Horizon was built as a fast, lightweight MVP to test a simple but important idea:

an always-there AI overlay that helps you in place — during meetings, while reading, or whenever you need quick context.

The goal was to validate the market, not perfect the product. The design phase had to be quick, focused, and practical. After validation, the team later open-sourced the app, turning it into a community-driven project.

Most AI assistants pull you out of the moment. Horizon took a different direction. It sat quietly on top of your screen and understood what you were doing. It captured meetings, suggested relevant answers, helped you ask better questions, and let you take quick notes without switching apps.

This MVP was designed rapidly: a calm overlay, three core modes (Suggestions, Notes, Screen), and a simple input bar that behaved like a lightweight layer over your Mac instead of a separate product.

The goal was to prove one thing:

People shouldn’t have to leave a meeting or tab to ask AI for help.

Real-time notes, summaries, and suggestions during calls.

The assistant should know what you’re looking at and adapt.

No heavy workflows. No extra UI weight. Just the essentials.

A calm overlay that sits on top of the OS

Three essential modes: Suggestions, Notes, Screen

Meeting-aware intelligence

Quick capture that syncs to the user’s tools

A design simple enough to build fast and validate fast

This phase was about validation, not polish.

Fast to use, fast to understand, and fast to build.

Suggestions, Notes, and Screen lived in small floating cards that appeared only when needed.

The overlay detected when you were in a meeting and automatically captured summaries, answers, and follow-up suggestions.

This acted as the user’s “quick brain” — ask questions instantly, without leaving the screen.

Soft gradients, glass surfaces, minimal chrome — just enough clarity to feel modern without adding noise.

The MVP achieved what it needed to:

It validated interest in a screen-aware AI assistant

It showed real promise for reducing context switching

It gave early testers a simple way to capture and recall meeting notes

It proved the value of an “AI overlay” instead of a standalone app

After successful testing, the team open-sourced Horizon, allowing developers to build on top of it and evolve the concept.

This was an early MVP, built quickly to validate the concept, so there are areas that clearly needed more refinement — things like readability, tighter spacing, and a more compact layout. The goal at the time was speed, not polish, and there was no iteration window after launch. The project was later open-sourced, which meant I was no longer in a position to push further improvements. Even so, the MVP served its purpose: proving the value of a screen-aware, always-available AI assistant.