Lumio, a daily quote, a question and a moment to write what is true for you. lumioritual.app
It started with a question at work
Every day, my design manager, Seng, would ask our team a random ice breaker question. Some were about life, some about relationships, some about anything at all.
At first, I answered without thinking much about it. But over time the questions started following me home. I would catch myself thinking about them on my commute, in the shower, or right before bed.
I didn’t realize it then, but those simple questions were teaching me to pause, look closer, and think more honestly about the things around me.
Around the same time, I was building a journaling habit and collecting quotes that made me stop and think. Eventually I started pairing those quotes with questions of my own, then writing down whatever came to mind.
It became a small ritual I looked forward to.
For a long time, I kept those reflections to myself. But one thing from work kept coming back to me: even when everyone is asked the same question, no two people see it the same way.
Sometimes someone else’s answer shows you something you never considered. Sometimes it simply reminds you that you’re not the only one still figuring things out.
I wanted to bring a little of that feeling into something more personal. Then I read The Power of Quiet, and the idea finally had a shape.
That’s how Lumio began.
I started with a simple idea: a quiet space where you can reflect without the noise of another feed, the pressure to keep up, or the need to share everything. Just a quote, a thoughtful question, and a moment to write what’s true for you.
Why Expo
I’m a designer who works with code, and learning React turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I picked it up so I could build the interfaces I was already designing. So when it was time to build Lumio, I didn’t have to start over in a new language, and I didn’t have to hand my designs to someone else. Expo let me take what I already knew and ship a real, native iPhone app on my own.
With React, I think in components the same way I think in design systems, so my design instincts and my code live in the same place.
Expo also makes it fast to get a build on my phone and live with it every day. That matters a lot for an app about slowing down: the spacing, the timing, how calm the writing screen feels. You can’t judge those in a mockup, you have to feel them in your hand. And features like widgets, reminders and iCloud Sync were within reach without leaving the stack I already know.
What I hope Lumio becomes
For now, Lumio is a place to meet yourself a little more honestly. Someday, I’d love for it to also be a place where people discover different perspectives, find unexpected connections, and feel a little less alone in their experiences.
But I don’t want it to become another app competing for your attention.
I’d rather it give you a reason to put your phone down, carry a thought with you, and return to your day with a little more clarity.
That’s what I hope Lumio becomes for you.
Want to try it early?
Lumio is in App Store review right now. If you’d like to be a tester, email hello@ericsonl.com or visit lumioritual.app.
Thank you
A big thank you to the people who inspired me to build my own app: @SebastianRoehl, @raroque, @betomoedano and @kadikraman. Watching you build in public made me believe I could do it too.