KooKoo

Do you waste precious time in the morning debating what to wear to work? Spend hours discussing where to go for dinner? 

KooKoo is a wearable timer that only goes up to seven seconds. Every time a user realizes that they are overanalyzing or hesitates when presented with multiple options, they can pull KooKoo’s string with a small square block attached to the end and activate the short timer (which is inside a separate block). Once the string is pulled, the timer makes a ticking noise as the countdown begins, culminating in a sound when the two blocks meet, indicating that time is up and prompting the user to make a decision at that moment, devoid of unnecessary hesitation and overanalysis.

The concept was inspired by studies conducted at the Max Planck Institute which found that decisions are made seven seconds before conscious awareness. "Your decisions are strongly prepared by brain activity. By the time consciousness kicks in, most of the work has already been done," said neuroscientist John-Dylan Haynes of the Max Planck Institute.

By leaving no time for users to think twice, KooKoo reminds them of what they already know and gives them permission to move on without agonizing over whether they should have ordered the salad instead of the cheeseburger. Through KooKoo, I wanted to inspire and generate conversation between people about their indecisive moments in an age defined by excessive choices.

Related project: Inthlete, a game experience where guests compete against each other to win a championship for having “good intuition”.