I remember reading somewhere that Dreams are a window to our mind, in simple words they reflect what is there inside our mind. Dreaming is a regular phenomenon, there is no escaping from it and since we dream often it becomes necessary to keep track of them and understand them better. Dreamboard is one such tool, that helps you record your dreams and keep track of them in a secure way on the internet and phone.Dreamboard is designed by dream psychology experts and is a first of its kind online journal, that helps users in their journey of self discovery through dreams. Dreamboard is the dream child of Umberto Prunotto and is built by a small team based in Italy, Switzerland and United States.
Dreamboard is a free user-friendly website, with an easy signs-up process. Once you sign-up, what you'll see in front of you is your dreamboard where you can add a dream and edit it in future, making it convenient to track dreams. Dreamboard take users on a journey of self-discovery by exposing their most intimate and deepest emotions, revealing their true self. To know more about Dreamboard and how it works, read on our exclusive interview with its founder, Umberto Prunotto.
1. Please tell us something about Dreamboard.
Dreamboard is a free web app that enables anyone, anywhere in the world, to record dreams and track them over time, through patterns od relevant and quantifiable dream data. It’s a private, online dream journal. And it depicts the trends in dreams through graphs and visuals.
2. What prompted Umberto to come up with Dreamboard? What is the concept behind it?
It all starts with my curiosity for that phenomenon which we call "reality" and the conscious and unconscious ways in which we perceive and represent it. The Dreamboard idea has to do with monitoring one aspect of that phenomenon. I have been studying dream science for many years. I became interested in the prospect of creating a dream journal format that integrates the various schools of thought about dreams and that provides a representation of the many facets of oneiric information, so as to make it manageable in a sequential way and though algorithms. It is important to me that we blend the best thinking. At the same time, I wanted to create something beautiful. So I worked with our head of Product, Luca Mascaro, to develop something people would enjoy using over a long period of time.
3. How does Dreamboard work? What techniques do you guys employ to analyze a user’s dream? Do you have a panel of medical/behavioral experts to analyze the dreams?
Right now, Dreamboard is in beta, so our focus is on the experience of capturing the details of each dream. [I want to make sure we have a stable technology platform.] Through a series of prompts, the user answers questions about the dream and also has the option of recording a narrative description of the dream. While we were developing the journal format, I consulted several psychologists and dream specialists, then I assembled a team of experts both in semiotics and statistics to elaborate a model that is a solid foundation for current and future product features.
It all starts with my curiosity for that phenomenon which we call "reality" and the conscious and unconscious ways in which we perceive and represent it. The Dreamboard idea has to do with monitoring one aspect of that phenomenon. I have been studying dream science for many years. I became interested in the prospect of creating a dream journal format that integrates the various schools of thought about dreams and that provides a representation of the many facets of oneiric information, so as to make it manageable in a sequential way and though algorithms. It is important to me that we blend the best thinking. At the same time, I wanted to create something beautiful. So I worked with our head of Product, Luca Mascaro, to develop something people would enjoy using over a long period of time.
3. How does Dreamboard work? What techniques do you guys employ to analyze a user’s dream? Do you have a panel of medical/behavioral experts to analyze the dreams?
Right now, Dreamboard is in beta, so our focus is on the experience of capturing the details of each dream. [I want to make sure we have a stable technology platform.] Through a series of prompts, the user answers questions about the dream and also has the option of recording a narrative description of the dream. While we were developing the journal format, I consulted several psychologists and dream specialists, then I assembled a team of experts both in semiotics and statistics to elaborate a model that is a solid foundation for current and future product features.
4. How important are dreams for a person?
I believe that dreams are another aspect of our brains at work and that they represent reality; they are thoughts being processed in our unconscious. Just as we have conscious thoughts throughout our waking hours, our brains continue to work, but on a different level, during our sleep. Some day, once there is enough data, I think scientists will be able to learn more about the brain, memory and thought processes by studying dreams.
5. Being a startup, how do you promote Dreamboard? Are you leveraging social networks to promote it?
We invited people we knew to begin using Dreamboard, and we began a blog. We then created a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’m really enjoying talking with users and observing how people talk about their dreams. Facebook in particular is growing in numbers.
6. Is Dreamboard a purely non-profit website? If not, what is your monetization model?
Dreamboard is funded through private investment currently. I’m still exploring our options for building a business. My focus right now is building a strong product that people can use and find dependable.
7. What is the sort of reception that you have got from your users? What has been the biggest compliment so far?
We have highly engaged users. Many of them are veteran dream journal-ers – people who have kept a handwritten dream journal for a long time, but others are completely new to dream journaling. The best compliments have been about the interface, the questions and the ability to see the trends in their dreams over time. The excellent feedback by experts like, for example, Patrick McNamara on Psychology Today also gives us a great deal of satisfaction. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dream-catcher/201209/dream-apps)
8. What are the future plans for Dreamboard? Are you guys looking to add any new features?
As a matter of fact, we are releasing a smartphone app in the near future. It’s always been my plan, but now users are clamoring for it!
9. What is the one most valuable piece of advice that you would like to give to aspiring startups?
Startups that aim at growing a large user base should build a tool for users, listen to them and focus on creating the most beautiful and polished user experience they can with the resources they have. Also, it helps to be very passionate about what you are building, in the first place.
I believe that dreams are another aspect of our brains at work and that they represent reality; they are thoughts being processed in our unconscious. Just as we have conscious thoughts throughout our waking hours, our brains continue to work, but on a different level, during our sleep. Some day, once there is enough data, I think scientists will be able to learn more about the brain, memory and thought processes by studying dreams.
5. Being a startup, how do you promote Dreamboard? Are you leveraging social networks to promote it?
We invited people we knew to begin using Dreamboard, and we began a blog. We then created a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I’m really enjoying talking with users and observing how people talk about their dreams. Facebook in particular is growing in numbers.
6. Is Dreamboard a purely non-profit website? If not, what is your monetization model?
Dreamboard is funded through private investment currently. I’m still exploring our options for building a business. My focus right now is building a strong product that people can use and find dependable.
7. What is the sort of reception that you have got from your users? What has been the biggest compliment so far?
We have highly engaged users. Many of them are veteran dream journal-ers – people who have kept a handwritten dream journal for a long time, but others are completely new to dream journaling. The best compliments have been about the interface, the questions and the ability to see the trends in their dreams over time. The excellent feedback by experts like, for example, Patrick McNamara on Psychology Today also gives us a great deal of satisfaction. (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dream-catcher/201209/dream-apps)
8. What are the future plans for Dreamboard? Are you guys looking to add any new features?
As a matter of fact, we are releasing a smartphone app in the near future. It’s always been my plan, but now users are clamoring for it!
9. What is the one most valuable piece of advice that you would like to give to aspiring startups?
Startups that aim at growing a large user base should build a tool for users, listen to them and focus on creating the most beautiful and polished user experience they can with the resources they have. Also, it helps to be very passionate about what you are building, in the first place.
Thank you Umberto for taking out the time and doing this interview with us. We'd like to wish you, your team and Dreamboard the very best for the future.
Update - Dreamboard launches private online Dream Journal and iPhone App
Details of dreams elegantly captured, tracked to generate personal data
A free and secure tool that is equally fun, Dreamboard helps you to analyze and journal your dreams on web and mobile. Designed by dream psychology experts , its the first online dream journal which offers exclusive help for you to track your dreams and keep them recorded just like your personal diary!
http://startcup.in/dreamboard-a-tool-to-track-your-dreams-and-discover-yourself/
A well reaserched and nicely written article Shumaila!