Your Schedule at a Glance
(Note: This post is part of a capstone project for Coursera. org’s Interaction Design certificate program. The following is a prototype/mockup.)
Clocks are everywhere. So are schedulers - there is no shortage of calendar applications, by Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, you name it. And most are free. They all however work in roughly the same way — they are designed to show your detailed schedule information in tabular and/or table format.
But what if you don’t need this level of detail, instead wanting a quick, easy way of seeing how your day is arranged?
The Gist Clock provides a generalized (gist) view of your schedule via the use of color. Each activity, such as work, dining, sleep, shopping, and others are assigned a unique color. The application then uses an analog clock to show both the current time and 12 hours of upcoming activities using these colors. For example, if 1:23 am, the clock shows your general upcoming schedule from 1:23 am to 1:22 pm:
You also can view future and past dates with ease. Just tap the +12 hour or -12 hour arrows, or tap on the center and select a specific date.
To view more detail, like specifics ona work period, just tap the time span of interest on the face of the clock. This opens a schedule screen showing additional information and allows you to edit, add or delete detail.
The colors are yours to assign. If ever you need a quick reminder of what they mean, just tap the color wheel or select it in Settings. This screen allows you to view, add, edit or delete the colors and associated activity names.
Finally, being a fully functional clock, you can also set alarms. Just tap the alarm icon at the top of the screen or select it in Settings. An alarm icon appears on the clock face at the time you selected.
The Settings screen controls optional functions, such as displaying the digital time at the top of the screen, showing schedule information below the analog clock, and tool tips. You will also be able to import and export your information for display and archiving.
The Gist Clock is about keeping things simple. Details are important, but only when you need them.
