feel like it disappears.
Reflection
What Root taught us about memory
Root isn't really an app. It's an archival system for human memory.
Every design decision — no editing, voice over text, object-first navigation — traces back to one belief: the best way to preserve something fragile is to make capturing it feel like nothing at all.
People don't tell stories on demand — but hand them an object and they can't stop talking.