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A non-profit mutual-aid service with karma points (2014–2018): the idea, principles and a 50-volunteer community built before the product existed. Old work, but the foundation of OmHome and everything since.
This is the oldest project in the portfolio, and it doesn't reflect my current design or coding skills. But it laid the foundation for almost everything I do now: the idea that technology should get a person off the couch and into real life; the principles "no alcohol, no meat, participation by goodwill"; and the experience of gathering 50 volunteers around an idea before a product existed. OmHome, Intimacy, the retreats — all grew from here.
"Be Kind" (Будь добр) is a non-profit mutual-aid service. A user posts a request for help, others respond, the help happens — and the helpers earn karma points, exchangeable for real prizes from partners: a café lunch, a cinema ticket, a shop discount. No shame in asking, no shame in responding: either way you spend time usefully and meet new people.
"No matter what — be kind."
For a taste for virtue. Helping others fills a person against all logic; the service exists to let as many people as possible feel that.
For new acquaintances. Interaction in real life, not on a screen: treating your helper to tea is the project's norm.
Against alcohol, tobacco and the meat industry. Requests from those areas are declined without compromise. In 2015 that was a rare stance for a startup; today the same rule stands at OmHome's door.
February 2014. Flappy Bird. Seven to ten days at 3–4 hours a day to reach 122 points — and the realisation of how much time went into a meaningless game. The idea: convert that passion into something useful, so that interacting with a phone makes you get up and do something offline.
March–April 2014. Karma Quest: points for a selfie with an object or a video singing a song — leisure and creativity. Then the thought: point the same energy at something bigger — volunteer mutual aid. The name became "Be Kind": both a call to be kinder and the everyday phrase used when asking for help.
2015–2016. No funding, no developer. Instead of waiting — a volunteer team with no site and no karma points, under the project's banner. In a year: 50 people and about fifty deeds — moves, belongings, shelter, hauling, a renovation in a grandmother's flat.
2017. Travelling across Russia with a developer friend, giving small presentations; development stalled at one of the stages.
2018. A programmer was found, the final design finished, a working version built in six months. Official launch: 10 August 2018.
The main symbol is the boomerang: everything positive you do for the world comes back; it's also the karma-point mark. The logo is a handwritten "будь добр" with the boomerang. Palette: coral #FC6C70, white, graphite #4A4A4A. Type: Ubuntu and Montserrat. Deed cards and popups, web and mobile versions.
The original landing lives on Readymag.