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Beams asked me to diagnose why their ‘Focus Mode’ feature wasn’t resonating with beta users. By reframing the problem and testing new focus concepts, I helped the team define a clearer, more differentiated path toward product-market fit. expressed through a system blueprint and exploratory interface designs.
Role
Product Discovery
Team
Myself, Head of Product, CTO
Year
2022
What I delivered
A behaviorally-grounded Focus Mode redesign backed by expert research and concept testing - including system blueprints, validation roadmap, and UI mockups.
The Challenge
Beams' Focus Mode aimed to reduce "context switching" but failed to gain traction with users. The team knew something was wrong but couldn't identify what.
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The Brief
Investigate why Beams' "Focus Mode" failed to gain traction and identify opportunities to make it more valuable to users.
My Process
Key Deliverables
The Brief
Investigate why Beams' "Focus Mode" failed to gain traction and identify opportunities to make it more valuable to users.
My Process
Key Deliverables
Focus Mode 2.0 Blueprint
UI Mockups
Documentation
Beta Product Background
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What it aimed to do
Beams wanted to "Help people focus and reduce context switching".
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How it worked
Focus Mode 1.0 combined timers, intention setting, and Do Not Disturb functionality.
What went wrong
During the beta test period, <10% used the feature more than once.
Beta Product Background
What it aimed to do
Beams wanted to "Help people focus and reduce context switching".
How it worked
Focus Mode 1.0 combined timers, intention setting, and Do Not Disturb functionality.
What went wrong
During the beta test period, <10% used the feature more than once.
Benchmarking revealed which focus solution areas were saturated and which were underserved.
I introduced established frameworks such as Nir Eyal's Indistractable Model to help demonstrate why we should broaden our framing of the focus problem.
Focus mode combined timers, intention setting and Do-Not-Distrub functionality.
Benchmarking revealed which focus solution areas were saturated and which were underserved.
"
Most distraction doesn’t originate from outside of us... most distraction starts from within.
Established frameworks helped dmonstrate why we should broaden our understanding of the problem
Focus Mode 1.0 attempted this by combining timers, intention setting and Do Not Disturb functionality.
Established frameworks helped demonstrate why we should broaden our framing of the problem
Benchmarking revealed which focus solution areas were saturated and which were underserved.
Competitor Benchmarking
Benchmarking revealed which focus solution areas were saturated and which were underserved.
PROCESS 2/3
Concept Testing
I worked with the founders to mock up and test a range of concepts across four focus support areas. Testing examined how each was perceived in terms of usefulness, value, and intrusiveness - revealing which strategies warranted deeper exploration.
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
Smart Blocking
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are blocked.
Accountability
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
Smart Blocking
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are blocked.
Accountability
Background Monitor
See how closely your behaviour matches your intended task (always-on).
Accountability
Visual Environment Change
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are desaturated or blurred.
Accountability
Session Reports
Analytics show how you've spent your focus time and offer goals and tips.
Accountability
Timeboxed Focus
Plan focus sessions in advance. Smart reorganisation adapts to conflicts.
Accountability
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
Accountability
Focus Environments
Self-awareness
Scheduling
Accountability
Focus Environments
Self-awareness
Scheduling
Smart Blocking
Visual Environment Change
Background Monitor
Accountability Prompts
Timeboxed Focus
Session Reports
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when attention drifts from intended task and nudges you back on track.
Visual Environment Change
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are desaturated or blurred
Session Reports
Analytics show how you've spent your focus time and offer goals and tips.
Smart Blocking
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are blocked.
Timeboxed Focus
Plan focus sessions in advance. Smart reorganisation adapts to conflicts.
Background Monitor
Widget shows how closely your behaviour matches intended task.
Key learnings
Accountability emerged as the best opportunity for differentiation
Focus Environments were seen as powerful but restrictive.
Self-awareness generated limited engagement.
Scheduling was a baseline expectation.
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Accountability
PROCESS 3/3
Redesigning Focus Mode
Building on expert insights and signals from concept testing, I explored how Focus Mode could evolve with accountability at its core. This approach brought together behavioural best practice and observed user preferences, enabling a more adaptive form of focus support that responds to how users actually behave.
Adaptive Focus Blueprint
Why this direction made sense
Realises the potential of the original concept
Builds on the startup's early ideas around intention-setting and external distraction surpression.
Addresses a gap in existing focus tools
Most focus tools address external distractions, leaving internally driven focus breakdowns unaddressed.
Behaviourally-aligned
Escalates support only when needed rather than defaulting to restriction.
Handoff
I handed off the system blueprint, feasibility analysis, and validation roadmap - equipping the team with everything needed to move forward.
🧠 How attention drift is detected
When a user starts a focus session, they select a work profile that defines expected behaviour. If activity consistently falls outside the expected pattern, it flags this as attention drift and triggers a notification. Over time, the model adapts, learning what focused work looks like for each user and task type.
⚖️ Feasibility & Risks
Signal quality (low–moderate risk)
The system depends on reliably detecting attention drift from application and window focus patterns. Even when technically accurate, prompts that appear at the wrong moment may feel distruptive or punishing.
User acceptance / privacy (moderate risk)
Monitoring application and window focus may feel invasive to some users. Clear opt-in, transparency, and local processing would be essential.
🧭 Proposed next steps
Learnings
User value came from tackling harder problems
Meaningful differentiation came from addressing deeper, less obvious focus challenges.
Presenting solutions revealed latent user needs
Accountability was never requested, but its value was consistently recognised when shown.
Evidence aligns teams faster than debate
Testing hypotheses built shared confidence and trust across the team.
The Brief
Investigate why Beams' "Focus Mode" failed to gain traction and identify opportunities to make it more valuable to users.
My Process
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Reframing the
focus opportunity
Testing behaviourally-
aligned concepts
Focus mode 2.0
Redesign
Key Deliverables
Focus mode 2.0 Blueprint
Concept evaluation
UI Mockups
Learnings
KEY STAT
>10% beta testers used focus mode more than once.
1. Setup Timed Focus
Set goal, timer, and Do Not Disturb.
2. Work on Task
Stay focused under a fixed timer with a menu-bar reminder.
3. Timed Focus Ends
Session completes or restarts.
Focus Mode 1.0
Beams’ early focus prototype was a time-based tool intended to reduce distractions and keep the user on task.
Set goal, timer, and Do Not Disturb.
Focus under a timer with persistent text reminder.
Session completes or restarts.
Reframing the focus opportunity
Testing behaviourally-aligned focus concepts
Focus Mode 2.0 redesign
My Role & Impact
EYAL QUOTE
Accountability
Focus-Drift Prompts
Beams recognises when your attention drifts from your intended task and nudges you back on track.
Interview quotes
"This would be a gamechanger if it worked correctly"
"It might be a fine-line between helpful and annoying"
"I would have assumed this isn't possible?"
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
Accountability
Background Monitor
Widget shows how closely your behaviour matches intended task.
Interview quotes
"It's less in your face than prompts. I might miss it"
"I'm not sure it's enough on it's own but I can see it having a positive effect"
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
Focus Environments
Visual Environment Change
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are desaturated or blurred
Interview quotes
"I do think a lot of my distraction comes from visuals"
"I prefer it to being locked out of things"
"Constant toggling could get frustrating"
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
Self-Improvement
Session Reports
Analytics show how you've spent your focus time and offer goals and tips.
Interview quotes
"It's a nice to have. I wouldn't pay for it on its own"
"I feel like I'm overloaded with data and stats already"
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
Focus Environments
Smart Blocking
Apps and websites that are not helpful to your task are blocked.
Interview quotes
"If it worked with high accurracy I might switch over from Freedom."
"App blocking never worked for me, but I might try this."
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
Scheduling
Timeboxed Focus
Plan focus sessions in advance. Smart reorganisation adapts to conflicts.
Interview quotes
"All focus products should have this"
"Timeboxing is integral to how I work"
"I worry this would create more work"
Survey ratings
Usefulness
Value
Stress (higher = worse)
PROCESS 1/3
Reframing the focus opportunity
Reviewing Focus Mode, I saw that while it addressed external distractions, it offered little support when focus broke down from within — moments that often lead to context switching. I highlighted this blind spot by introducing behavioural frameworks, then used competitor benchmarking to show that addressing this gap could be both valuable to users and viable as a product direction.