I contemplated the same idea a while back because I'm constantly printing out colouring sheets for kids and it seemed like an app people would use.
Ultimately I decided not to build it because there are so many free colouring page sites out there, and there's a non-zero environmental cost to asking Gemini to generate a happy bat image.
Pretty much any colouring page a kid could ask you for is already a Google search away. In fact the challenge is not finding a happy bat colouring page but narrowing it down from the thousands of results.
I just don't see the value in using Gemini to add yet more generic colouring pages to the millions that exist. I'm sorry, I don't mean to poop on your work, it's interesting to read the tech implementation but ultimately I don't like creating walled gardens with AI generated alternatives to what's already free
No worries, these are fair points and I appreciate the honest feedback.
You're right - there are millions of coloring pages out there already. I thought about this too.
On the environmental cost: if no one uses it, I'll simply shut it down to save resources. That's a practical reality check. But if people do use it, then at least it means I've contributed something to kids' entertainment and education.
That said, my long-term vision isn't just "another coloring page site powered by AI." I'm working on integrating more interactive AI features - things like kids describing what they want and getting personalized pages, or uploading their own drawings to transform into coloring sheets. I want this to be something genuinely new and useful, not just a pile of AI-generated images competing with Google Image Search.
Whether I succeed at that differentiation remains to be seen, but that's the goal. Thanks for sharing your perspective - it's a good reminder to stay focused on creating real value, not just more content.
I contemplated the same idea a while back because I'm constantly printing out colouring sheets for kids and it seemed like an app people would use.
Ultimately I decided not to build it because there are so many free colouring page sites out there, and there's a non-zero environmental cost to asking Gemini to generate a happy bat image.
Pretty much any colouring page a kid could ask you for is already a Google search away. In fact the challenge is not finding a happy bat colouring page but narrowing it down from the thousands of results.
I just don't see the value in using Gemini to add yet more generic colouring pages to the millions that exist. I'm sorry, I don't mean to poop on your work, it's interesting to read the tech implementation but ultimately I don't like creating walled gardens with AI generated alternatives to what's already free