The Sunset Promise
The Sunset Promise is designed to focus a user's attention on only one task at a time. The user has from the beginning of the day till the end of the day, to fix the particular task - once the task has been solved, the user can click on a button and a victory sound will be played. Should the user fail to click the button before daylight runs out, the device will play an angry/sad sound, marking that the user failed to complete the task before the day ended.
Objective
The objective of The Sunset Promise was to create a simpler, in-your-face type of reminder, that a user cannot ignore. It is designed to be placed on a user's desk or in a window close to the user's desk, to ensure daylight. The Sunset Promise works by having an Arduino Uno connected to a small light sensor, that can monitor levels of light around The Sunset Promise. If the light goes below a value (The value is set to be rather dark, to avoid the task being failed in case of cloudy weather or storms) a special buzzer sound will play, indicating that the task has failed. Should the task be successfully completed, the user will only need to press a button, which indicates the task has been completed and a happy melody will be played.
Interaction
The interaction qualities of The Sunset Promise are minimal - there is a button and there is light, only one that the user can have a direct impact on. The more interesting quality is the definition of a task - the user could proclaim this task to themselves, they could write it down or simply know that they have a task, that they need to complete. There is no interface, no distractions and judgment from The Sunset Promise - its quality comes from the user's own self-respect and willingness to complete a task, that they know they need to complete.
The Sunset Promise is controlled by an Arduino Uno, connected to a breadboard to which both LEDs and a light sensor is connected
The Sunset Promise will use it's light sensor to know when sunset has arrived and the task is deemed failed
The next step would be to understand if people actually get tasks done quicker, as the day is getting over and the stress of a broken promise, kick in