Pace - A calmer way to plan your day

Pace is an iOS productivity app concept designed for people who want to stay organised without feeling controlled by another complicated task manager.

The project reimagines daily planning as a lightweight ritual: users select a small number of meaningful tasks, enter focused work sessions, and reflect on their progress through simple, encouraging insights. Rather than rewarding constant activity, Pace helps users build a sustainable pace for deep work.

The challenge

Most productivity tools are built around long task lists, deadlines, and endless notifications. During early exploration, I identified three core problems:

• Users felt overwhelmed when every task looked equally urgent.
• Focus timers often felt disconnected from the actual work users needed to complete.
• Weekly productivity charts presented a lot of data but offered little encouragement or context.

The solution

I designed Pace around three focused moments:

• Plan with intention — Users choose up to three priority tasks for the day, reducing decision fatigue before work begins.
• Stay present — A distraction-free focus timer keeps the active task visible without exposing the entire backlog.
• Reflect, don’t judge — Weekly insights translate activity into simple, human language, such as “You protected 4h 20m for meaningful work.”

Design approach

The visual direction uses a soft neutral foundation with cobalt blue and coral accents to create a calm but optimistic feeling. Large typography, clear spacing, rounded cards, and accessible contrast help users scan important information quickly, while keeping the interface warm and approachable.

Outcome

The final concept includes a daily dashboard, focused timer, task planning flow, and weekly progress view. The system was designed to be scalable, with reusable components for task cards, progress states, buttons, charts, and bottom sheets.