TakeFive
Microbreak tracking & reminders app
Responsibilities
Product Design, AI-Assisted Development
Timeline
1 Month
Platform
iOS
Why TakeFive?
There are countless productivity apps out there — Forest, Session, Focus Keeper — all designed to help users stay focused. These apps work well for many people.
For others, however, a timer alone isn’t enough. Many users admit they struggle to take regular breaks, often dismissing and ignoring reminders — even ones they set themselves.
TakeFive aims to motivate these users to build a healthy habit of taking regular microbreaks through simple habit tracking, helpful reminders and thoughtful gamification.
The challenges
I wanted to challenge myself to improve my product design skills, so I decided to build a mobile app prototype, using Figma Make.
I brainstormed ideas for apps and searched for existing user problems. I settled on designing a microbreak tracking and reminders app.
How might we
Clearly convey the benefits of taking microbreaks, and convince users to give the app a try?
How might we
Gently remind people to take microbreaks, without interrupting deep work?
How might we
Help people create a habit of taking regular microbreaks?
This project lasted one month from start to finish, with each iteration of the app being built in under one week using Figma Make. I decided to use my second iteration of the app as my Figma Make-a-Thon submission — I sadly am not $50,000 richer.
My roles
I led the project on my own, managing product design, research, prototyping, branding, illustration, and MVP development using Figma’s AI-assisted prototyping tool, Make.
Challenge #1
Communicating value upfront
TakeFive’s onboarding helps users get started by gathering essential setup details and explaining the app’s benefits. With their preferred microbreak frequency set and notifications enabled, users are ready for the core TakeFive experience.
Challenge #2
Timely & helpful reminders
Author of Deep Work, Calvin Newport suggests that distraction or diversion from tasks can decrease productivity by 50%. In order to avoid drops in productivity, TakeFive allows users to block hours with no interruptions.
Block out deep work and meetings.
Users will receive in-app microbreak reminders inside a bottom sheet modal.
TakeFive notifications are always gentle, and phrased as suggestions rather than instructions.
Challenge #3
Form the habit
To help form the habit of microbreaking, TakeFive allows users to track their microbreak activities and frequency. I introduced variable rewards, in the form of achievements, to motivate users to log their breaks more consistently — drawing on insights from Nir Eyal's Hooked.
Microbreak analytics overview.
Regular streaks don't work for tracking microbreaks, as they are only taken on days of work and study. Users should not lose their streak during well-earned time off.
Workday streaks only count days that users both Start work and Log a break — this way users are encouraged to log microbreaks and not punished for taking days off.
Pause design system
I created a design system to reduce decision fatigue and ensure visual consistency as I added new features and screens.
Prototype live preview
Below is the TakeFive iteration 2 prototype — fully-functional except from push notifications!
Learnings
Smarter prompting
Chris Raroque, a solo app developer, describes AI as a “really good junior engineer” — fast at generating code but prone to misinterpretation. I share this perspective, and whilst working on TakeFive, I found that focusing on being as precise as possible lead to the best results.
Bridging the knowledge gap
When reviewing the first version of the app, I realised I had been subconsciously filling in gaps with my own product and domain knowledge. Real users don’t share that context, so I made clarity and explicit communication of value a core focus moving forward.
