Today we’re launching Prompt. The name is fairly literal: an app to prompt you to go out and do something.
That one friend
You probably have that one friend who seems to know everything happening in town. They know about an exhibition before you’ve even heard of the artist, and somehow always have somewhere to suggest when you’re figuring out what to do. I’ve often wondered how they keep up.
There are so many things I’d love to bring friends along to. I just don’t have the time to follow every venue, read every newsletter, and work out which of the endless “trust me bro” city guides are actually worth listening to. I’d like to give more cultural things a chance, but even knowing where to start takes some effort.
That’s roughly where Prompt came from. I wanted a way to find things I might enjoy while there’s still time to go, including things I wouldn’t have thought to look for myself.
Prompt brings together suggestions based on your interests, from exhibitions and music to food, sport, and things to do outdoors. You can save something for later or tell it when a suggestion misses the mark, so it gets a better sense of what you’re interested in. Sometimes you’ll find something for tonight; other things will need a bit of planning.
Of course, finding something you want to do doesn’t mean your friends are suddenly free. It helps if they’re as willing as you are to make a plan at short notice. But at least now you know about it, and you have something to send them besides “we should do something soon.”
Knowing a bit more before you go
I also want it to teach you a little about what you’re looking at. If Prompt suggests an exhibition, the idea is to tell you a bit about the artist and the work, so you have something to go on when deciding whether to visit. I’d like to come across someone I’ve never heard of, read a little, and think, “Actually, I’d like to see that.”
Longer term, I’d love to bring something like Noiser’s Short History Of… into the experience. Imagine listening to the story of an artist on the way to a gallery, then getting to see the work in person. Or walking around Kinderdijk with a podcast about the place that adapts to where you are and what you’re curious about. Having that kind of storytelling while you’re actually there could make the visit so much more interesting.
That’s a future idea. The bar would be something you’d choose to listen to even without the visit, and I don’t think AI is quite there yet at the level of a show like that. Maybe in time. It’s one of the things I’d be excited to explore with Prompt.
Starting in Amsterdam
We’re starting with Amsterdam, with some suggestions elsewhere in the Netherlands too. If it catches on, we’d like to cover more places.
Prompt is the first product from Oo., our independent software studio. Give it a try, and let us know what you end up going to.