Organizing chaos into folders: Origami Notes by BaraniukConnection

Why Origami Notes: everything about one matter — in one place

This is a personal Android notebook for texts, lists, and tasks, conveniently stored together by topic. For example, a 'Renovation' folder might contain furniture dimensions, a shopping list, and Saturday chores. Each entry has its own format, but they all belong to the same matter.

The main principle of Origami Notes is folders first. They can be nested, expanded into a tree, and entries can be moved between branches. Search by title and text helps find what you need, while pinning keeps important items at the top. According to the README, no account is required; notes are stored locally, available offline, and can be exported to a JSON file.

Developer BaraniukConnection — Oleksii, a member of our community. In his open repository there is already code, an installation APK, and screenshots. We are looking at the beta version of his own Android product, which he continues to develop.

How it might work: preparing for a trip

Here is an editorial example based on the described B21 features:

1. Create a 'Trip' folder. It will store everything related to the journey.
2. Add a text note with a route, addresses, and links. According to the README, holding the button + opens the entry type selection.
3. Make a 'What to Pack' List and check off items as you pack them. Use Tasks for several preparatory chores; set a higher priority for the most important one.
4. Pin the required entry or move it to a widget. Before experimenting with the beta version, save an export in the settings.

The same can be used to organize studying, household chores, or developing your own project. The app will primarily interest those who like their own folder structure and want to keep notes on their phone. Cross-device synchronization is still in the plans according to the B21 description.

Minty order on the screen

The author's screenshots show a light interface with mint accents, rounded cards, and a separate folder tree. Pinned entries are clearly separated from the rest. Below you can see three screens; click on an image to open it larger.

Screenshots from the BaraniukConnection repository, version B21. These are the author's materials, not our mobile app test.

How the app works

Origami Notes is described as a notepad: the user records thoughts, creates lists, and organizes them. AI chat or AI-generated notes are not listed among the B21 features.

The interface is written in Kotlin with Jetpack Compose. Notes and folders are stored in a local database Room, settings are handled via DataStore. AndroidX Glance is used for widgets. This is evident from the configuration and source code.

A useful detail is the shared registry of note types. It defines what is text, what is a task, and what is a list. The old task format with a time grid is kept for reading previous entries, though it is no longer offered in the creation menu. Such decisions are almost invisible on the surface, but they matter to people who have already saved their data.

The text editor uses an open-source Compose Rich Editor. In the VDS: Typer module, it has been adapted for the app: the NOTICE file describes changes to links, highlighting, and cursor behavior after autocorrect. A custom product can certainly rely on ready-made libraries—the value lies in how they work together to solve the problem.

There is JSON import and export. For a notepad, the ability to take your records with you is a vital part of the product: people accumulate their own information in it, rather than just pressing buttons for demonstration purposes.

How BaraniukConnection develops the app with Claude's help

The author and developer of Origami Notes is BaraniukConnection. According to him, he forms the idea, independently thinks through the design, finds bugs, and builds the development plan. Claude helps him with writing the code.

This way of working allows the developer to implement their own vision: deciding how to organize entries, what the interface will look like, and what needs to be fixed. AI helps with the software implementation of these ideas. The author clarified the process details in a comment to the material.

The changelog shows how he evolves the product. In the B21 update from October 19, 2026 a new list type, pinned note ordering, drag-and-drop refinements, and fixes for saving when exiting the editor are described. Issues with text spacing and new lines after autocorrect are also mentioned.

This is where the story becomes interesting for those creating their own products with AI. Generating a screen is one step. The next questions are more grounded: will a record disappear after exiting, where will a sub-item move, what will happen to old data after an update?

The repository contains list tests: for example, moving a parent item along with its sub-items and reopening a task after unchecking a sub-item. We have read these checks but have not run them, so we do not claim the build has been tested by us.

Where to find it and what to consider

You should start with the Origami Notes page on GitHub. At the time of review, B21 is available as an APK in the releasesfolder; the build settings specify Android 8.0 or newer. This is an early beta, not a finished mass release.

It is better to make the first entries test entries and check the export. If B18 is already installed, the README warns about a change in the signature key: before deleting the old version, you must export your data and ensure the file is saved. B21 cannot be installed over B18.

The scope of this review is simple: we read the open source code and the author's materials, but we did not run the APK or verify the compliance of the finished file with the source code. Drawing, multimedia attachments, and additional cloud integration in the README are part of the plans.

What the user gets in the end — and what this project teaches

The practical benefit of Origami Notes is gathering related notes and tasks in one place. Text, checklists, and tasks receive convenient formats for them, remain in a shared folder, and are available on Android without registration. Whether this method of organization suits you specifically is worth checking with a few test entries, keeping the beta status in mind.

BaraniukConnection turned his own idea into an Android app using Claude as a development assistant. This is the practical sense of Vibe Coding: a person can create their own product with AI support — conceptualize it, get help with the code, verify the result, and gradually refine it. There is already something to show here: source code, Android build, interface, and update history.

You can take a simple working scheme from this experience: choose one everyday task → describe the desired behavior → create an implementation with AI → test it as a user → fix what is found. Human decisions and attention to detail remain necessary at every step.

If you are planning your own program, try describing one scenario from start to finish. For example: create a list, close the app, open it again, mark items as done, and export. Then ask the AI to help with individual steps and verify each one. To get started, we have our first AI project planner, and for difficulties — a guide to finding errors in AI-generated code.

The BaraniukConnection project can already be examined, studied, and discussed in detail. Also in our selection — the musical LRC Open Player by Myron 2402. Different tasks, different solutions — this is exactly what the community of people making their own things is made of.