Rusty grows with you
A short survey teaches Rusty what you love. Then it picks up those same hobbies in its room.
CS 147 · Autumn 2026 · AI for Self-Improvement
Restie
Restie helps you make time for what matters, with a little companion that grows alongside you, one hobby at a time.
guitarchorus sketch
a flower read
ch. 4
I tried painting today! I think I like the messy part best.
about restie
A little world that reminds you to live in yours.
Busy weeks have a way of crowding out the things that make us feel like ourselves. Restie pairs you with Rusty, an orange cat who learns your hobbies, takes them up in its own cozy room, and brings back keepsakes from its little adventures. Chat with Rusty to talk things through, keep track of what you care about, and get gentle nudges about what to make time for and what you can let go.
- Photo
- Art
- Reading
- Music
- Gardening
- Writing
- Crafts
- Travel
Chat when you need it
Talk through what's on your mind, ask Rusty to hold onto ideas, or just hear about its day.
Gentle nudges
Rusty checks in on projects you haven't touched lately and suggests what you can skip this week.
Keepsakes
Rusty comes home from little trips with mementos, building a scrapbook of your journey together.
meet the team
Shirley Z.
Project Manager
Ziyu R.
Teammate
our process
From the first interviews to the final report, here is how Restie came together.
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A1
Needfinding
Interviews to understand how people balance busy schedules with the things they love.
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A2
More needfinding, POVs, HMWs & experience prototypes
Deeper interviews, points of view, How Might We questions, brainstorming and quick experience prototypes.
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A4
Concept video
A short film introducing Restie and the moment it fits into someone's week.
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A5
Sketching, low-fi prototyping & usability testing
Paper sketches and a low-fi prototype, put in front of real users.
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A6
Interactive medium-fi prototype
A clickable prototype of Restie's core flows.
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A8
Interactive high-fi prototype
The working Restie app, with Rusty's room, chat and keepsakes.
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A9
Heuristic evaluation synthesis
What other designers found, and how we plan to fix it.
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A10
Poster, pitch & demo video
Restie's pitch, its poster and a walkthrough of the finished app.
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A11
videos
Concept video A4
Demo video A10
Coming after the high-fi prototype.