Commit

Simple task selection designed to eliminate overthinking and help users start immediately.
“Hold to commit” interaction that forces intentional action before starting a task.
Focused work session with a clean countdown and minimal distractions.
Immediate feedback when a session ends, creating a satisfying sense of completion.
Breakdown of the completed task, reinforcement message, streak, and recent sessions to build consistency.

Inspiration

I built this because I kept running into the same problem: I would plan everything perfectly... and then never start.

I'd spend time organizing tasks, thinking about the "best" way to do something, or waiting until I felt ready. But that moment never came. The friction to begin was always just high enough to stop me.

I realized the real problem wasn't discipline or motivation, it was starting.

So I wanted to build something that removes that friction completely. No planning. No overthinking. Just commit and begin.

What it does

Commit is a minimal productivity app designed to help you start tasks instantly.

Instead of overwhelming you with options, it gives you a few simple actions to choose from. Once you pick one, you physically hold to commit, locking in your decision.

After that, a timer starts and you focus for a short, manageable session.

At the end, you get a clean completion screen with reinforcement, streak tracking, and session history. Just enough feedback to build momentum.

The core idea is simple: reduce friction, start faster, build consistency.

How we built it

This project was built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Frontend UI: Designed with a focus on simplicity and clarity. I used a custom dark theme and built reusable components like task cards, timers, and completion views.

State management: Managed entirely in JavaScript, tracking selected tasks, timers, streaks, and session history.

Local storage: Used to persist streaks and recent sessions across reloads.

Animations: Built custom animation systems to make interactions feel intentional and smooth.

UX flow: Carefully structured into 4 steps: Home → Hold → Timer → Completion

Every decision was made to reduce cognitive load and keep the user moving forward.

Challenges we ran into

One of the biggest challenges was keeping the app simple without making it feel empty. It’s easy to add features, but hard to remove them. I had to constantly decide what not to include. Another challenge was animations and screen transitions. Getting smooth transitions between states without breaking the flow took a lot of iteration. I also experimented with using AI for parts of the app early on, but that approach actually made things worse. It added unnecessary complexity and broke core functionality. I ended up rebuilding key parts manually, which gave me much better control and understanding of the system. Finally, time pressure was real. Finishing something polished within the hackathon deadline required cutting ideas and focusing only on what mattered.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Finishing and submitting my first hackathon project
Designing a product that feels intentional
Building a full flow from idea → interaction → completion
Creating a UI that actually feels smooth and satisfying to use
Solving a real personal problem in a simple, usable way

What we learned

This project taught me a lot more than just coding.

Starting matters more than planning (ironically, the same lesson as the app itself)
Scope control: a smaller, finished project beats a big, incomplete one
Good UX is about removing friction, not adding features
Animations and micro-interactions make a huge difference
Time management under pressure is a real skill
Sometimes doing things manually is better than relying on tools you don’t fully understand