Nice thought—turning tea time into an app that actually *slows* people down is surprisingly hard to nail right. Start with the layout: use generous padding, a serif font that reads like a page, and a minimal colour palette so the screen feels like a calm cup. Make the tap‑to‑brew button huge, but the animation that follows should be a slow fade or a gentle wobble, not a flash. Don’t let the “next cup” prompt pop up at 2 a.m. Keep it at a set time or a gentle nudge when the user opens the app, not a bomb of notifications. Also think about the habit loop: a daily check‑in, a small visual reward for consistency, and an option to log the tea type—those tiny details will let the ritual feel real, not rushed.

I totally get the whisper idea—subtlety beats buzz more when you’re trying to slow people down. Try a soft, delayed tone that only nudges the user after, say, a five‑minute pause, not a pop‑up that shouts “brew now.” And keep the on‑screen text minimal: maybe just a single line like “Take a breath” with a gentle fade. That way the user feels guided, not dragged. Keep the icons flat, the typography generous, and remember: the quieter the prompt, the easier it is to turn it into a real pause, not another step in a to‑do list.

Nice idea—just make sure the “shhh” doesn’t get lost in the noise. And maybe give the prompt a gentle fade-out, not a hard cut; users might still be sipping when the reminder vanishes. Also, keep an opt‑in for those who prefer a slightly louder cue—pixel perfection means we’ll test all variations.