Forem: Noëlie

What if your bookshelf could reveal how your ideas connect? I built BookGraph to turn my reading list into a living map of knowledge — and it changed how I think about books forever.

Noëlie — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:50:41 +0000

I built BookGraph to map the hidden connections between my books - Vibe Coding Forem

You know that feeling when you stare at your bookshelf and realize… you can’t actually see what it...

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I built BookGraph to map the hidden connections between my books

Noëlie — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:47:34 +0000

You know that feeling when you stare at your bookshelf and realize… you can’t actually see what it says about you?

I had hundreds of books (non-fiction, thrillers, fantasy, design, essays, and so on) but no clear picture of how they related.
Some explored similar ideas, some influenced each other, and others seemed completely unrelated until I started noticing subtle overlaps.

That’s when the thought hit me:

“What if my personal library wasn’t just a list, but a map of ideas?”

That’s how BookGraph was born — a web app that turns your book collection into an interactive knowledge graph, revealing the hidden semantic connections between your readings.

🔗 Try it here → bookgraph.lovable.app

The Spark

The idea came from a simple frustration: I love discovering patterns across books, but doing it manually is a pain and sometimes I forgot.

Every book you read adds another node in your mental network of knowledge. But over time, those connections fade. We remember quotes and key moments, but not the invisible threads linking why certain ideas resonate across different authors.

I wanted to make that network visible to literally see how my reading shaped my thinking.

Beyond lists: reading as a network

Most digital book tools focus on management: tracking titles, sorting by genre, rating, reviewing.
That’s great, but im my opinion it misses the deeper layer.

BookGraph doesn’t just store books. It analyzes their metadata (subjects, descriptions, keywords) to reveal how they relate to one another.

Suddenly, your bookshelf becomes a constellation:

That design book connects to a philosophy text through “human perception.”
A novel about cities links to a sociology essay about space and culture.
A random paperback on your nightstand becomes part of a bigger pattern.

This is the part that fascinated me most:
Books talk to each other, we just rarely get to listen in on the conversation.

The joy of unexpected connections

The first time I ran my collection through the first version of BookGraph, it felt like discovering a secret dialogue among my books.

A nonfiction title about cognitive bias was sitting just a few nodes away from a fantasy novel that explored free will. A UX design guide linked (somehow) to a book about Stoicism.

These weren’t coincidences, they were reminders that knowledge is fluid, and ideas transcend genres.

It made me rethink my own learning journey. I wasn’t just collecting books; I was collecting ideas that wanted to connect.

Why this matters

In a world obsessed with algorithms telling us what to read next, BookGraph gives power back to the reader.
It doesn’t recommend, it reveals.

Instead of saying, “People who liked this also liked that,” it says,

“Here’s how your ideas already connect.”

That subtle shift changes how you approach reading.
You stop chasing novelty and start recognizing patterns: your own intellectual fingerprint.

What's next for BookGraph?

This is still an early experiment (an MVP built for curiosity’s sake), but the roadmap is exciting:

Export Goodreads books into BookGraph
Multi-language support
Reading suggestions generated from your own network

Reflections on building it

Creating BookGraph wasn’t about writing code (even if I did) it was about exploring curiosity.
It reminded me why I love building things: because sometimes the tools we create for ourselves can open new ways of seeing.

The best side projects don’t just solve a problem, they visualize a question.
In this case, the question was:

“What’s the story my bookshelf is trying to tell me?”

And the answer turned out to be a living, breathing graph of ideas.

Try it yourself!

If you’re the kind of person who highlights passages, takes notes, or wonders how one author might have influenced another — give it a spin:

👉 bookgraph.lovable.app

Upload your favorite books, hit Analyze, and watch your personal library transform into a connected universe.

Because in the end, every bookshelf is more than storage — it’s a network of ideas waiting to be rediscovered. ✨

Create a project in less than a year - Study the market

Noëlie — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:09:54 +0000

In the previous article, I mentioned the idealization of the project. How does one find his idea. Now that you have found your idea, it is time to study whether it is viable.

#1 Define your target

I am aware that you want to sell your idea to as many people as possible. But unfortunately "everyone" is not a good target.
For my Koala project, I started from the form I had previously drawn up as well as from the interviews I was able to do. I was able to establish that my target is before business to business (B2B), i.e. startups or small and medium-sized companies with design teams. This product is also interesting for freelancers. Then, after discussions with students, I realized that I also had an opening angle with education by proposing a solution for students and lecturers in digital schools.

But to narrow my market my main target is this:
Design team managers or designers between 18 and 35 years old, startup employees or freelancers. These designers need to be able to make sketches and diagrams or take notes quickly, without using paper. Sensitive to Made In France and ecology.
So, you have understood that my secondary target is education. I did not take into account the "classic" customers in my target group since they are not the people targeted by the product. However, this does not prevent them from buying out of curiosity.

#2 Studying the market

Now that your target is defined, you're going to have to take a look at the surrounding competition. There are three types of competition:

Direct competition: these are competitors who will directly offer a product similar to yours. To take a concrete example we can talk about Coca-Cola and its competitor Pepsi.
Indirect competition: these are competitors who will offer a product similar to yours without being similar to it. Here we can take the example of orange juice. Orange juice is an indirect competitor of Coca-Cola.
Substitute products: these are competitors who will offer a product that does not resemble yours but which meets the same initial need. Using our example of Coca-Cola, water is typically a substitute product. Both products meet the same need to drink but in a completely different way.

For Koala, here's a preview of the competition that I've been able to establish. You'll see the importance of keeping an almost constant eye on the competition. Your competitors evolve, they may disappear or offer new products.

HustleCase is a direct competitor. It offers a product that is typically similar to mine. However, they design their product in China and their website is currently no longer active.
SketchCase was originally an indirect competitor, the latter only offered a sticker to be stuck on their computer that could be written and erased. But now SketchCase defines itself as a direct competitor since they sell a protective shell similar to Koala.
DrawAttention is also a direct competitor. It offers two versions of their shell, a whiteboard but also a blackboard. The main advantage of the latter is the humorous tone used on the site.
ThinkBoard is a substitute product, it meets the need but in a different way by offering sheets/stickers on which you can write.
Whiteboard paints and note-taking software are also substitutes.

You have understood it, the competition is very varied, although above you only have a non-exhaustive list of my competitors, it already gives you a foretaste of what awaits you. The objective behind is to find the element that will differentiate you from all the others. For my part, it's the fact that my product is made in France, from recycled plastic that differentiates me from the others.

#3 Establishing your Lean Canva

Lean Canva is a method that allows you to synthesize your entire project. It is a tool that echoes Lean Startup (a series of comings and goings between the entrepreneur and his customers). Lean Canva is made up of a few boxes that are filled in as you progress in the definition of the project.

Within the framework of my project, I was able to establish the following Lean Canva:

Client segments: Mainly designers between 18 and 35 years old, startup employees or freelancers. These designers need to be able to make sketches and diagrams or take notes quickly, without using paper. Sensitive to Made In France and ecology. Pioneering users: close friends and managers of design teams
Problem: I'm in a meeting, I need to take notes without opening my computer or using my phone. I want to be able to take notes without wasting paper unnecessarily. I am in an outside meeting, I need to show wireframes to a client but I don't have sheets or internet access, however I have my computer. I need to brainstorm with my team but I don't have sheets available.
Unique value proposition: A tool made in France, made of recycled plastic to take erasable notes. Your pitch: Discover Koala, your new ally for your brainstorming.
Solution: Portable whiteboard always at hand Durability and strength of the product Ecological interest
Channels:
- Social networks: Twitter for casual and to respond quickly to the community Instagram to showcase the product through photos and videos, but also to interact with the community. LinkedIn for B2B and B2E targets to explain the product to them and talk about the Koala company behind the product Facebook to relay more marketing and B2B information YouTube in order to introduce the product to other targets via influencers (in the fields of design, development, student aid, ...)
- Email campaigns: Newsletter to send updates about Koala to people who have subscribed to the newsletter. Customer support to find out if everything is going well with the order and the customer to provide help as quickly as possible Promotion of our product in newsletters such as ProductHunt, TechLadies, ...
- Others: Website to present the project and to be able to buy it Articles written on the product's website to talk about the project, put testimonials, ... Product prominence on platforms such as Product Hunt Word of mouth Coworking area to show the product to freelancers on the spot Resellers (see what can be done to sell the product in specialized stores)
Sources of income : Products offered (product price + delivery) Solution proposed to companies Partnerships / Sponsorship Fundraising / equity financing
Costs: Hosting of the website / domain name Product Production / Packaging (reduced cost if done in large quantities) Sponsored advertising (social networks) Salaries / Rent Suppliers / Resellers Shipping costs / Carriers Sponsorship / Partnerships Sending emails (newsletter) Performance Indicators : Number of subscriptions to the newsletter Number of registrations to obtain the products Number of followers on different social networks Interaction with social networks Number of products sold/delivered and number of notices received
Competitive Advantages : Made in France Affordable Ecological

Now that you have established your Lean Canva, you are ready to design your first Minimum Viable Product (MVP) but also to think about the first steps of the realization of your Business Plan.

Create a project in less than a year - Find the idea

Noëlie — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:04:19 +0000

As part of my second year of my master's degree (Head of Strategy and Digital Innovations) at École Multimédia through the courses given by Protocole Startup, I have to create a project that must be a digital innovation.
I decided to divert the subject somewhat by creating innovation in the service of digital since it corresponded better to the idea I had.
To tell you quickly about my career path, I completed a bachelor's degree in "Digital Project Manager" with a specialization in web and mobile development at the École Européenne des Métiers de l'Internet, which gave me a good understanding of project creation and helped me in the design of this project.

Throughout this series of articles, I will explain how I created my project: Koala.

#1 Finding the Idea

Finding project ideas is not the most difficult step. While many studies show that we have almost 100,000 thoughts a day, it's not hard to imagine that project ideas can be found in them. However, ideas don't always work, and that's why we have to start from a different base.

The most complex thing is actually to disregard all your ideas and start from scratch. Forget the "I want to make a mobile application that will do this" or the "I'm going to build a platform to do this". Focus on the everyday problems, the ones that can generate risk, waste of time, money, or emotional frustration. These are the problems you will have to solve through your project. This problem could be formulated as "I would like to do X but I can't because X" where X is what the situation is.

One of my biggest problems is that I'm constantly using notebooks for everything and anything. While this is a good practice, it is not necessarily the most environmentally friendly when I have to make sketches to show them off or just to take notes that I won't be able to use after two hours.
So I have a waste of money that corresponds to the purchase of notebooks, a waste of time since I must always have my notebook with me but also an emotional frustration regarding my ecological impact. One of my underlying problems could, therefore, be formulated as follows: I would like to find an ecological alternative to notebooks but I can't because I don't have the time.

#2 Test your problem

Now that you have a list of problems, the next step is to go out and meet people. Whether it is in the street, by mail, by phone or by carrier pigeons all means are good to contact people. The aim is actually to check if other people admit to having a similar problem. Because if you are the only one who encounters it, it probably means that something that meets the need already exists. However, if several people have the same problem, it means that there is probably something that can be done!

Since my problem started when I started my own business during my studies, I thought it was relevant for me to meet freelance developers and designers. I told them about my main problem and the underlying issues, and I came up with a draft questionnaire.

This draft questionnaire allows us to establish a potential primary target (in green) and a potential secondary target (in blue). But it also allowed me to confirm that I was not the only one to encounter the various problems mentioned.

#3 Talk about the first solutions

Now that you've checked that your problems are "real", you can start talking about different solutions! First of all, we will try to make a value proposition without talking about applications, websites or other. For my project, my value proposition is the following: We propose a solution that allows you to take notes in an eco-responsible way.

Now that you have your value proposition, you will have to find several solutions to find the best of them! What we did in the process with Protocole Startup was to find a physical product, a service, a digital solution, a shop and an event. Each of these solutions must be able to meet our value proposition but also our problem.

Here are the different solutions that came to my mind when designing Koala:

Event: Hold a conference on mental note-taking.
Service provision: Agency proposing people taking notes for you.
Shop: Pop-up store selling recycled paper notebooks.
Digital solution: A mobile application, a website, a chrome extension, software to take notes on your computer.
Physical product: A recyclable notebook, a touch pad.

All these solutions, each with their advantages and disadvantages, did not suit me and did not suit the target I had envisioned.

#4 Confirm your solution

Once you have listed different solutions, all you have to do is go back to Step 2 and meet people again. We start again by explaining the problem and the value proposition to them. Then we go on to list the solutions. That's how I realized that it didn't suit the targets I had found.

Only after I realized that everyone in the coworking space had a computer did another idea come to mind: a computer protective case that you can write on. So I told the people I had interviewed earlier about this solution, and they were immediately won over by this new idea!

Now that you have all the keys in hand to come up with your idea, all you have to do is implement it. In the next article, we will talk about the development of a Lean Canvas and market analysis. Then, later on, we'll talk about how I designed the first physical prototypes of the Koala and the current landing page.

I just launch my first product ! 🎉

Noëlie — Fri, 29 May 2020 07:47:19 +0000

I launched my first product yesterday!

As part of my second year of my master degree (Head of Digital Strategy and Innovations), I have to create a product from A to Z in solo. I have the great pleasure to present Koala!

I have decided to create a protective case for computers on which you can write and erase ad infinitum! Conceived and designed in France, these shells are made from recycled plastic bottles in Rennes (a small town in France). In addition to being environmentally friendly, part of the revenue that will be generated in the future will be donated to the Queensland Koala Crusaders association to help koalas thrive again in this part of Australia.

For the moment, the site is in French, but I think the translation from Google Translation is quite accurate. Feel free to pre-register, it doesn't commit you to anything and doesn't oblige you to buy a product (they are not designed yet it's a waiting list to see how many people would be interested in the product).

I will also write a series of articles about how I created this product from idealization to MVP.

You can see the site at this address: https://meetkoala.netlify.app/
And follow the Twitter account: https://twitter.com/koala_meet
And upvote us on ProductHunt : https://www.producthunt.com/posts/koala-3

Associative website and open source, a good solution?

Noëlie — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 09:10:39 +0000

Game'Her is a French association aiming to promote gender diversity in esports, video games and audiovisual media. For this, we have mixed esports teams that we try to put as much as possible at the forefront of the French esport scene to inspire women and other structures to do the same. But we also have a team of passionate writers who write articles on video games, esports and audiovisual topics on our website. On top of that, we have many volunteers working to create community events, streaming on Twitch and wonderful graphic designers who do all our visuals.

Before I joined the association, we were on Wordpress, the most efficient and most importantly the fastest solution. There is no need to have strong development skills to be able to implement it and very little to customize the theme. The only problem is that when you buy a ready-made theme, it is difficult to be able to customize it as you wish. And that's where this project makes sense.

A major frustration

Every time we wanted to change the design of our site, we were limited by the original wordpress theme. So we were forced to buy a new theme because the people who wanted to change it didn't necessarily have much knowledge of the code. But as we changed themes like shirts, it was starting to cost us a lot of money and as a front-end developer, it frustrated me a lot. That's why I proposed to abandon Wordpress and create our own site from A to Z using the Symfony framework. With the help of another developer (thanks a lot to you if you read this), we created in one month a complete website with an administration interface with different permissions, especially for my editors who use the site more than anyone else.

However, when it was officially released live, the site was full of bugs and annoying little things that made me sad and unproud of the work done. But somewhere along the line, what we provided in a single month was much cleaner than some websites designed in several months, so it was somewhere reassuring. Then it was at that moment that we decided to open the site as an opensource project. Being only two developers by profession, we do not necessarily have the time to give to this project nor necessarily the desire to code when we get back from work. We have therefore taken the opportunity of the hacktoberfest to greatly improve our site and we thank again the various contributors. And being a volunteer for this association, open source seemed to me to be the best option! And I don't regret this choice.

Why did we go that way?

As we needed a huge backend part in a very limited time, we couldn’t afford to go for a procedural option. We needed to use something we are comfortable with and with easy implementation. I’ve already worked with a framework like Laravel in the past for some school projects. So it was a quick and nice solution for us to get rid of the evil Wordpress. As we both (the other developer and I) worked with Symfony for professional and personal projects, we find out it was the best solution for us. We should be able to work efficiently and quickly. Also, we needed to use something with a great documentation and a lot of tutorials so we can relate on it.

Then, because we didn’t have a lot of time, we decided to use materializecss for our css, especially for the admin side (because we didn’t had any design for this part of the website). It helps us to go faster, but it’s not perfect, the style asked by the designers which they had no idea about what material design is. (That's also why our website is not 100% material compliant but we are ok with it so it's fine).

We decided to host our site with Digital Ocean because for the use we make of it, it costs us 5€ less per month than the solution we had previously.

How to work?

As you know now, we are all volunteers with a lot of aptitude. But our designers are mostly about graphism and illustration than web design. Before we talk to them about material design, they had never heard about that. They also had no experience with accessibility like color contrast, voicers readers, keyboard navigation,… Same for the web design they delivered it was like jpeg mockup with no information about the hexadecimal code for the color, font size, margin and padding between elements,… So yeah, it was hard to work with them, even if they are so lovely, we had a lot of trouble to communicate and explain clearly what was our needs at this time, and why this workflow wasn’t working well for everyone. But isn't it the same everywhere?

So we did it with the things we had and release the first version of the website. Then, we took some time to explain to them what are Material Design, accessibility but also responsive design. And on their side, they take the time to explain us what were their constraints. Now we are still working on the V1 of our website, but we have new tools. In addition, we have improved our communication with each other and have learned to clearly express our needs and constraints on both sides.

With developers outside the association, communication was quite simple in the end. Our only big problem is that we don't have a dummy dataset to help them contribute properly.

You want in?

If you are interested in open source and want to start a project like this one, you should know that we still have a lot of work to do on this site. So, you just need to have a github account and some knowledge in html/css and ideally a first experience with the Symfony framework.

We already have a list of issues to correct if you want it right here: https://github.com/Noelierx/GameHer/issues you can also add your own issue or just suggest stuff you want to see in this website (like an english version or a dark mode theme)!

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