Chris A. Wronski

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Productivibird

Productivibird is a USB accessory coupled with a computer widget that aims to communicate encouragement or disapproval to someone based on how much time they're spending on distractions or entertainment when they've identified that they should be working.

The Interaction Component

The bird communicates in a very simple way, by changing color and in some situations, blinking. This color is reflected both on the physical product and the software widget, although when expanded, the widget displays a more cohesive message using predetermined copy.

The concept isn't meant to criticize the user at all times, only when they've initiated a work session through the widget. Upon doing so, Productivibird lightly monitors over actions and develops an opinion based on how threatening certain applications are to productivity. Threat level isn't set in stone either, opinions about some applications will fluctuate based on how much time they're taking away from a core application.

The Physical Component

The physical bird and its software-side representation are key to creating the right experience for the product as a whole. The idea of managing productivity is quite an intimidating and undesirable concept but by presenting it in a form that is friendly, game-like, and encourages reaching goals (going from one color to the next), it can be a pleasant and useful way to reduce distractions and get more done quickly.

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