Two Nothing phones displaying the shared widgets, with a red pixel heart between them

Soft Signals for Long-distance Relationships

A quick mini-project made over a weekend for the Nothing Community Challenge’s Software Category. We came up with the theme "Communication in Long Distance Relationships" and used it as a springboard to ideate several concepts for home screen widgets, designing them to fit naturally into the Nothing universe. The result is a collection of ambient, emotionally resonant widgets designed to nurture presence, connection, and soft communication across distance.

Project Type: Submission for Nothing Community Edition 2025
Team: Sander and me
Timeline: 3 days in 2025
Keywords: UI, Design System, Motion Design, Figma, After Effects

↑ A simple light turn-based game for when you are time zones apart.

Close-up of the Nothing OS widget design

↑ You or your partner leaves a handwritten note or drawing on the widget. It stays visible for a while before gradually fading throughout the day.

A ceramic vessel with gold joinery, the inspiration for the shared widget

↑ A tap gently “cracks” the shared ceramic vessel, sending a soft haptic pulse to the other person, who then can respond by restoring the broken piece with gold joinery.