Table of Contents
Introduction
Sidekick was created in response to a designathon prompt about recovery in an “always-on” world:
“In a world that rewards being ‘always on,’ how might we design an experience that helps people set and keep boundaries to make recovery time feel socially safe, rewarding, and easy to sustain?”
We interpreted “always on” as always doing something, even if it’s a good thing like studying, working, or gaming. The problem isn’t simply doing too much, it’s getting stuck in one maladaptive mode for too long, where switching starts to feel disruptive or easy to ignore.
2. Problem & Key Question
“Always on” isn’t about doing too much, it’s about staying in one maladaptive mode for too long.
Current solutions try to fix this with enforcement and metrics, turning recovery into another task. What’s missing is a gentle, socially safe way to move between focus, rest, and connection.
How might we help people move out of “always on” states in a way that feels gentle, intentional, and socially safe?
Research Summary
We validated the problem with real users (n = 29). We received responses from a large sample of Gen Z users who already customize their phones (charms, cases, widgets, layouts), which inspired us to explore a solution that combines a decorative accessory with a customizable app.
92% of users feel drained when they stay in one state too long.
80%+ don’t switch states/activities simply because they lose track of time.
User Insights
User Needs
State Awareness
People fail to disengage with activities because they don’t notice the time passing and switching feels disruptive.
Make switching states effortless
Switching mode reminders must be easier than continuing activity.
Customization
Users strongly valued flexibility and customization, and it needed to be simple to create and edit.
Solution
Sidekick is a NFC phone accessory + companion app designed to help people switch out of an “always-on” state by making boundaries feel easy, intentional, and sustainable. It lets users create customizable Kicks (modes) like Work, Break, Social, and Sleep, each with its own pack of allowed and blocked apps, then activate them instantly through a simple + tap interaction on the Sidekick's head, supported by gentle reminders and a lightweight activity log to reinforce healthier pacing without guilt.
User Journey
To better understand our user’s experience, we created a user journey map to capture what happens before, during, and after someone gets stuck in an “always on” state. The biggest breakdown we identified was time blindness as users often don’t realize how long they’ve been in one mode until they already feel drained. Sidekick is designed around a gentle loop: notice → reflect → choose → switch → settle.
Process
We compared existing tools including digital-only blockers and physical friction hardware to see how well they help people notice time drift and switch states without stress. We found that:
Digital tools are convenient, but often easy to ignore or override and can feel like admin work.
Physical tools improve follow-through, but can feel all-or-nothing and lack personalization.
Our survey confirmed the core gap: 80% don’t switch states because they lose track of time, and 92% feel drained when they stay in one state too long. We designed Sidekick to alleviate the combined frictionless state switching and customizable Kicks with an optional collectible accessory, supported by the 57.7% who said physical + digital tools increase motivation.
We brainstormed a wide range of feature ideas for Sidekick, then prioritized them into three tiers: Must-haves, Nice-to-haves, and Extras—based on user needs and what we could realistically prototype within the designathon timeline. This helped us stay focused on the core experience while leaving room for additional features if time allowed.
Sidekick is designed to feel calm, collectible, and supportive for Gen Z users navigating an “always-on” world. Based on our survey insights, there was a strong desire for customization, the appeal of a physical + digital solution, and the importance of aesthetics. We included:
Soft, neutral colours with gentle accents to feel calming instead of “productivity pressure”
Cute + optional character styling (frog sidekick) with a neutral default to support both playful and minimalist users
Accessory-inspired interactions influenced by Gen Z phone personalization trends like phone charms, Sonny Angel hippers, and collectible toppers, making Sidekick feel like something users want to keep on their phone
To move fast and validate the core experience, we sketched low-fi wireframes that mapped Sidekick’s most important moments: onboarding, optional accessory setup, Kick creation, and the “blocked app” state. The flow starts by asking whether the user has the physical Sidekick, so the product works with or without hardware, then guides them to set up their first Kick by selecting which apps to block.
Visuals & Branding
Logo
Title
Primary Colours
Secondary Colours
Typography
Default Font: Vend Sans
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn
Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
What I Learned
This project taught me how to design a physical phone accessory for the first time and how to create an experience where the accessory and app feel like one system. My key takeaways:
Designing cross-touchpoint UX (hardware feedback linked to app flows)
Using light/colour cues to reinforce state changes without requiring the user extra effort
9. Acknowledgements
Huge thank you to my team Abdullah Sabawun Ibrahimi, Bianca Dimaano, and James Paquin for the dedication, creativity, and teamwork you brought to every step of Sidekick. Celebrating our wins makes it even sweeter: 2nd Place Award (Advanced Stream) + Innovative/Creative Solution + UXathon All Stars at UBC UX Hub UXathon 2026 🏆✨
From left to right: Abdullah, Me, Bianca, and James
Check out my other work!
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