FocusFrame - Visual Focus Timer That Turns Your Efforts into A Work of Art

Hi Product Hunt community,

I'm Dr. Meng Liu. As an Assistant Professor and researcher in the psychology of learning (PhD, Cambridge), one of the key questions my work explores is: How do we stay motivated during long, arduous projects?

The answer often lies in feedback. But in academia, writing, coding, or other areas in life, feedback is delayed, leading to what I call 'effort anxiety'—the feeling that your hard work is invisible.

FocusFrame is my answer, born from both psychological research and my hobby as a programmer. It’s a timer that applies the principle of immediate, visual reward. As you focus, a photo (randomly selected from a customizable roll) develops from blur to clarity. It's a simple mechanic with a powerful psychological payoff.

It's free for during the launch phase. I’m not just looking for users; I'm looking for fellow thinkers and builders. Your feedback is invaluable, not just for the app, but for my ongoing research into tech-assisted motivation.

Thank you for taking a look.

Best regards,
Meng

Anyways it would not be wrong to learn 'howtofocus' after a PhD of psychology though. Worth a try.

@joey_zhu_seopage_ai Haha, we could all learn some more about how to focus better! Give it some days and let me know how it goes!

A timer that turns focus into art? That’s such a cool way to gamify deep work 🎨 I’m definitely giving it a spin during my next writing sprint. Love the vibe—congrats on the launch! 🚀🧠

@naderikladious Appreciate your kind words Nader! Deep work meets a splash of art, that’s exactly why I built it! Give it a spin on your next writing sprint and let me know how it goes! Make sure to create a custom roll with your favorite photos to make it more fun!

FocusFrame

A visual timer that turns your effort into a work of art