One button, always in reach

HX Insight · Desktop timer

A small desktop app for tracking time against projects. Start, switch, take a break, handle idle time and end the day. Every entry lands in the HX Insight clock sheet.

Role

Lead product designer

Product

HX Timer for Desktop

Platform

Windows or Mac

People

Employee

Status

Shipped

HX Timer tracking 2:40:12 on Payroll revamp with a red stop button, the task note “Payslip table and filters”, Take a break, today at 2h 40m, and the same running time in the project row and the macOS menu bar.

Problem

Time had to be tracked against projects without leaving the work, and every entry had to reach the clock sheet.

My role

Lead product designer. HX Timer for Desktop, Windows or Mac.

What changed

Start, switch, take a break, handle idle time and end the day, from one button that is always in reach.

Result

Desktop app for HX Insight. Every entry lands in the HX Insight clock sheet.

Zain’s day, first click to last

HX Timer at 09:02, not running: Payroll revamp and the payslip screen rebuild already picked, a large blue play button, today at 0h 00m and this week at 0h 00m of 40h, and the project list below.

HX Timer tracking 2:41:03 with the project picker open and “tax” typed: three Tax filing portal tasks, and a note that picking one saves 2h 41m on Payroll revamp and starts the new task at once.

HX Timer on a lunch break at 0:18:22, with Short, Lunch and Prayer, work paused at 4h 00m, Resume Tax filing portal, and breaks today at 18m.

An Idle time dialog over HX Timer: he was away for 14 minutes, with options to keep it on Payroll revamp, call it a break, move it to another project or discard it, and Stop timer or Discard and keep tracking.

09:02 Ready. The window opens with yesterday’s project picked, so starting is one click.

11:42 Tracking. The time runs in the window, in the project row and in the menu bar or system tray, with a break one button away.

11:43 Switch. Picking the Tax filing portal task saves Payroll revamp at 2h 41m and starts the new entry in the same click.

13:02 Lunch. Work time stops at 4h 00m and the window shows the break: how long he has been away, and one button back.

16:40 Idle. After ten quiet minutes the app asks what the time was. He discards it, and nothing reaches his clock sheet.

The rest of the day

The HX Timer menu bar dropdown with the window closed: Payroll revamp running at 1:46:10 with Break and Stop, two tasks to switch to, today at 7h 09m with 55m of breaks, and Add time you forgot. — Everything from the menu bar or tray

Start, stop and switch with the window closed.

The day summary at 18:05: 7h 54m worked, split by project, with breaks and the discarded idle time, and a confirmation that it is already in the HX Insight clock sheet. — End the day, already filed

A summary by project, with breaks and idle time, already in the clock sheet.

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