It’s impossible to address all the different reasons that drive us to procrastinate—that’s why instead, we wanted to focus on building an experience that would make people want to do work and allow them to focus. Hence, the FocusPod! There’s two parts to the FocusPod: first, the pod. We essentially wanted to rethink the office/library cubicle experience, to create a really inviting, egg-shaped structure for people who focus best when they’re by themselves and away from any external distractions. The second part is the pebble, a portable wireless charging station for people who might enjoy working in social spaces with other people—or perhaps don’t have the space for a large pod in their room. This would be a great option for college students who might want to do work in their dorm room, or for people who have smaller apartments. Both the pod and the pebble connect with your phone to-do list or Google Calendar via bluetooth. Once your to-do list is synced, the app displays it in a sleek, streamlined user interface. Every time you complete a task and check it off your list, the FocusPod glows beautifully for a few minutes as a visual cue that you’re on task! We were inspired by how the Arduino was able to change colors, and wanted to incorporate something similar in our design. We chose a blue-green color since these colors are typically associated with soothing and calm emotions—color psychology associates these colors with determination, goals, ambition, and clarity. We also wanted to focus on a motivational solution to procrastination instead of something more punitive. After all, we already experience enough guilt and negative emotions when we procrastinate!
