Inspiration
As someone with ADHD, it is very common for me to either go through periods of hyperfocus, where I forget to switch activities or take breaks, or periods where I am easily distracted and struggle to stay focused.
We developed Kissa as a way to help us self-regulate and reward ourselves for managing our time more intentionally.
Kissa is inspired by kissaten, traditional Japanese coffee shops known for their quiet atmosphere, cozy interiors, and slower pace. As you can probably tell, Japan is a place that fascinates us, and somewhere we try to return to whenever we can.
Most productivity timers focus heavily on efficiency, streaks, and performance. With Kissa, we wanted to explore a different approach: a focus timer that feels calm, cozy, and pleasant to keep open while studying or working.
The core idea eventually became very simple:
One task, one timer, at your own pace.
There are many ideas we still want to implement in the app, so RevenueCat’s support would help us continue improving Kissa, expanding its features, and making it more useful to the people who rely on it.
What It Does
Kissa is a cozy focus timer designed for studying and working.
It supports the Pomodoro method, guiding users through focus sessions, short breaks, and long breaks. It also includes a Count Up mode for people who prefer to simply start working without committing to a predefined duration, while still receiving time-based alerts.
Users can customize the duration of their timers, turning Pomodoro into a flexible framework rather than a rigid system.
The experience combines focus tools with a warm visual identity inspired by Japanese coffee shops, illustrated environments, coffee culture, and small rewards that make every session feel more personal.
How We Built It
Kissa was designed primarily as an iOS experience, with a strong focus on simplicity and minimalism.
We built the timer around two main workflows:
- Structured Pomodoro cycles
- A Count Up mode with no predefined duration
A large part of the development process also focused on everything surrounding the timer: onboarding, transitions between sessions, customization, progress, visual feedback, sound, illustrations, and making sure new users could understand the experience without needing any previous knowledge of Pomodoro.
The visual direction combines a minimalist interface with an illustrated world inspired by kissaten interiors, furniture, plants, coffee-brewing equipment, and baristas.
Challenges We Faced
One of the biggest challenges was finding the right balance between productivity and a cozy feeling.
Adding too many statistics, systems, or rewards made the app feel like just another productivity dashboard. However, simplifying it too much removed the personality and sense of progression that we wanted Kissa to have.
Another major challenge was onboarding.
Concepts such as focus cycles, short breaks, and long breaks are familiar to people who already use Pomodoro, but they can be confusing for someone trying the method for the first time. We had to find ways to explain these ideas visually while using as little text as possible.
Originally, the onboarding consisted of custom internal screens I was developing in SwiftUI. Along the way, we discovered RevenueCat, and it genuinely solved many aspects of that process for us. It also became an important part of several decisions that ultimately helped us improve Kissa’s overall design.
Designing for different screen sizes was also important. The interface needed to preserve its hierarchy, illustrations, and ease of use within the available canvas, even on smaller devices, without making the timer feel crowded.
Accomplishments That We’re Proud Of
We are especially proud of creating a productivity experience that does not feel overly clinical or stressful.
Kissa has its own visual identity and atmosphere, while still keeping the timer itself simple and easy to use.
Another accomplishment was developing an onboarding flow that introduces the core focus system without turning the app into a lengthy tutorial.
What We Learned
Building Kissa taught us that a productivity tool does not always need to push users to do more.
Sometimes, the most valuable thing it can do is make it easier for them to start.
We also learned how much the small details matter in a timer app. The pacing of animations, sound, copy, button placement, break transitions, and visual feedback can completely change how the experience feels.
We are still learning from all of these details, and those lessons will continue to shape future versions of Kissa.
Above all, Kissa gave us the opportunity to explore the idea that productivity software can have warmth and personality without sacrificing ease of use.
What’s Next for Kissa: Cozy Focus Timer
The next step for Kissa is to expand the world surrounding the timer while keeping the core experience simple.
We want to add:
- More customization options
- New environments and illustrations
- Achievements
- Multiplayer activities that allow you to focus on tasks alongside the people who matter most to you
- More ways for each user to make Kissa feel like their own
Our long-term goal is for Kissa to become more than just a timer:
A small, cozy space you can return to whenever you need to focus. A task list that motivates you to stay focused without forgetting to take care of your breaks.
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