# Kalei — Brand Metaphor & Experience Design

## The Core Metaphor

A kaleidoscope takes broken, random fragments of glass and reveals them as beautiful, symmetrical patterns. It never changes the pieces — it changes the **angle**. Turn it once, and chaos becomes art. Turn it again, and the same fragments form something entirely new.

**Kalei does the same thing with your thoughts.**

Your situation hasn't changed. Your circumstances are the same fragments they were a moment ago. But Kalei shifts the angle — and suddenly you see the pattern, the meaning, the opportunity that was always there.

This isn't toxic positivity. A kaleidoscope doesn't pretend the glass isn't broken. It proves that broken things can still be beautiful.

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## Brand Vocabulary

Every app builds an unconscious vocabulary through the words it uses in buttons, headers, notifications, and empty states. Kalei's vocabulary should reinforce the metaphor without being heavy-handed.

### Primary Terms (Use Frequently)

| Instead of...       | Kalei says...        | Why                                                    |
|----------------------|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| Reframe              | **Turn**             | You "turn" a kaleidoscope to see a new pattern         |
| Negative thought     | **Fragment**         | Broken glass — raw material, not a flaw                |
| Reframed perspective | **Pattern**          | The beautiful arrangement revealed by a new angle      |
| Journal entry        | **Reflection**       | Light + mirrors = what a kaleidoscope runs on          |
| Daily session        | **Turn of the day**  | Each day you take a fresh turn                         |
| Progress/history     | **Gallery**          | A collection of the patterns you've created            |
| Insight              | **Facet**            | One face of a multifaceted view                        |
| Saved reframe        | **Keepsake**         | A pattern worth holding onto                           |

### Secondary Terms (Use Sparingly for Flavor)

- **Shift** — a small adjustment in perspective
- **Prism** — the tool that splits one beam into many colors
- **Mosaic** — the bigger picture built from many small pieces
- **Spectrum** — the full range of ways to see something
- **Illuminate** — to light up what was hidden
- **Refract** — to bend light in a new direction

### Words to Avoid

- "Fix" — implies the user is broken
- "Heal" — too clinical, positions app as therapy
- "Transform" — too dramatic, overpromises
- "Manifest" — save for the Manifestation Engine context only
- "Positive vibes" — trivializes the process
- "Journey" — overused in wellness apps

---

## Feature Naming

### The Reframer → **The Kaleidoscope** (or just **Turn**)

The flagship feature. User inputs a negative thought (a fragment), and Kalei reveals multiple reframed perspectives (patterns).

- **CTA button:** "Turn" (verb — active, simple, one word)
- **Input prompt:** "Drop in a fragment" or "What's on your mind?"
- **Loading state:** A subtle kaleidoscope rotation animation
- **Results header:** "Here's what the same pieces look like from a new angle"
- **Individual reframes:** Displayed as "Pattern 1," "Pattern 2," "Pattern 3" — each a different arrangement of the same facts
- **Save action:** "Keep this pattern"

### Manifestation Engine → **The Lens**

The goal-setting and manifestation feature. If the Kaleidoscope shows you new patterns in what already exists, the Lens focuses your vision on what you're building toward.

- **Section header:** "Your Lens"
- **Goal creation:** "Set your focus"
- **Daily affirmation:** "Today's focus"
- **Vision board:** "The View" — what you see when you look through the lens
- **Progress check-in:** "Sharpen your focus"
- **Milestone reached:** "Crystal clear"

### Combined Narrative

> The Kaleidoscope helps you see beauty in what's already there.
> The Lens helps you focus on what's ahead.
> Together, they're Kalei — a new way to see your life.

---

## Onboarding Flow

The onboarding should teach the metaphor through experience, not explanation.

### Screen 1 — The Fragment

Visual: A single shard of colored glass on a dark background. Simple. Stark.

> **"This is a thought."**
> *On its own, it can feel sharp. Random. Hard to make sense of.*

### Screen 2 — The Turn

Visual: The shard multiplies and rotates into a kaleidoscope pattern. Animated transition.

> **"But change the angle..."**
> *...and the same piece becomes part of something beautiful.*

### Screen 3 — The Reveal

Visual: A full, stunning kaleidoscope pattern fills the screen. Color blooms.

> **"Kalei doesn't change your reality."**
> *It changes how you see it.*

### Screen 4 — First Turn (Interactive)

> **"Let's try your first Turn."**
> *Type something that's been weighing on you.*

The user types a real negative thought. Kalei processes it and returns 2–3 reframed perspectives. The user experiences the core value proposition within 60 seconds of opening the app.

### Screen 5 — Welcome

> **"Welcome to Kalei."**
> *Every day is a new turn.*

---

## Visual Design Language

### The Kaleidoscope Aesthetic

The visual identity should evoke the feeling of looking through a kaleidoscope without being literal or childish.

**Color Palette:**
- **Primary:** Deep jewel tones — amethyst purple, sapphire blue, emerald green
- **Secondary:** Warm golds and soft amber (the light passing through glass)
- **Background:** Near-black or deep navy (the dark tube of a kaleidoscope — the fragments shine against darkness)
- **Accent:** Prismatic gradients for highlights and CTAs (light refracting)

**Why dark backgrounds:** A kaleidoscope works by reflecting light against darkness. The dark UI makes the colorful elements pop — and also positions Kalei as premium, not bubbly.

**Avoid:** Pastel wellness aesthetic. No sage green, no cream, no watercolor blobs. Kalei is jewel-toned, rich, and confident.

**Typography:**
- Clean, modern sans-serif for body text (clarity, legibility)
- One geometric or slightly decorative font for headlines (faceted, angular — like cut glass)

**Iconography:**
- Geometric and faceted — hexagons, triangles, crystalline shapes
- Avoid circles and soft curves (that's every other wellness app)
- Subtle symmetry in icon design (mirrors the symmetry of kaleidoscope patterns)

### Signature Animation: The Turn

The core micro-interaction of the app. When a user submits a thought for reframing:

1. **Input phase:** Fragment icon — a single angular shard
2. **Processing phase:** The shard begins to rotate and multiply (kaleidoscope turning). Subtle, smooth, 1.5–2 seconds
3. **Reveal phase:** Fragments settle into a symmetric pattern. The reframed perspectives appear beneath or within the pattern

This animation should become iconic — the "Kalei Turn" — recognizable in screenshots, marketing, and social media.

### Pattern Generation

Each reframing session could generate a unique, procedurally-created kaleidoscope pattern based on the input. These patterns become:

- **Visual identity for saved reframes** — each keepsake has its own pattern
- **Gallery items** — your collection of patterns grows over time
- **Shareable cards** — "My pattern for today" with the reframe text overlaid
- **Profile decoration** — your most-used patterns become part of your visual identity

This is a powerful retention mechanic: **users build a gallery of beautiful, personal, unique patterns.** Each one tied to a moment where they chose to see things differently.

---

## Navigation & Information Architecture

### Tab Bar (4 tabs)

| Icon | Label | Function |
|------|-------|----------|
| ◇ (geometric shard) | **Turn** | The Kaleidoscope — reframe a thought |
| ◎ (lens/circle) | **Lens** | The Manifestation Engine — goals & focus |
| ▦ (grid of patterns) | **Gallery** | History of all your Turns and patterns |
| ● (profile) | **You** | Settings, stats, subscription, profile |

### Turn Tab (Home)

- Hero area: "What's the fragment?" — text input
- Below: "Turn of the day" — a featured prompt or previous pattern
- Below: "Recent patterns" — quick access to last 3 Turns
- Floating action: Quick Turn button (always accessible)

### Lens Tab

- Current focus (active goal) displayed prominently
- Today's affirmation
- Vision board / The View
- Progress tracker with "sharpening" visual metaphor

### Gallery Tab

- Grid view of kaleidoscope patterns, each linked to a saved reframe
- Filterable by date, mood tag, or theme
- Tap to expand: see the original fragment, the patterns revealed, and any notes
- Option to reshare or re-Turn (reframe the same thought again for fresh perspectives)

### You Tab

- Streak counter: "X-day turning streak"
- Stats: Total turns, patterns saved, most common themes
- Settings, subscription management
- "Your spectrum" — a visual breakdown of the emotional themes you've explored

---

## Notification & Engagement Copy

### Daily Prompt (Push Notification)

Rotate through styles:

- "Ready for today's Turn? 🔮"
- "Same pieces, new angle. What fragment are you carrying today?"
- "Your Gallery is growing. Add today's pattern."
- "The glass hasn't changed. But the view can. Take a Turn."

### Streak Maintenance

- Day 3: "Three days of turning fragments into patterns. Keep going."
- Day 7: "A week of new angles. Your Gallery is filling up."
- Day 30: "30 days. 30 Turns. You're seeing things most people never will."
- Streak broken: "The kaleidoscope is still here when you're ready. No pressure."

### Milestone Celebrations

- First Turn: "Your first pattern. This is where it starts."
- 10th Turn: "10 fragments turned into 10 beautiful patterns."
- 50th Turn: "You've looked at 50 hard things and found something worth keeping in every one."
- 100th Turn: "100 Turns. You don't just see the bright side — you see every side."

### Empty States

- Gallery (no saves yet): "Your Gallery is waiting. The next pattern you save will appear here."
- Lens (no goal set): "What are you focusing on? Set your first Lens."
- Turn history (new user): "Every kaleidoscope starts with a single turn."

---

## Subscription & Monetization Naming

### Free Tier → **Kalei**

- 3 Turns per day
- Basic pattern generation
- Gallery (last 30 days)

### Premium Tier → **Kalei Prism**

- Unlimited Turns
- Full Gallery (all history)
- The Lens (Manifestation Engine)
- Advanced reframe styles (Stoic, Compassionate, Pragmatic, Growth)
- Custom pattern themes
- Export & share patterns

**Why "Prism":** A prism takes a single beam of light and splits it into its full spectrum. Kalei Prism gives you the full spectrum of features.

**CTA for upgrade:** "See the full spectrum" or "Unlock your Prism"

### Pricing Display

> **Kalei Prism — $7.99/month**
> *Unlimited Turns. Full Gallery. The Lens. Your complete spectrum.*

---

## Social & Sharing Mechanics

### Pattern Cards

When a user saves a reframe, they can generate a **Pattern Card** — a shareable image featuring:

- Their unique kaleidoscope pattern (procedurally generated)
- The reframed thought (the pattern, not the fragment — we never share the negative thought)
- Subtle Kalei branding

These are designed to be **Instagram Story and iMessage native** — correct aspect ratios, visually striking against both light and dark backgrounds.

### "Turn It" Sharing

A user can share a prompt with a friend: "Turn this fragment" — challenging someone else to reframe a thought. This introduces new users to the app through a natural, non-spammy mechanic.

### Community Gallery (Future, v2+)

An opt-in public gallery where users can share their best patterns anonymously. Browse how other people turned their fragments into patterns. Upvote the most powerful reframes. This builds community without requiring social profiles or exposing personal information.

---

## Marketing & Brand Voice

### Tagline Options

1. **"Same pieces. New angle."** — the core proposition in five words
2. **"Turn how you see it."** — active, empowering, references the mechanic
3. **"Find the pattern."** — mysterious, inviting, implies hidden beauty
4. **"A new way to see."** — simple, universal

**Recommended primary tagline:** *Same pieces. New angle.*

### Brand Voice Guidelines

**Kalei speaks like:** A wise friend who sees beauty in hard things — not a therapist, not a guru, not a cheerleader. Calm. Grounded. A little poetic. Never preachy.

**Tone:** Warm but not soft. Confident but not aggressive. Poetic but not flowery.

**Examples:**

| Situation | ❌ Wrong tone | ✅ Kalei tone |
|-----------|-------------|-------------|
| User inputs a negative thought | "Let's turn that frown upside down!" | "Let's see what this looks like from another angle." |
| User completes a reframe | "Amazing job! You're so strong!" | "There it is. A pattern worth keeping." |
| User hasn't opened app in a week | "We miss you! Come back!" | "Still here. Ready when you are." |
| Explaining the app | "AI-powered cognitive reframing tool" | "A kaleidoscope for your mind." |

### App Store Description (Draft)

> **Kalei — A kaleidoscope for your mind.**
>
> A kaleidoscope doesn't change the glass. It changes the angle. Suddenly, broken fragments become a beautiful pattern.
>
> Kalei does the same thing with your thoughts.
>
> Type what's weighing on you. Kalei reveals new perspectives — not toxic positivity, but genuine, research-backed ways to see the same situation differently. Every reframe is grounded in cognitive behavioral science and built to help you think clearer, not just feel better.
>
> **The Kaleidoscope** — Turn any negative thought into multiple new perspectives. Same facts. Different angle. Beautiful patterns.
>
> **The Lens** — Set your focus. Define what you're building toward. Daily affirmations, vision tracking, and goal clarity powered by AI.
>
> **Your Gallery** — Every Turn creates a unique pattern. Save your favorites. Watch your collection grow. See how far you've come.
>
> Same pieces. New angle. That's Kalei.

### Elevator Pitch

> "Kalei is a kaleidoscope for your mind. You give it a negative thought — a broken fragment — and it shows you the beautiful patterns hidden inside. It's AI-powered cognitive reframing that helps you see the same situation from new angles. Not toxic positivity. Real perspective shifts, grounded in science. Same pieces, new angle."

---

## Technical Implementation Notes

### Procedural Pattern Generation

Each reframing session should generate a unique kaleidoscope pattern. Implementation approach:

- Use the **input text as a seed** — same thought always generates the same base pattern (creates personal connection)
- Apply **reframe variant as a rotation** — Pattern 1, Pattern 2, Pattern 3 are visual rotations of the base
- Render using **Canvas/WebGL** in React Native (or pre-rendered SVG for performance)
- Patterns should be **deterministic** — reopening a saved reframe shows the same pattern
- Export patterns as **PNG at 1080×1920** for Instagram Stories and **1080×1080** for feed posts

### Animation Specs

- **Turn animation:** 1.5s ease-in-out rotation, fragments multiplying from 1→6→full symmetry
- **Loading shimmer:** Prismatic color shift across a geometric skeleton screen
- **Tab transitions:** Subtle faceted wipe (diagonal geometric transition, not standard iOS slide)
- **Pattern reveal:** Fragments drift into position with slight parallax depth (0.3s stagger per fragment)

### Reframe Prompt Engineering

The Claude API prompts for reframing should be structured to match the metaphor:

```
System prompt context:
"You are the engine behind Kalei, a kaleidoscope for the mind.
The user gives you a fragment — a negative thought or situation.
Your job is to reveal the patterns — multiple genuine, grounded
perspectives on the same situation. You never change the facts.
You change the angle.

You are not a therapist. You are not toxic positivity.
You are a kaleidoscope: you show what was already there,
arranged in a way the user hadn't seen before."
```

---

## Summary: The Metaphor at Every Layer

| Layer | How the metaphor shows up |
|-------|---------------------------|
| **Name** | Kalei — short for kaleidoscope |
| **Tagline** | Same pieces. New angle. |
| **Core mechanic** | "Turn" a fragment into patterns |
| **Visual design** | Jewel tones, geometric shapes, dark backgrounds, prismatic gradients |
| **Animations** | Kaleidoscope rotation on every reframe |
| **Vocabulary** | Fragments, patterns, turns, facets, gallery, keepsakes |
| **Feature names** | The Kaleidoscope, The Lens, The Gallery |
| **Subscription** | Kalei Prism — "See the full spectrum" |
| **Sharing** | Pattern Cards — unique generative art tied to each reframe |
| **Notifications** | Poetic, grounded, always referencing angles and patterns |
| **Brand voice** | Calm, wise, finds beauty in hard things |
| **Onboarding** | User experiences a real Turn within 60 seconds |
| **Retention** | Gallery of personal patterns grows over time — collectible, visual, meaningful |

---

*The glass hasn't changed. But you have.*
