A lot of my friendships begin with art.
There's something really special about a shared appreciation for creative work. Music, film, television, literature... nothing makes me feel seen like finding someone else who already knows my "deep cuts," who recommends shows I love, or who shares new movies that remind me of my old favorites. Curate began with a desire to capture that magic.
Most of my friendships are still scored by a steady stream of recommendations: you've got to listen to this new album. Did you catch the new season? I read this and thought of you. They're dropped into a conversation or message or dm, present for a moment, then lost to time as everyday chatting pushes them out of view.
The people I surround myself with could really use a dedicated space for these kind of recommendations. What if, the next time I had an evening and didn't know how to spend it, that list of experiences was waiting for me? At its most simple, that's what Curate is: a way for me and the people I trust to keep track of the art we share with one another. At its most ambitious, it lets anyone be that friend for people they'll never meet, spreading the art they love so everyone else can enjoy it too.
My business partner John and I designed the core experience in late 2018 and I spent early 2019 prototyping the experience with React. I revisit it about once a year with a fresh eye and some new technology to try out, like building the core UI in React Native in early 2021 or rethinking the browsing experience in 2023.
I've set it aside for the time being, but the itch it scratches isn't going away.
With AI-powered dev tools lowering the barrier to building in a big way, this concept is high on my weekend project hit list.