Pawse

Inspiration

Most digital tools today prioritize productivity and efficiency, often at the cost of user wellbeing. Screen time trackers and reminder apps exist, but they tend to feel passive, data-heavy, or even guilt-inducing, rarely leading to meaningful behavior change.

We wanted to explore a more human approach: What if technology didn’t just track your habits, but responded to them with empathy?

This led to the idea of a digital pet that could reflect a user’s behavior and encourage healthier interactions with technology.

How We Built It

We designed a digital pet interface in Figma that acts as a companion rather than a tool.

• It responds in real time through emotional states and subtle prompts
• Instead of aggressive notifications, it gently encourages breaks and mindful pauses

What We Learned

• Designing for presence over efficiency requires rethinking common UX patterns
• Small, subtle interactions (like timing, motion, and tone) can drastically change how a product feels
• Users are more receptive to guidance when it feels supportive rather than corrective

Challenges We Faced

• Making it feel “alive”: Designing a pet that feels responsive and emotional without being overly complex
• Avoiding gimmicks: Ensuring the pet wasn’t just decorative, but meaningfully tied to user behavior
• Translating abstract ideas into UI: Concepts like “presence” and “digital wellbeing” are hard to visualize, so we had to experiment with different interaction patterns

What’s next for Pawse

• Playful interaction — lets you play, pet, and connect with Mochi
• Cross-device continuity — stays with you across laptop and phone
• Mood-based guidance — responds to your energy and state
• Growth over time — evolves as your habits improve
• Deeper personalization — adapts to your routines and needs

Built With

• figma