Pause
Scope
Ideation, Concept, Design, Development
Year
2026
Industry
Technically Complex Product
Pause is a physical device designed to help people spend less time checking their phones. It filters notifications and uses a rotary dial and tactile buttons to make essential information available without opening a feed.
Context
In conversations about phone habits, people described scrolling even when they did not want to. Reaching for a phone had become automatic, especially in quiet gaps during the day. I wanted to design something that made those moments easier to leave alone.
Approach
I focused on five moments: waking up, moving between tasks, resting, procrastinating and winding down. Pause uses a rotary dial, tactile buttons and modes for work, social time and rest. The proposed AI feature learns which information matters to the user so the device can filter out less useful notifications.
Outcome
Pause brings these ideas together in a small device for the desk. It is designed to keep essential information within reach while making it easier to leave the phone alone.
Pause
Scope
Ideation, Concept, Design, Development
Year
2026
Industry
Technically Complex Product
Pause is a physical device designed to help people spend less time checking their phones. It filters notifications and uses a rotary dial and tactile buttons to make essential information available without opening a feed.
Context
In conversations about phone habits, people described scrolling even when they did not want to. Reaching for a phone had become automatic, especially in quiet gaps during the day. I wanted to design something that made those moments easier to leave alone.
Approach
I focused on five moments: waking up, moving between tasks, resting, procrastinating and winding down. Pause uses a rotary dial, tactile buttons and modes for work, social time and rest. The proposed AI feature learns which information matters to the user so the device can filter out less useful notifications.
Outcome
Pause brings these ideas together in a small device for the desk. It is designed to keep essential information within reach while making it easier to leave the phone alone.
Pause
Scope
Ideation, Concept, Design, Development
Year
2026
Industry
Technically Complex Product
Pause is a physical device designed to help people spend less time checking their phones. It filters notifications and uses a rotary dial and tactile buttons to make essential information available without opening a feed.
Context
In conversations about phone habits, people described scrolling even when they did not want to. Reaching for a phone had become automatic, especially in quiet gaps during the day. I wanted to design something that made those moments easier to leave alone.
Approach
I focused on five moments: waking up, moving between tasks, resting, procrastinating and winding down. Pause uses a rotary dial, tactile buttons and modes for work, social time and rest. The proposed AI feature learns which information matters to the user so the device can filter out less useful notifications.
Outcome
Pause brings these ideas together in a small device for the desk. It is designed to keep essential information within reach while making it easier to leave the phone alone.