Evolving our platform into a global educational hub.
Good morning, team! Big announcement: we are officially pivoting Recall from a personal study app into a Global Tutoring Platform. This document outlines the client requirements, our new global feature set, and how we’ll repurpose our existing, powerful tech (like our offline queue and SM-2 algorithm) to build a world-class educational experience. Let's start fresh with a clear vision.
These are the non-negotiable features requested by the client. Our UI/UX will be built on a sleek, premium Red and Bright Light color palette.
We need a tiered access model. New users will get a free subscription that allows them to preview a limited number of lessons before being prompted to enroll. We will implement a "paywall" logic that checks their access tier before revealing full lesson content.
Users will now have the ability to enroll in structured tutoring programs (e.g., "SAT Prep," "Organic Chemistry 101"). This replaces the old "deck" system. Users browse a catalog, select a program, and their dashboard populates with that program's specific lessons, instructors, and flashcards.
To spice things up and match the premium tutoring brand, we’re shifting from the paper theme to a sleek bright mode. Deep light backgrounds (#f0f2f5) with bright red accents (#FF2400) and subtle gradients to make the interface feel modern, focused, and high-end.
The platform must be framed as a "World Wide School." We need internationalization (i18n) support, multi-currency for program pricing, and timezone-aware scheduling for live tutoring sessions.
Before we build new features, we need to adapt the code we already have. The bones of Recall are strong; we just need to change the context from "personal notes" to "tutoring programs."
What we previously called "Decks" are now "Programs" or "Courses." The schema remains similar, but the UI will reflect an academic catalog. The SM-2 spaced repetition logic remains perfectly intact and is a massive selling point for student retention.
Tutors will upload syllabi and notes. We need to ensure our parsing logic correctly converts tutor notes into student flashcards without generating garbage cards.
Fix: Implement a strict state machine for parsing that cleanly separates Terms and Definitions, ignoring URLs and timestamps, ensuring tutors generate high-quality study materials.
We are moving to Supabase Storage immediately. Lessons will feature high-quality video thumbnails and diagrams. Storing base64 in the database won't scale for an international user base.
Fix: Create lesson-images and tutor-avatars buckets scoped by user/program ID. Store only the public URL in the database row.
Ordered by ROI for our launch. Each of these transforms the app into a viable educational platform.
This is still a top priority. For tutoring, structured study time is critical. We will brand this as the "Focus Session" timer.
The old "logo monogram" idea now applies to our tutors. Each tutor gets a sleek avatar and a profile page.
Our previous "Auto-organize" feature becomes a powerful tool for students navigating a global catalog.
Students shouldn't have to leave their lesson to check their schedule. A persistent dock on the right edge (desktop) and bottom (mobile) will allow quick access to: Dashboard, Current Programs, Live Sessions, Focus Timer, and Settings.
The "Snippets" feature becomes a place for code examples, formulas, and downloadable resources provided by the tutor. Syntax highlighting via Shiki will make these look premium in our light UI.
These details bridge the gap between "a platform" and "an experience students love."
| Touch | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Premium Bright Typography | Use elegant serif fonts (like Playfair Display) for program titles and headings to give an academic, Ivy League feel against the light background. |
| Red Gradients | Use subtle red-to-transparent gradients on focus flames and streak counters to make achievements feel earned and visually pop. |
| Undo on Un-enroll | Add an Undo button to un-enrollment toasts. Prevents accidental loss of course progress. |
| View Transitions API | Wrap view changes in document.startViewTransition() for smooth, app-like transitions between the catalog and the dashboard. |
| Haptic feedback | navigator.vibrate(10) on mobile when a student flips a flashcard or marks a lesson complete. |
| Confetti on Course Completion | When a student finishes a program, a sleek, red-themed canvas burst. Cheap, joyful, and highly shareable. |
To launch on time and maintain scope, we are explicitly cutting the following:
Comparing students globally can hurt confidence. We will focus on personal streaks and tutor relationships first.
We will eventually add scoped chat features, but a general chat box is a gimmick right now. We will stick to scoped features like auto-tagging programs.
We are committing fully to the Red and Bright Light UI/UX as requested. No toggle for old themes.
If we only do one thing this week: paint the app in the new Red and Light theme and implement the Focus Timer. It instantly shows the client we understand the new premium direction while we rebuild the backend for global programs.
The pivot to a Tutoring Platform is the right move. The foundations we built—auth, offline capabilities, and spaced repetition—are exactly what a global school needs. By adding program enrollments, free-tier previews, and a sleek light UI, we are transforming Recall into a premium product that students worldwide will want to use.
Let's start with the UI re-skin today. The rest will follow.