Phubble

// NOTE: Presentation, Miro board and Figma prototype are linked below

Inspiration

Spending time with friends is a vital part of Gen Z’s social lives, but ingrained phone habits can get in the way of being present. Calling friends out for constantly checking their phones can feel awkward, repetitive, and frustrating. As Gen Z ourselves, we wanted to tackle this habit without making it feel like a confrontation. Instead, we explored how we can unwire this habit into something fun that friends can do together!

What it does

Phubble turns staying off your phone into a group competition. Friends set a limit for phone opens and screen time, then compete to see who can stay under it. Going over either limit gets the user a strike, with the goal of being the last person standing. At the end of the game, a leaderboard shows how everyone performed.

How we built it

We focused on making the process simple and social, while removing the need for friends to call each other out. Instead, Phubble automatically tracks everyone’s phone usage and makes the statistics visible to the group.

Challenges we ran into

Scoping the problem was one of our biggest challenges. Existing solutions like phone stacking or “first person to touch their phone pays” already address specific situations, so we wanted Phubble to work across a wider range of social settings. This meant thinking about how different hangouts are planned, how they unfold in the moment, and where an intervention like Phubble could naturally fit!