Strive AI Assistant
Project Case Study
Modern AI-powered assistant for career guidance and well-being support
Strive AI Assistant
Project Case Study
Modern AI-powered assistant for career guidance and well-being support
Overview
Strive AI Assistant helps people navigate their career paths and take care of their well-being. I completely rebuilt this project using Next.js 15 and OpenAI's GPT models to create a smarter, more helpful experience. The assistant remembers your conversations, learns about your needs, and gives you personalized advice and resources. It's a major step up from my original Strive Chatbot, taking advantage of today's powerful AI to provide genuinely helpful guidance when you need it most.
Role
- • Project Lead
- • UX Designer
- • Full Stack Developer
Duration
3 Months (February 2025 - May 2025)
Tools
Problem Statement
Finding good career advice and well-being support online can be overwhelming. There's too much information to sort through, and generic advice rarely fits your specific situation. Most people don't have access to personal career coaches or counselors due to cost or availability. With recent advances in AI, I saw an opportunity to create something much better than my previous chatbot—a truly helpful assistant that feels like talking to a knowledgeable friend.
Approach
I rebuilt Strive from the ground up using modern tools that wouldn't have been possible with the original version. I switched to Next.js 15, React 19, and OpenAI's GPT models to create conversations that feel natural and helpful. I designed the interface with Tailwind CSS and Framer Motion to make it look good and work smoothly on any device. The assistant now remembers what you've talked about and uses that context to give better advice. I also added a friendly onboarding process that helps the assistant get to know you better. The whole system is built to grow over time, with plans to add Supabase for saving your information securely if you want.
Solution
The new Strive AI Assistant is like having a career coach and wellness guide in your pocket. Built with Next.js and powered by OpenAI's technology, it gives personalized advice based on your specific situation. It includes career assessments to help you understand your path, connects you with job opportunities, suggests learning resources, and even offers tools for your well-being like guided breathing exercises. The design works perfectly on phones, tablets, or computers, and adapts to your preferred light or dark mode. Behind the scenes, it uses modern web technologies that make it fast and reliable. By leveraging today's AI capabilities, Strive can understand and respond to your needs in a way that feels much more human and helpful than traditional chatbots.
Design
User Flow
Paper Wireframes
Mockups
Learnings & Reflections
Rebuilding Strive taught me a lot about working with cutting-edge technology. I got hands-on experience with Next.js 15's App Router, styled components with Tailwind CSS, and created smooth animations using Framer Motion. Working with OpenAI's API showed me the power and limitations of language models, including how to create effective prompts and manage costs. I deepened my React skills by using Context for state management and building custom hooks for reusable logic. Perhaps most valuable was learning how to design AI interfaces that feel helpful without being overwhelming. Finding the right balance between automation and user control is tricky but essential. This project also showed me how AI can support people's overall well-being when designed thoughtfully – something I'm excited to explore further in future work.