Missed the Win—Could My App Still Be a Useful? I Need Your Feedback
Congratulations to all the winners! While it’s disappointing that my app wasn’t selected, I’d love to hear feedback on my project to understand its strengths and areas for improvement.
When I developed this app, I aimed to address a gap between STEM researchers/students and industry-level tools. As an aerospace engineering student at Virginia Tech and an international student from South Korea, I’ve observed some of the challenges faced in STEM fields firsthand.
Unique Features
My app focuses on simplifying the use of mathematical equations and theorems, offering three powerful features tailored for STEM students and professionals:
- User Experience and User Interface (UI/UX)
- Multi-step Search
In building this app, I focused heavily on User Experience and User Interface (UI/UX), aiming to provide more accessibility than just running a system-level bash script. For the audience, I assumed it would be most useful for those with existing STEM knowledge. However, I also wanted to serve users who don’t have all the details memorized—since we’re all human and can’t retain everything we learn. This idea shaped the Multi-step Search functionality, where AI plays a critical role in handling vast amounts of information effectively.
After submitting my project, I never made a comment or post in this community. When creating my YouTube video (Link to YouTube Video 1), I followed advice like “show, don’t tell” and keeping it under 3 minutes as mentioned in this YouTube video. I kept the demonstration simple and focused, without voiceovers, to highlight the app’s functionality.
Potential Value
My GitHub repository and live website have been active since submission, but I’m unsure how the judges assessed the code or the overall usefulness of the project. I’ll admit I didn’t thoroughly research whether similar tools already existed, but my goal was to create something unique, avoiding replication of existing tools, while catering to a niche audience.
I understand my app isn’t perfect and has its limitations, but I believe it holds potential value. That’s why I’d greatly appreciate your honest feedback, even now that the competition results have been announced.
The UI looks very well done. But here are some possible problems/suggestions: It is still a good attempt. Good luck. 
Thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate your insights.
Enhancing User Experience
When I developed this app during the competition, providers like OpenAI and Anthropic weren’t as advanced in offering LaTeX-related features as they are now. I chose not to rely on chatbot integrations because my primary goal was to provide a different kind of user experience—one that didn’t require users to manually craft prompts or have prior knowledge of AI tools like CNNs or neural networks.
The main focus of my app was to increase accessibility for users who may not be familiar with AI technologies but still need efficient tools to handle formulas and theorems. I wanted the process to feel intuitive and straightforward, without the learning curve of interacting with chatbots or other AI systems.
That said, your feedback about existing OCR systems and model capabilities is very helpful, and I’ll definitely consider these points as I think about future improvements. Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts! 
Okay. I think I couldn’t explain myself clearly: (post deleted by author)
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