Most of us probably like taking naps during the day. Some people might even find it necessary to get through a tiring workday. There are studies suggesting that even a 20 to 30-minute “power nap” can be beneficial to productivity, though the problem is getting that amount of time right without undercutting or overspending. We have alarm clocks for that, of course, including the ones that can be found on our smartphones. Despite the proliferation of these general-purpose utilities, there’s still something to be said for a specialized tool dedicated solely to counting down the minutes until you wake up. Especially when said tool is a beautiful throwback to the past with some modern conveniences thrown in as well.
Designer: Andrea Senatori
We have plenty of timers and clocks around our house or, at the very least, in our pockets. Most probably use their smartphones for anything that needs counting down or up, while some might have a separate alarm clock beside their bed, set to ring on one or a few specific times in a day. A dedicated nap timer, however, offers simplicity and ease of use. There are no other functions to worry about or other timers you might get confused with. Simply set the timer when you want to take a nap, and that’s it.
It doesn’t get simpler than what the Spot 2 concept brings. It has one purpose and one purpose only, to ring an alarm after a specified period of time. Its controls are dead simple, too. There’s one large dial to set how long the timer goes and a smaller one for controlling the volume. These are presented as analog controls, so there’s absolutely no ambiguity in how they work.
This mix of analog with digital has both aesthetic and psychological aspects. The latter brings back familiar physical controls, putting the power back under our fingertips. At the same time, the nap timer looks interesting and attractive, especially with the ongoing trend to create retro-looking products. It isn’t all old-school, of course, with a monochrome display that prominently shows the timer as well as other details like the date, time, and even the temperature.
The Spot 2 nap timer concept is simple yet effective in conveying its purpose in an interesting yet easy-to-use manner. The dials leave little to the imagination in how to control the device, while the digital display distills information down to only the most essential parts. After all, when you’re body’s craving a short nap, the last thing you want to do is fiddle with your phone or alarm clock and have your brain too distracted or too engaged to sleep.
