CASE STUDY
Re:hear: A Reactive Sound App
01
What I designed
In 2008 I discovered a reactive sound app called RjDj that I used extensively to listen to as I walked through Manhattan. In 2013 the team at RjDj shut it down. Sadly. In the spring of 2025 I started to re-create it using my own designs and the tools I had at hand – Figma, ChatGPT and Claude. Things got complicated very fast and I hit a hard ceiling. In summer of 2026 I switched out ChatGPT and Claude for Cursor and used Nano Banana and changed my original designs as I prototyped. It went a lot faster.
02
What I explored
After designing in Figma I used Nano Banana to explore the different ways that the visualization might respond to microphone input.
03
What I prototyped
I’ve launched the first prototype on Vercel to take it with me and see what I need to add to the sound filters. It’s here on Vercel – make sure to wear headphones and give permission for the app to use your microphone. I”m planning to launch the full app on October 1st, 2026.