Smartphones are powerful tools that help us stay connected, informed, and productive. Theres almost nothing they cant do these days, except probably keep us from being distracted by them. While there is indeed almost an app for everything, the devices present a never-ending stream of temptations and distractions that keep us from doing what we really need to do. Starting a timer to keep track of our time, for example, might turn into an hour-long journey into the deepest recesses of social media and the Internet.Why would you use your phone instead of a proper timer in the first place? Maybe you dont have such a time-keeping device at hand, or maybe you need some integration with a time-logging app on your phone. Fortunately, you dont have to lose on some of the benefits of a phone-connected timer with his gadget concept that does keep time but, at the same time, lets you keep your phone as far away as possible.Designers: Eduardo Gouffran, Andrea FanelliOne of the most common tips given by productivity gurus for staying in focus is to simply block out 20 to 25 minutes of uninterrupted time to do some deep work. Sounds simple enough, at least until you realize how our brains today seem to have been trained to jump from one thing to the next. It gets even worse when we instinctively reach for our phones to use the timer app, only to end up mindlessly scrolling and tapping away on, ironically, videos and posts about productivity tips.METI, a combination of mind and time, is a design concept for a digital timer that puts itself between you and your phone. Its shaped like an hourglass to indicate its primary function, and it can use a dot matrix grid of lights to show time trickling down like small grains of sand. It has a simple function and a simple interface, not unlike a simple kitchen timer but with a few fun twists.Its main point of interaction is a scroll wheel that lets you set the timer, for example. In a way, it exploits that scrolling habit by associating the action with a different activity, swapping distraction with focus. The device also pairs with your phone, using a rather unusual but fun shaking motion, that lets you set different sessions from the phone. This also opens the door to gathering data and monitoring your use to learn just how focused or distracted you are.In the final analysis, the METI concept is pretty much a glorified physical timer, but one that doesnt completely throw away its digital ties. It brings that familiar or at least iconic behavior of using an hourglass to keep time, while still leaving the door open for integration with apps and services. Its color options also convey a sense of fun and joy, implying that productivity and keeping track of your time shouldnt be such a boring chore after all.The post Hourglass-shaped device concept wants to help save your fingers from doomscrolling first appeared on Yanko Design.