Rowan FernandoPortfolio
Pausa is a phone dock and companion app that rewards time away from your screen. Designed for schools, universities and homes. Put your phone away, earn points and redeem rewards.
Four steps from switching on to getting rewarded.
The screen lights up and greets you. Tap Get started.
Slide your phone in. The reader picks up its NFC sticker and says hi.
Pick a length and the timer begins. The phone stays out of reach.
When the timer ends, the points go straight to your account.
Swipe to see each step →
Every session shows up in the app. Track your week, unlock achievements and redeem points for real rewards, like a discount at a local bookshop.
Points, level, weekly sessions and achievements in one place.
Pick a reward and show the voucher at checkout.
Swipe to see both →
The RFID reader keeps checking for your device for the whole session, so the dock always knows if your phone is really there.
Lift it out early and the dock notices straight away. You get five seconds to put it back and carry on. If not, the session is cancelled and no points are earned.
A project for my design studio under the theme System Reset, moving from background research into habitual phone checking through sketches, 3D development, electronics and a painted final print.
The app pairs with the dock, runs each pause and tracks the points you earn.
Scan with your phone or open it in your browser to try the live web app.
Explore Pausa ↗Designer with a background in interior design. Led Pausa’s CAD development, 3D modelling, AI assisted Arduino programming and web app design in Figma, alongside research, sketching, prototyping and 3D printing.
Designer with a background in English and experience in the games industry, including time at Wētā Workshop in New Zealand. Worked on Pausa’s research and idea development, helping shape the project’s direction.