Memento Mori

Year: 2025
Role: Founder, Product Designer, iOS Developer, Researcher, Marketer
Tools: Figma, Swift, SwiftUI, WidgetKit, Xcode, App Store Connect

Overview

Memento Mori is a privacy-first iOS app that helps users reflect on mortality by showing how daily habits may affect their remaining time. Drawing from contemporary longevity research and Stoic philosophy, the app translates abstract ideas about death, health, and time into something concrete, personal, and actionable.

Rather than gamifying self-improvement or optimizing for streaks and dopamine, Memento Mori is intentionally quiet. It is designed to foster reflection, intention, and long-term thinking by making the passage of time visible.

What I Did

Researched and synthesized longevity studies
Conducted deep research into epidemiological and public health studies related to lifespan, health behaviors, and risk factors. These findings informed how habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, and diet influence longevity at a population level.
Designed and implemented four lifespan data models
Built multiple models to estimate a user’s projected death date based on different inputs, including baseline demographic data, negative habits (vices), and positive behaviors (virtues). The models were designed to be transparent, adjustable, and grounded in published research rather than opaque scoring systems.
Integrated Apple’s Liquid Glass design language
Utilized Apple’s newer Liquid Glass visual treatments throughout the interface to create a sense of depth, calm, and materiality. This helped reinforce the app’s reflective tone while keeping it aligned with modern iOS aesthetics.
Created a clear, intuitive onboarding flow
Designed onboarding to progressively introduce sensitive concepts like mortality and life expectancy without overwhelming users. The flow balances clarity, consent, and emotional pacing, ensuring users understand what the app does before committing their data.
Designed all custom icons and visual assets
Created a full set of custom icons, symbols, and visual metaphors to give the app a cohesive and distinctive identity. These elements help the app feel less clinical and more contemplative.
Built a Home Screen widget using WidgetKit
Implemented a customizable iOS widget that surfaces key time-based metrics directly on the Home Screen, allowing users to engage with the app’s core idea passively throughout the day.
Conducted user research and iterative refinement
Shared early builds with users, observed points of confusion or friction, and made small but meaningful adjustments to copy, layout, and flow based on feedback.
Tested the entire application end to end
Personally tested all flows, edge cases, and data persistence to ensure reliability, especially given the sensitivity of the subject matter.
Handled full App Store release independently
Prepared all required materials including screenshots, app metadata, privacy policy, support pages, and an accompanying essay explaining the philosophy and intent behind the app. The app was approved on the App Store on the first submission.
Led marketing and distribution efforts
Ran experimental Twitter ad campaigns, designed and placed physical posters throughout Toronto, attended founder networking events, and presented Memento Mori at Shopify Builder Sundays to gather feedback and build awareness.

Why It Matters

Memento Mori demonstrates my ability to combine research, design, and engineering into a cohesive product that handles emotionally sensitive subject matter with care.

This project shows that I can:

Translate academic research into understandable, user-facing models without oversimplifying.
Design for reflection and restraint rather than engagement at all costs.
Build complete, production-ready iOS applications independently.
Make thoughtful UX decisions around privacy, onboarding, and emotional pacing.
Own the entire lifecycle of a product, from idea and research through launch and real-world distribution.

Memento Mori reflects my interest in building products that respect users’ time, intelligence, and attention, while still delivering meaningful value.

View on the App Store

Memento Mori

Rather than gamifying self-improvement or optimizing for streaks and dopamine, Memento Mori is intentionally quiet. It is designed to foster reflection, intention, and long-term thinking by making the passage of time visible.

What I Did

Researched and synthesized longevity studies

Conducted deep research into epidemiological and public health studies related to lifespan, health behaviors, and risk factors. These findings informed how habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, and diet influence longevity at a population level.

Designed and implemented four lifespan data models

Integrated Apple’s Liquid Glass design language

Utilized Apple’s newer Liquid Glass visual treatments throughout the interface to create a sense of depth, calm, and materiality. This helped reinforce the app’s reflective tone while keeping it aligned with modern iOS aesthetics.

Created a clear, intuitive onboarding flow

Designed onboarding to progressively introduce sensitive concepts like mortality and life expectancy without overwhelming users. The flow balances clarity, consent, and emotional pacing, ensuring users understand what the app does before committing their data.

Designed all custom icons and visual assets

Created a full set of custom icons, symbols, and visual metaphors to give the app a cohesive and distinctive identity. These elements help the app feel less clinical and more contemplative.

Built a Home Screen widget using WidgetKit

Implemented a customizable iOS widget that surfaces key time-based metrics directly on the Home Screen, allowing users to engage with the app’s core idea passively throughout the day.

Conducted user research and iterative refinement

Shared early builds with users, observed points of confusion or friction, and made small but meaningful adjustments to copy, layout, and flow based on feedback.

Tested the entire application end to end

Personally tested all flows, edge cases, and data persistence to ensure reliability, especially given the sensitivity of the subject matter.

Handled full App Store release independently

Prepared all required materials including screenshots, app metadata, privacy policy, support pages, and an accompanying essay explaining the philosophy and intent behind the app. The app was approved on the App Store on the first submission.

Led marketing and distribution efforts

Ran experimental Twitter ad campaigns, designed and placed physical posters throughout Toronto, attended founder networking events, and presented Memento Mori at Shopify Builder Sundays to gather feedback and build awareness.

Why It MattersMemento Mori demonstrates my ability to combine research, design, and engineering into a cohesive product that handles emotionally sensitive subject matter with care.

This project shows that I can:

Translate academic research into understandable, user-facing models without oversimplifying.

Design for reflection and restraint rather than engagement at all costs.

Build complete, production-ready iOS applications independently.

Make thoughtful UX decisions around privacy, onboarding, and emotional pacing.

Own the entire lifecycle of a product, from idea and research through launch and real-world distribution.

Memento Mori reflects my interest in building products that respect users’ time, intelligence, and attention, while still delivering meaningful value.

Why It Matters

Memento Mori demonstrates my ability to combine research, design, and engineering into a cohesive product that handles emotionally sensitive subject matter with care.