As technology becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, issues like excessive screen time and social media addiction have become global challenges. The boundary between digital and physical space is growing more distinct and increasingly unbalanced. This project seeks to gently reconnect the two, offering a new form of calm for the digital age that is inspired by the aesthetics of traditional Zen gardens.

Karesansui, or Zen gardens, reflect Zen philosophy through minimalism and abstraction, symbolizing nature with rocks and raked gravel. These gardens promote meditation, mindfulness, and the impermanence of existence. Viewers are invited to project their thoughts and interpretations onto the carefully arranged elements.

Embedded with a sensor, each real stone represents a different focus time duration. When placed on the screen, it transforms the device into a miniature Zen garden while also physically blocking screen usage. Based on the stone’s size and position, the accompanying app generates raked sand patterns that gradually fade over time. There are no countdown numbers, sounds, or vibrations—only the gentle disappearance of patterns, softly marking the passage of time and fostering mindful focus.

This is both a functional timer and a new form of digital-age Zen meditation. By bridging the physical and the virtual, it invites users to reimagine their sense of presence.