ChatGPT Meets Crayons: I Created an Innovative Kids' App in 24 Hours 🦄🌈👩💻
Inspiration and Initial Concept 💡
This is a story of how a simple idea became my niece's favorite new toy.
Last week, I attended the Innovation Summit in San Francisco sponsored by Intel Corporation , CDW and Spectro Cloud. During the evening reception, I chatted with two colleagues Jamie Temple and Neeti Gupta from VMware. They mentioned how they and their friends were using ChatGPT to make coloring books for kids. This idea immediately intrigued me, as I'm always looking for innovative uses of Gen AI. By the way, thanks to Joel "Thor" Neeb for the invitation.
Coincidentally, I was still thinking about the incredible story shared by my colleague, Vittorio Viarengo. During one of our meetings, he talked about building a simple web application without writing a single line of code using an AI-powered IDE called Cursor from Anysphere . At the same time, my friend Natalie Lambert had just published a video on how she created fancy JavaScript animation for her website using ChatGPT. Last but not least, Forrest Brazeal recently shared in his must-subscribe newsletter, how Jared Short built a semantic search tool for Forrest's comics, integrating AI for image description and embedding. Their successes fueled my excitement and made me wonder—could I also do something similar?
As a marketer, I often joke that "Text always compiles in PowerPoint, real code not so much." But what if these tools are really so good? Could they actually enable me to develop an entire application, complete with a frontend user interface, integration with shared services like ChatGPT API, backend persistent storage, and the full business logic from scratch?
If you're curious about how I turned this idea into a live app on a Saturday too foggy for my favorite bike ride across the Golden Gate bridge, read on and join me on this exciting journey. I promise that by the end of this post, you'll have all my tips and tricks to try it yourself.
Experimentation and Overcoming Technical Challenges 🚀
Despite not having written software for two decades, this foggy Saturday in San Francisco I decided to “stay in and to dive in” to create my own AI-powered coloring book app. Try the app here!
Step 1: Prompt Engineering 🤖
My first challenge was crafting the perfect prompt for ChatGPT to create engaging coloring pages. After several iterations, I had a good prompt but faced challenges with the API producing outdated images. Through careful debugging, I discovered the API was using the old DALL·E 2 by default. Updating to DALL·E 3 improved the results immensely, though not as much as using the ChatGPT web interface.
Step 2: Prompts Enhancing 🧠
A key discovery was that the ChatGPT web interface enhances prompts before sending them to the LLM. This led me to now learn how to enhance my prompts for better outcomes.
Rapid Development Using Cursor and Vercel 💻
Step 3: Leveraging Cursor and Vercel 🌍
I followed Vittorio’s suggestion for an AI-powered IDE and tried Cursor. For cloud platform deployment, drawn by my good friend and ex-colleague Ameer Abbas recommendation about its ease of use and quick setup, I chose Vercel.com
This combination enabled me to quickly build the app, with Cursor, I simply described what I needed in plain language and it would generate the corresponding code.
Step 4: Refining the Design and Adding Features. 🎨
While the initial design was basic, Cursor quickly refined it with modern aesthetics upon my request. It even handled Vercel’s unique requirements smoothly. Adding functionalities like a print button was as easy as instructing Cursor to implement it, and it worked perfectly out of the box.
The Result: A Functional Prototype in One Day 🏆
In just one day, I went from a concept to a fully functional prototype running on Vercel. The app creates personalized coloring pages tailored to each child's interests, making it far more engaging than generic coloring books. Experience it yourself!
Beta Testing and User Feedback 📚
I shared the app with several beta testers - the children of my friends. The feedback has been incredibly positive. My sister-in-law printed a page on the spot for my niece, who loved coloring it. Other friends reported their kids enjoying it too. See what the excitement is about and try the app here!
Reflection on a Day’s Journey from Concept to Prototype 🌈
Key Takeaways:
Democratizing access to software: AI-augmented tools like Cursor and ChatGPT are democratizing access to software development, making it accessible even to those who are either new to coding or haven't coded in years. 🌟
Rapid prototyping: Rapid prototyping is now possible, allowing ideas to come to life quickly and efficiently. 🚀
Personalization is key: Personalizing children's activities, like coloring, greatly boosts both their engagement and enjoyment. 🎨
Tech Stack Summary
OpenAI ChatGPT: For generating and refining prompts for cartoon coloring pages. 🤖
Cursor: For building the web app with minimal coding. 👨💻
Vercel: For deploying the app with a quick and easy setup. 🚀
VI: For creating files, fixing permissions, quick text editing, and refining code. 💻
Future Development Plans 🌳
As exciting as this journey has been, I am just getting started. I have big plans for enhancing the coloring app:
Persistent storage: Ensuring children's creations are securely saved, allowing them to build their own digital coloring books over time.
Collaborative features: Enabling kids to team up and color together, fostering creativity and social interaction in a digital space.
Print-and-sell functionality: Giving young artists the ability to share or even sell their creations, potentially earning some pocket money and learning entrepreneurial skills.
Looks like Vercel has all the tools I need:
Conclusions 🤝
As I reflect on these questions, I'm reminded of how rapidly the tech landscape is evolving. What seems complex today may be simple tomorrow. This experience of going “from zero to app” in a single day has shown me the incredible potential of modern development tools.
Whether you're a seasoned developer or a creative mind with a great idea but limited coding experience, tools like ChatGPT, Vercel, and Cursor are leveling the playing field, enabling anyone to turn their ideas to working prototypes quickly and efficiently.
This journey is more than just a personal achievement; it's a glimpse into a future where AI and technology empower everyone to become creators. It's a testament to how AI is democratizing software development and opening doors for innovation across all skill levels.
So, what will you create? With these tools at your fingertips, the future of app development is more accessible than ever. Your next big idea could be the one that changes everything—even if it starts with something as simple as digital crayons and a child's imagination.
Now, more than ever, you have the power and knowledge to turn ideas into reality.