Why I Built PicTyper

When I started PicTyper, I wasn’t trying to build a big education platform. I wanted to solve a small, specific problem: the typing sites we found were full of ads and required a login.

My son Kingsley is non-verbal, and his AAC device has been his primary means of elaborate communication. We thought that learning to type could give him another way to communicate. We worked with his school to find a tool where he could practice at his own pace, but I wanted something that was quick to open and simple enough to use on a laptop or his iPad.

The goal was straightforward: a three-year-old should be able to tap a bookmark and get started. No explanation, no supervision, no account, no ads. Just the practice.

I didn’t need a library of licensed pictures or elaborate illustrations. The app needed a visual cue and a place to type. Emojis were an obvious fit: they’re familiar, available everywhere, and cover many basic words. I added a little gamification to keep the practice engaging, then watched how Kingsley used it. When I noticed something that could be clearer or work better, I changed it. I adjusted levels and kept improving the experience in small ways.

That feedback loop mattered more to me than building a long list of features. Make it usable, let someone try it, notice where it gets in the way, then fix that part. A tool for learning should invite practice rather than surround it with friction.

Once it worked, I made PicTyper public. It’s free to host on Cloudflare; my ongoing cost is the domain name each year. If other families find it useful, that makes me happy.

PicTyper is a small project, but the idea behind it is one I want to keep: useful software can be direct. It doesn’t need to turn every visitor into a user profile or every moment of attention into an ad impression. Sometimes the best thing an app can do is open quickly, help someone do what they came to do, and get out of the way.

You can try it at pictyper.com.

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