pomopals

Focus timer
Adding tasks
Checking off tasks and seeing it pop up in the progress log
Break timer
Chat feature between other users
AI chat feature

Inspiration

In today's fast-paced, digital world, our productivity and focus are constantly challenged by the distractions of technology, especially social media. As college students, we often find ourselves torn between staying focused on our work and the desire to stay connected with friends. We wanted to create a solution that balances both — a productivity tool that keeps us focused but also provides a social aspect for when we need to take breaks and recharge. This inspired pomopals, a web app designed to bring people together to work separately but stay connected through shared productivity.

What it does

Pomopals is a global Pomodoro timer web app that allows users to stay productive together. The app follows the Pomodoro technique, where users work for 25 minutes on their own tasks and then take a 5-minute break to chat and relax with others. Users can write to-do lists to keep themselves accountable and check in on others' progress. When the timer runs out, a chime alerts the user, and the global chat is opened, allowing everyone to socialize during the break.

Key features include:

A global chat that activates during break times.
Task management for users to create and track their to-dos.
An AI chatbox for planning tasks and staying organized during both work and break times.
Spotify integration for background music or ambient sounds to help focus.

How we built it

We built pomopals using Next.js for the frontend and MongoDB for the backend. We chose Next.js because of its scalability and server-side rendering capabilities, allowing us to handle real-time features such as global timers and chats. MongoDB was selected as the database due to its flexibility and ease of integration for storing user tasks, chats, and other data.

The user interface was designed with simplicity in mind, showing a timer, a task list, and an embedded chat box with visual cues for when it's time to take a break. Additionally, we integrated Spotify to give users the ability to listen to music while they work.

Challenges we ran into

One of the main challenges we faced was ensuring real-time synchronization for the timer and chat across multiple users. Managing the transition between focus and break periods globally while making sure everyone was on the same schedule was a complex task.

Additionally, we had to carefully balance the design of the interface — making it clean and simple while including essential features without overwhelming the user. Another challenge was integrating the Spotify and AI features smoothly within the existing UI.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud to have successfully implemented a real-time, collaborative Pomodoro timer that works globally across different users. The seamless transition between focus and break times, paired with the social aspect of a global chat, creates an engaging experience that encourages productivity while staying connected.

We’re also proud of integrating multiple APIs — including a chatbox AI and Spotify — in a way that enhances the user experience without adding unnecessary distractions.

What we learned

Throughout the development of pomopals, we learned a great deal about real-time synchronization and how to manage state across multiple users effectively. We also gained a deeper understanding of balancing productivity with social interaction in a digital environment.

On a technical level, we honed our skills in Next.js, MongoDB, and real-time web development, while also learning how to integrate external APIs such as Spotify and AI tools.

What's next for pomopals

Moving forward, we plan to implement additional features that will enhance the user experience. Some of the next steps for pomopals include:

Mobile responsiveness: Optimizing the app for mobile users to help people stay productive on the go.
User accounts: Allowing users to create profiles, save tasks, and track their productivity over time.
Customizable timers: Providing users the ability to customize their Pomodoro intervals according to their personal work habits.
Expanded social features: Introducing group productivity sessions where users can join virtual rooms with friends or coworkers to stay accountable and motivated.

We’re excited to see how pomopals evolves and continues to help users stay productive, connected, and engaged.