Getting Started with LifeDraft: A Complete Walkthrough

Creating your LifeDraft is a meaningful journey of reflection and preservation. This guide will walk you through each step of the process, from your first login to completing your persona and securing your digital vault.

Whether you have an hour or want to work gradually over several weeks, LifeDraft is designed to work at your pace.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Start by creating your LifeDraft account. We'll ask for your email address and a secure password. For your security, we recommend enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) during setup—this adds an extra layer of protection to your account and the sensitive information it will contain.

After creating your account, you'll receive a verification email. Click the link to verify your email address and complete your registration.

Step 2: Complete Your Profile

Before diving into the interviews, take a moment to set up your basic profile. This includes your name, a profile photo if you'd like, and some basic information that helps personalize your experience.

This information helps create context for your memorial and makes the experience more personal for your loved ones when they eventually access it.

Step 3: Begin the Persona Interviews

The heart of LifeDraft is the persona interview system. Six themed interview sessions guide you through sharing your life story, values, relationships, and legacy wishes. Each session contains approximately 10 thoughtfully crafted questions.

The six interview sessions are:

• Introduction: Your life story, background, and the things that make you who you are
• Relationships: The important people in your life and what they mean to you
• Values: Your core beliefs, principles, and what guides your decisions
• Life Stories: Memorable moments, turning points, and experiences that shaped you
• Legacy: Your final messages, wishes, and what you want your loved ones to know
• Voice: Recording your natural speaking voice across different emotions and contexts

Tips for Meaningful Interviews

The interview questions are designed to help you reflect deeply, but there's no right or wrong way to answer. Here are some tips for getting the most out of the experience:

• Take your time—you can save progress and return anytime
• Speak naturally, as if you're talking to a close friend or family member
• Don't worry about being profound; authentic, everyday stories are often the most treasured
• Include specific details—names, places, sensory memories—that bring stories to life
• It's okay to show emotion; your loved ones will appreciate your genuine feelings

"I thought I'd finish in one sitting, but I ended up spending two weeks on the interviews. Taking my time let me remember stories I hadn't thought about in years. It became a gift to myself as much as to my family."

Step 4: Record Your Voice

The voice session is special—it captures not just what you say, but how you say it. Our system guides you through 12 prompts designed to capture different aspects of your natural speaking voice.

Find a quiet space with minimal background noise. You don't need professional equipment—most modern phone or computer microphones work well. Speak naturally, as if you're having a conversation with someone you love.

The prompts range from sharing happy memories (capturing your joyful voice) to offering words of comfort (capturing your nurturing tone). This variety helps create an authentic representation of how you actually speak.

Step 5: Set Up Your Digital Vault

Your digital vault is a secure space to store important information and messages for your loved ones. You can add entries across multiple categories:

• Important documents and their locations
• Account credentials and access information
• Personal letters to specific people
• Financial information and accounts
• Legal documents and instructions
• Digital assets and online accounts
• Final instructions and wishes

Each vault entry can have specific release rules—you control when and to whom information is shared. Some items might be released immediately upon memorial activation, while others might be timed for specific dates or require executor approval.

Step 6: Designate Trusted Contacts

Trusted contacts are the people who will have access to your memorial. For each contact, you can specify:

• Their relationship to you
• Whether they can access the memorial chat
• What vault items they can see
• Whether they have executor privileges
• What sensitivity level of information they can access

You'll also designate at least one executor—someone who can make decisions about your memorial and approve its activation. Choose someone you trust completely.

Step 7: Configure Your Check-In Schedule

The check-in system is how LifeDraft ensures your memorial is activated at the right time. You'll set a check-in frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly) and a grace period.

If you miss check-ins, the system begins a careful escalation process that eventually contacts your trusted contacts for verification. This multi-step process ensures your memorial is only activated when appropriate.

Step 8: Review and Refine

Your LifeDraft is never truly "finished"—you can return anytime to add new stories, update information, or record additional voice samples. Many users find that the interview process sparks memories they want to add later.

Consider making it a practice to update your LifeDraft periodically. New experiences, new wisdom, new messages for loved ones—your memorial can grow and evolve just as you do.

Your Journey Begins

Creating a LifeDraft is an act of love. Every story you share, every voice recording you make, every message you leave in your vault—these are gifts that will bring comfort and connection to your loved ones for generations to come.

Start with just one interview session. You might be surprised by how meaningful the experience becomes.