Soft Signals for Long Distance Relationships - Widgets for Nothing OS
Project Type
Submission for Nothing Community Edition
Team
Sander and me
Timeline
3 Days in 2025
Keywords
UI, Design System, Motion Design, Figma, After Effects
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.
Connect Four.
A simple light turn-based game for when you are time zones apart. Take turns on your own time, No rush, no notifications, just a moment of connection whenever it fits.
Fading Messages.
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. The disappearing message becomes a gentle ritual. Reminding each other of presence, even in absence.
Kintsugi.
Inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, this widget offers a symbolic way for long-distance partners to express emotional moments. 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.
Days Until.
A day counter designed to gently mark the time until your next reunion. A subtle reminder that each day brings you closer.
Next Project:
Connecting to Nature through Data Sonification