a small movement beneath the list

as we add tasks to now, the sun at the bottom of the screen sinks. its rays grow shorter. the landscape begins to resemble a sky nearing the end of the day.

this small change gives shape to the busyness gathering in the list. as the things we intend to do multiply, the space ahead of us seems to narrow too. when there are fewer tasks, the sun rises again and the landscape opens up.

on each of palilili’s three screens, a landscape accompanies the list. the sun in now, clouds in later, trees in done. each brings a different meaning to the place where our tasks sit.

the sun in now

sometimes we try to fit more into a day than it can hold. small tasks follow one another. each seems manageable on its own, but together they take up much of the day.

the sinking sun in now recalls this busyness. just as the time remaining becomes more noticeable as sunset approaches, a filling list makes us aware of the space ahead of us.

the sun’s position does not follow the clock. but it draws on a familiar feeling: the day is not over yet, and still there may not be room for everything.

when a task is completed or set aside for later, now becomes lighter. the sun rises. the space we have set aside for today opens up a little.

the clouds in later

moving a task to later takes it out of today. when and under what circumstances we will return to it is not yet entirely clear.

as tasks are added to later, clouds appear. as more tasks wait, the sky clouds over and the landscape looks less clear. the uncertainty of the work we leave for the future finds a small expression on the screen.

it is easy to move everything we could not do today into the future. but we cannot fully know today how much time and energy we will have then. the clouds can remind us that the shape of that day is still unclear.

some tasks really do need to wait. we can leave them for later and see what kind of day they return to when the time comes. we do not have to finish everything today to keep the sky clear.

the trees in done

as completed tasks move to done, trees grow, more appear, and the landscape turns green.

the effort we have made leaves a small trace at the bottom of the screen. a message sent, shopping taken care of, or a task finally finished now belongs among the things we have put behind us.

the greening of the trees accompanies this sense of completion. it cannot know how difficult each task was or how much time it took us. even so, it can give visible form to the relief that follows finishing something.

the sun in now, the clouds in later, and the trees in done change throughout the day. sometimes the list grows busy, sometimes the future clouds over, and sometimes completed tasks turn the landscape green.

we do not need to make every screen look perfect. the landscape accompanies whatever is on our list at that moment.