A motivating number can also frighten
The same estimate that makes time feel precious can create dread if it is framed as loss.
Prior team-member work · Digital product
Ourglass
Making the time we have with the people we love feel tangible, without turning it into a countdown.
The idea
Make finite time feel tender, not anxious.
Ourglass estimates the meaningful occasions someone may have left with a person they love. The hard part was never only the math. It was finding a form that could encourage presence without turning a relationship into a score, streak or countdown.
A moon that can become full again
The interface shows finitude while making every intentional moment feel restorative rather than corrective.
Test the emotional hypothesis
The product moved from native iOS to a web-first release so real use could inform what came next.
The unit is attention
Count occasions—not years.
A broad lifespan says little about the time two people will actually share. Ourglass turns visit frequency, distance and life stage into an approximate number of meaningful occasions, then keeps mortality implicit rather than making it the interface.
- Estimate
Use relationship-specific inputs to make the number personal without pretending it is exact.
- Reframe
Treat the estimate as an invitation to be present, never a prediction or deadline.
- Protect
Keep the experience private and quiet, without public comparison or performance.
Product principles
The behavior had to match the promise.
Different relationships, different rhythms
The system adapts without pretending to know the future.
A parent nearby, a sibling overseas and a friend seen once a year do not share the same pattern. Relationship-specific logic keeps the estimate relevant, while notification rules become gentler as the number falls.
- Calibrate
Build the estimate from the relationship’s real cadence rather than a universal average.
- Invite
Use prompts sparingly, tied to moments when attention may be useful.
- Encourage
Offer one opt-in message at a low count—never an alarm or repeated warning.
A visual language with restraint
Warm enough for memory. Quiet enough for truth.
Atmospheric color, slow gradients and the moon’s changing light keep the interface contemplative. The design system gives the product a consistent voice across onboarding, people, moments and reflection.
- Atmosphere
Dusk-like color gives the difficult subject warmth without becoming sentimental.
- Hierarchy
Large moments of reflection are balanced by clear, familiar controls.
- Voice
Language stays plain and humane, especially when the estimate is difficult.
Shaping a product around a sensitive human question?
We can help connect product strategy, behavior, interface and visual language without losing the emotional truth of the idea.