Ideation
To start the ​design process, I came up with several different categories of uses for timers—board games, sleep, study breaks, meditation, and more—and developed concept sketches for each.
Concept
Development
Narrowing down to two concepts, I created storyboards for the function and purpose of each and considered necessary electronic components based on said function.
Building the Prototype
To create the geometric shape, I experimented with shapes that let the light through in a way that reflects the rhythm and calmness of its purpose. I then laser cut the pattern using cardboard for lightness and strength.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Turn knob to set time;
press to begin
Light grows gradually for inhale
Purpose and Function
A breathing exercise timer designed to help anyone who wants to add focus and relaxation to their daily life, it provides an easy way to practice more controlled, steady breathing. Turn the knob to set the timer, inhale and exhale following the light movement, and continue with deep breaths until the timer ends with flashing lights.
Light fades gradually for exhale
Press to pause or resume timer
Flashes when timer has ended
Inhale
Exhale
The Inside: Electronics
The timer is set to guide consistent, deep breaths—five seconds for inhales and five for exhales. An Arduino board is programmed so that each pixel of the NeoPixel LED strip lights up consecutively for an inhale, and turns off one by one in the opposite direction for an exhale.
A rotary encoder at the base receives inputs through the knob at the top. Turning the knob sets the timer for a certain duration, shown by the number of pixels lit up. Pressing the knob can start, pause, and resume the timer.
The Outside: Aesthetics
Designed to accentuate the progression of the light and to highlight the goal of deep, controlled breaths, the line pattern creates a sense of rhythm, balance, and calmness.
Takeaways
Working with both the programming and physical side of the design gave me more control over the execution of my vision. In this project, I learned how to program an LED strip to follow a timed pattern and explored interesting ways of implementing the tactile interaction into the visual design of the product.