Projects/Focus

Focus

Focus enables you to work and study more productively by removing distractions on the desktop and Internet.

Preamble

A few notes before getting started.

Plasma Activities

Disclaimer: A similar function (activity management) is being developed in Plasma. While the feature sets are not distinct, the basic rationale is.

Focus is fundamentally designed to be a distraction eliminator. Whereas, Plasma Activities provide a means to associate a set of windows, plasmoids, documents with a particular activity.

There is overlap in these visions, and ideally the two can come together to offer a complete activity and distraction management solution for the KDE desktop.

Document's Purpose

This document's function is two fold:

• Design and Planning Document
• Brain Dump - assist the author in organizing his thoughts regarding activity/distraction management

Requirements Analysis

Root Concept

Increase productivity by eliminating distractions from the desktop.

Basic Rationale

The Desktop and the Internet while streamlining our workflows and increasing our productivity, have introduced near an infinite number of new means to distract ourselves and consequently decrease our productivity.

People can focus on their task-at-hand better when potential distractions are removed. Better focus leads to more work done, and hence, greater productivity.

Stakeholder group

Procrastinators	The procrastinator is adept at finding ways to put off his work. Focus creates an environment where finding things to do on the computer outside the defined activity is difficult to do.
ADHD Sufferer (or similar symptoms)	ADHD sufferers tend to have two modes: hyper-focus, or no focus. Focus targets the second mode by removing distractions leaving the user with little else to do but his task. Note: Focus is not claiming it can "cure" the focus symptoms ADHD tend to exhibit, rather it should be considered an aid to forcing concentration (if possible).
The Overworked	text