00:00:00 on gray, "Ready to start", intent input, "Start Working" buttonThe "How it works" section is collapsed by default. A first-time visitor sees a timer with zero explanation of the "third time" technique. The tagline "break proportionally" is cryptic without context. The single most important piece of information for a new user — what this app does and why — requires discovering and clicking a collapsed section.
Suggestion: Show the help text expanded on first visit (use localStorage flag to collapse on return visits), or add a brief 1-sentence explainer above the timer card.
The Break Fraction card appears immediately, before the user has any understanding of what break fractions are. The preset labels ("Lazy", "Standard", "Grinding") are mildly judgmental — a new user seeing "Lazy" might not feel great about picking 1/2, and "Grinding" implies unhealthy overwork.
Suggestion: Hide this card until the user has completed at least one work cycle, or move it below the help text. Consider softer labels (e.g., "Relaxed", "Balanced", "Focused", "Intense", "Marathon").
Displaying Work Time: 0m, Break Time: 0m, Efficiency: 0% on first load adds visual clutter without value.
Suggestion: Hide the stats card until there's at least one non-zero value (i.e., user has started working).
A red danger button on a fresh session is confusing. It creates unnecessary cognitive load.
Suggestion: Hide it when in idle mode with no accumulated work/break time.
The footer has group passphrase and name inputs with no explanation of what groups are or why you'd join one. A new user can't tell if this is required, optional, or what it does.
Suggestion: Add a brief label like "Work alongside others" or hide the group inputs behind a toggle/link (e.g., "Join a group session").
When working, two secondary buttons appear without context. A new user won't know the difference between "Take Break", "Interruption", and "Big Break" — especially that Interruption preserves break time while Big Break consumes it.
Suggestion: Add tooltip/title text (already present on break fraction buttons) or tiny descriptions beneath the buttons on first use.
"New 🎉 — Intentions" is time-sensitive. It will feel wrong once the feature is no longer new.
Suggestion: Remove "New 🎉" and just use "Intentions" as the section header.
"Third Time is built on Val Town" is meaningless to end users.
Suggestion: Remove or rephrase (e.g., just keep the Studio Kare attribution).
| # | Change | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auto-expand "How it works" on first visit (localStorage flag) | HelpText.tsx |
| 2 | Hide Session Stats when all values are zero | TimerContainer.tsx |
| 3 | Hide Reset Session in idle with no work time | index.tsx |
| 4 | Hide Break Fraction until first work cycle starts | index.tsx |
| 5 | Add "Work alongside others" context to group join section | Footer.tsx |
| 6 | Add title attributes to Interruption/Big Break buttons | ActionButtons.tsx |
| 7 | Remove "New 🎉" from HelpText | HelpText.tsx |
| 8 | Clean up footer attribution text (removed Val Town line) | Footer.tsx |
| 9 | Soften break fraction labels (Relaxed/Balanced/Focused/Intense/Marathon) | BreakFractionSettings.tsx |
| 10 | Add onboarding tip for Reset Session button (chained from break fraction tip) | index.tsx |