Echo was inspired by the traditional methods of storing contacts and memories: the rolodex and the photo album. The UI draws on some of these nostagic details, like the polaroid-like image cards and the rotating contact card wheel.

Take a stroll down memory lane with Echo, your digital Rolodex of nostalgia. Echo transforms your memories into a connected network, sorting "echoes" by the people in them. Share your cherished moments and watch your personal Rolodex of memories unfold in harmony with others.

Front-end: The front-end was built with React.js and Chakra UI. The interactive 3D network of connections was developed and visualized with Three.js. The IPFS protocol was used to handle image uploads. User authentication and management was handled by Auth0.

Back-end: An Express.js server was used to stage API endpoints. Echo and user entities were created and stored in AWS DynamoDB tables, echo and user images were stored in AWS S3 buckets as buffers and encoded/decoded with base64, and AWS Rekognition was used for facial comparison, indexing, and searching. IPFS, Cairo, and Starknet were used to generate, store, and share NFTs of echoes.

UX: Prototypes were designed and prototyped on Figma to create UI elements including buttons and pop-up overlays. Spline was used to prototype the 3D network, and then exported to Figma.

• IMAGE FORMATS, TRANSFER, AND STORAGE
• DynamoDB is different from other NoSQL databases we've used in the past
• AWS Documentation is difficult to navigate and deeply nested
• AWS Rekognition has many limiting factors despite its powerful features
• Despite being very powerful, Three.js has a steep learning curve

• Connecting a complex web of AWS services with one another
• Publishing many composite API endpoints to enable full-functionality of the app
• Designing and executing a unique visual way of exploring memories and connections with people

Jane (UI/UX): I learned to use Spline to create a 3D rendering of the network UI.

Jason: I learned Three.js using the React Three library to create interactive 3D visuals in the browser, involving 3D trigonometry and geometry. I also learned about graph and network theory, as well as Bezier curves.

Satyam: I learned how to create smart contracts on starknet using cairo, learned about the different ERC types and their usecases, deployed my first ERC721(NFT) smart contract and learned how to use IPFS to upload images and get it's link that we are passing for minting nfts.

Victoria: Using AWS Rekognition for facial comparison, integrating AWS S3 buckets and DynamoDB tables, how to deal with a mess of image formats, and implementing Auth0 for authentication in a React app.

• Connecting echoes by location and other metadata
• Adding more social features, like automatically sharing memories with friends
• Creating a more robust echo and user entity management system