Ustwo launch a stress-busting mindfullness app
After becoming overwhelmed by stress and depression, founder of Pauseable Peng Cheng realised that he needed to face these issues directly by managing his own healing process.

To do so, he took 6 months off of work, doing practically nothing but practicing meditation and tai chi. Out of his spiritual journey came an idea inspired by his background in interaction design to create an app that focuses users’ attention on the present.The app called Pause was developed in partnership with Nordic digital design studio, Ustwo, the makers behind Monument Valley and Moodnote, both of which are also apps themed around mental wellness. The idea for Pause is simple. Users touch an amorphous blob on their iPhone, gently moving it around in circular motions until it fills the screen. Move it too abruptly or too slowly and the circle fades.

As users zone in on the cathartic movements, soothing colour gradients and calming music complement the immersive experience. Besides testimonials, however, the app’s efficacy is actually backed by research conducted by human-computer interaction researcher Chi Thanh Vi at the University of Sussex.
With more and more apps surfacing everyday vying for our scattered attention, Cheng offers a solution to the noisy app market. "I want everyone to discover their own power to effectively relieve stress, and also want to demonstrate the potential for a new dimension of relationships between technology, design, and human wellbeing," beams Cheng with stoic composure.

Our research shows there's a growing demand for technology that helps you disconnect. In fact, 65% of respondents to The Slow Report said they want products that help them achieve a slow lifestyle. Wearable devices that alter our state of mind for the better, like Spire, Muse and Melomind, as well as apps such as Pausable, are in high demand.