Colors of a Looptimer - How to read your visual timer

Each color matters. Each decision we made building the Looptimer took thought, effort, testing, and feedback.

Every centimeter of the design is intentional. 

We tested every single degree of the beveled edge. We wanted you to see the light from across the room without needing a clunky kickstand. Most importantly, we chose a continuous loop of light. Your brain stops doing "time math" and your body starts to just feel the progress. Our goal is to build a visual timer with every brain in mind, and how we interact with the colors is a key focus for our team.

Below are all the colors we have with a Looptimer and a bit of detail into how I use it.

How to Change Your Looptimer Light

We wanted the controls to be fast and satisfying to push. 

1. Hold the Hour and Seconds buttons at the same time
2. Tap the Seconds button to cycle through the colors
3. Stop when you find your color

Choose Your Style

I use these six settings for very different parts of my day. Here is how they work for me:

1. Light Blue: Good for everyday use

This was our first color. It is calm and luminous. You can see it in a bright office or a pitch-black room. I use this when I want a timer running in the background. Plus my color scheme is very matte white, so a blue is a soft change.

2. Green: Great for public settings

Green is high-visibility. If you need to see the timer from 20 feet away, use green. It cuts through the glare in a classroom or a large studio. If I have people in a room with me, this is what I set so everyone stays on the same page. Anecdotal, we’ve heard great is a classroom favorite, too.

3. Yellow: Use for night work

Yellow is soft. It is perfect for a dark room. I use this late at night when I don't want a harsh blue light hitting my eyes. It gives you the information you need without waking up your brain too much.

4. Red: Add a little pressure to the time

This is a fun trick. Use red for Zoom calls. set a red timer for 5 minutes of "catch up" time. It creates a sense of severity without the anxiety. When the red loop finishes, we transition into the meeting. Red is great for giving me a bit of a push, but we made sure to keep the color still soft enough to use for longer stretches of time.

5. Purple: My favorite for deep work sessions

I use lavender more than any other color. It is incredibly soothing. I use this for my long-term tasks. A differentiating factor of Looptimer is that it can go up to 99 minutes. I don’t know why but I find comfort in the purple light for longer stretches of time. Try it. See how it feels. 

6. Multi-Color: By far the most productive, but does take getting used to

This is our most advanced setting. It changes color every 25% of the loop.

• Start: Light Blue
• 50%: Green
• 75%: Yellow
• End: Red

This is for when I need to disappear into my work. I turn off the digital clock and just look at the light. I don't even have to read numbers. My body knows when the light turns yellow, I’m almost done. It is the best way I’ve found to eliminate time anxiety entirely. I strongly suggest everyone tries this as they get used to their looptimer. The ability to see a color and feel the right sense of urgency is so freeing. It does take time to get used to, but it’s worth it

We spent a lot of time getting these colors right. I’m still learning how people use them in different ways. If you find a new way to use the red or the multi-color mode, I’d love to hear about it.