Pomodoro Timer

I wanted a device that helped me stay focused — one that lived outside my computer and my phone. I was already using the Pomodoro technique, so I built a device that's limited to exactly that. The circular screen was deliberate: it should read like the clocks we already know.

Overview

The device takes input three ways: from a computer, from physical buttons on the device itself, or by tilting it — lean left or right to add or remove minutes. Twenty-five minutes of work, five of rest. Red for work, gold for rest. Designed, coded, and built solo — from Figma frames to firmware.

The Core Challenge

Most of the tinkering went into making the device easy to use. The hardest part was the accelerometer — tilt input only works if the sensor stays calibrated, so I built a dedicated calibration system for it. I also learned to solder for this build. The inside shows it.

Calibration System

The UI

Three arcs, spinning, waiting — that's paused. Start a session and they settle into a single ring that drains as you work. No text, no icons. The state is readable from across the room.