.Pixel
.Pixel is a minimalist morning planner designed to help users start their day with focus and clarity—without the distractions of a phone.
Giving the following functionality:
- Calendar
- To-Do's
- Music
- Weather
- Games
This project began when I found an article online which stated that 82% of young adults think that they are on their phone too much.This problem of excessive phone use has been getting more and more attention, with terms like "Brainrot" being awarded with words of the year. While this increase in awareness is extremely good, we still all turn to our phone during our breakfast in the morning.
During interviews with several young adults they all shared the frustration about the role that their phone played in their morning routine. All of the interviewees desired an alternative. That's why I decided to design a device to replace phone use in the morning.
Ideation & Exploration
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To explore solutions for reducing phone use in the morning, I created numerous sketches, storyboards, and modular paper models. These methods allowed me to test various 3D shapes and interactions, revealing user preferences for features like calendars, to-do lists, music/podcasts, weather, and entertainment. Users favored larger screens with minimal touch interaction, which guided the development of my two main concepts.
Concept developments
Two distinct concepts were explored to solve the problem of phone use in the morning. Each concept offered a unique approach to tackling the issue effectively:
Music Player: This concept focused on creating a seamless, phone-free way to enjoy music. It allowed users to listen to their preferred playlists without the need to grab their phone, helping them start their day on a positive note.
Day Planner: This design centered on helping users organize their day without relying on their phone. Featuring a slanted screen for optimal viewing, the device presented a user-friendly interface to plan the day clearly and efficiently.
Final Design
I chose the morning planner concept with an LED dot-matrix display to combine functionality with simplicity. Its clean, minimalist design and angled form allow the .Pixel to sit elegantly on any table or countertop.
The design reflects its purpose: countering overwhelming mornings filled with notifications and distractions.
By embracing minimalism and calm, the .Pixel replaces chaos with focus and clarity, creating a peaceful start to your day.
Following user feedback the features of the .Pixel were restricted to the following: Calendar, To-Do, Music/Podcast, Weather & Retro Games (Entertainment).
Testing
For testing the concept a combination of a complex Figma model with a working prototype was used. The Figma model showed the entire interface of the .Pixel system while the physical model showed both size as well as the effect of the Dot-Matrix display and the capacitive sensors.
Using this combination the full concept, interaction and feel could be evaluated without building the entire working system
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The test results led to several interface iterations and the addition of new features, such as a mechanism to adjust the volume by sliding a finger along the left edge of the .Pixel and a way to return to the main menu.
User interviews showed strong interest in the concept, with 4 out of 5 interviewees expressing a desire for phone-free breakfasts and stating they would use a product like this if available. They also highlighted the importance of having limited customization for specific features of the .Pixel.
This feedback led to the development of a webpage where users can personalize their 5 main features by swapping in or out options based on their preferences, making the .Pixel adaptable for any user.
Projects
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