About This Project
☕ Still Life — Mindful Media Sanctuary
Still Life is an intentional, anti-doomscrolling media directory designed to replace algorithm-driven, high-dopamine social feeds with slow-form, human-curated intellectual content.
Inspired by editorial publications like Kinfolk and The New Yorker, the platform embraces calm design principles, strict reading boundaries, and carefully curated media to encourage thoughtful digital consumption rather than endless scrolling.
✨ Key Features
📖 Curated Sanctuary Hub
Browse over 45+ carefully selected publications, podcasts, newsletters, YouTube channels, and learning platforms, organized into:
- Philosophy & Culture
- Global Context & Technology
- Literature & Poetry
- Art & Design
- Science & Systems
🎯 Mindful Headspace Filters
Filter recommendations by both:
Intent
- 5-Min Breather
- Visual Rabbit Hole
- Introspective Essays
Medium
- Publications
- Podcasts
- YouTube Channels
- Newsletters & Platforms
Helping users discover content that matches both their available time and current mental state.
🧘 Scratch the Itch
Instead of opening another addictive feed, users can choose Ground Yourself Instead, triggering:
- Guided breathing animation
- 4-second inhale / exhale cycle
- Random thoughtful recommendation afterward
This transforms impulsive scrolling into intentional discovery.
📰 Live RSS Feed Reader
Every source dynamically loads its latest articles using a server-side RSS/Atom parser via a Next.js API route, ensuring recommendations always stay fresh without relying on static content.
🗂️ Morning Menu Generator
Generate a personalized daily reading routine based on:
- Available time
- Preferred topics
The routine is presented as a printable editorial-style checklist that can also be copied to the clipboard.
⚙️ Admin Source Manager
A built-in administration panel allows:
- Adding new sources
- Editing existing metadata
- Hiding or showing recommendations
- Restoring default curated collections
All changes persist locally using browser storage.
🎨 Design Philosophy
Still Life was intentionally designed to feel closer to reading a beautifully printed magazine than browsing social media.
Design principles include:
- Editorial typography
- Calm neutral color palette
- Strict reading-width constraints
- Minimal visual noise
- Deliberate interaction pacing
- Human-curated discovery instead of algorithms
The goal is not maximizing engagement—but improving attention.
🛠 Tech Stack
- Next.js 15 (App Router)
- React
- Tailwind CSS v4
- Framer Motion
- Lucide React
- RSS/Atom Feed Parsing
- LocalStorage
- Vercel
🌍 Impact
Modern platforms compete for attention through recommendation algorithms and infinite scrolling.
Still Life explores an alternative philosophy:
Design software that respects attention instead of exploiting it.
The project demonstrates how thoughtful UX, editorial design, and curated information architecture can create a calmer, more intentional digital experience.