UI/UX · 2024

Atom OS

A phone OS that strips your screen down to what actually matters.

PROBLEM_

Subtraction is a design decision.

Atom OS redesigns the smartphone experience by removing distractions and replacing them with four intentional widgets. The goal: make the phone feel deliberately limited — not broken, just focused.

MY ROLE_

Sole designer across concept, UI design, and prototyping.

UI/UXFigmaInteraction DesignSystems Thinking

RESEARCH_

The need came from exam season — existing solutions were too rigid or too blunt.

The concept came from a personal need during exam season — existing solutions either deleted apps entirely or were too rigid to customise. I mapped two core user types: students managing academic pressure and professionals battling social media anxiety.

The hardest part wasn't adding features — it was deciding what to withhold.

KEY INSIGHT_

CHALLENGE_

What does a 'dumb phone' mode look like without sacrificing utility?

Early explorations focused on widget hierarchy and colour — settling on black and white to psychologically reduce the pull of the screen. The question was how to make deliberate limitation feel designed, not broken.

PROCESS_

Micro-interactions were kept minimal by design, not by oversight.

The colour gradient in the screen time dashboard signals which apps help vs. harm, without being prescriptive. Focus mode was made user-configured, not automatic, to preserve autonomy.

SOLUTION_

Four widgets. One focus. No noise.

A four-widget home screen with screen time visualisation, app usage breakdowns, and a toggleable Focus mode that blocks selected apps for user-defined periods.

OUTCOMES_

The hardest part wasn't adding features — it was deciding what to withhold.

Atom OS taught me that subtraction is a design decision. I'd revisit the onboarding flow to help users understand the philosophy before they start using it.

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