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2021 — iOS App

ReelCalm

A community-driven app to help viewers avoid harmful emotional triggers in films.

www.reelcalmapp.com

My Role

Product Strategy

User Research

Product Design

SwiftUI Development

What is ReelCalm?

ReelCalm is a community-based iPhone app that helps viewers identify potentially harmful emotional triggers in movies. It empowers users to make informed choices about what they watch, fostering safer and more comfortable viewing experiences.

The Challenge

Unexpected emotional triggers in movies can cause distress and discomfort for many viewers. While parental guidance systems cover broad categories like violence or language, they don’t capture nuanced or personal triggers that affect individuals differently.

Lack of Detailed Warnings

Traditional rating systems (PG, R, etc.) don’t capture the nuanced emotional triggers that can affect individuals in deeply personal ways.

Unexpected Distress

Viewers often encounter scenes that cause discomfort or anxiety without warning, forcing them to abandon films or experience harm.

The Solution

ReelCalm provides a simple, community-powered way for viewers to identify emotional triggers in movies. Users can search films, view warnings, and contribute their own insights through a clean, empathetic interface.

Community-Powered Database

ReelCalm enables users to log emotional triggers they encounter in movies, building a growing, community-driven source of information

Search and Discovery

Viewers can quickly search thousands of films and see a list of triggers contributed by others, ensuring they’re informed before watching.

Trust and Empathy in Design

A simple, approachable interface makes the experience feel safe, trustworthy, and respectful of sensitive subject matter.

The Build

ReelCalm was created with SwiftUI, powered by the TMDB API for content and Firebase for secure authentication and backend data management.

SwiftUI Development

Built the app natively in SwiftUI to ensure a modern, responsive, and scalable iOS experience.

TMDB API Integration

Integrated The Movie Database (TMDB) API to power movie search

Authentication & Database

Implemented secure user authentication and a lightweight backend using Firebase to support contribution, storage, and retrieval of triggers.

The Outcome

The app launched successfully in January 2021 and has since seen thousands of triggers added by the community. ReelCalm proved that a simple, well-designed platform could fill a meaningful gap in how people prepare for and experience movies.