BlogJul 10, 20266 min read
Designing Around Apple Intelligence Writing Tools Beta
Why ViviDiary disabled system-level AI writing tools in our core mood logs to protect the raw authenticity of your emotional tracking.
Ethan ColeRead Ethan Cole
Head of Product at ViviDiary. Writes about every product decision — what the team builds, what they kill, and why.
27 articles publishedArticles by Ethan Cole
BlogEthan ColeRead 
BlogJul 7, 20266 min read
Summer Arc App Design Refresh 2026: Avoiding User Burnout
Discover why ViviDiary's product team rejected rigid streak mechanics for our 2026 Summer Arc app design refresh, opting for sustainable, modular mood tracking.
Ethan ColeRead 
BlogJul 6, 20267 min read
Why We Killed Color-Coded Moods: Designing for Tintable Icons
How ViviDiary adapted to iOS 27's tintable icons by moving away from color-coded emotions and embracing shape-based mood tracking UX.
Ethan ColeRead 
BlogJul 5, 20266 min read
Designing Against AI Slop in Wellness Apps: Why We Made AI Opt-In
How ViviDiary rejected unreviewed AI drafts and generic platitudes to build a mood tracker that prioritizes human reflection over AI slop.
Ethan ColeRead 
BlogJul 4, 20265 min read
Why We Only Sync Emojis to Apple Health: iOS 27 Integration UX
Integrating with Apple Health's State of Mind in iOS 27 forced us to make a hard product choice. Here is why we sync your mood emojis but keep your text in our secure cloud.
Ethan ColeRead 
BlogJul 3, 20267 min read
Nervous System Regulation App Design: ViviDiary's UX Tradeoffs
Head of Product Ethan Cole shares why ViviDiary rejected complex biometric dashboards in favor of 3-second emoji logging to support nervous system regulation.
Ethan ColeRead