"We have a finite amount of willpower a day"

says Cal Newport, author of Deep Work. Imagined as a resource, it should not be wasted. In his book, Newport provides a strategy for achieving this productive state while minimizing willpower: rituals.
Rituals, like habits, have the ability to turn tasks into a sequence of actions that do not tap into our daily stock of willpower. The Deep Work Box is a tool for these productive rituals (4DX is an example), where locking away distractions for sessions of time eliminates the need for willpower and creates friction, which in turn does not require us to be 'strong'.

This working prototype uses a simple system of servo motors, buttons and an Arduino [code] to lock away distractions for a set period of time.
It opts for an organic and unassuming aesthetic in contrast to our usual source of distractions.

It has three buttons and two servo motors. The on/off button can only be accessed while the box is unlocked, preventing any interruptions to the session. The other two buttons are for adding and substracting increments of time, which turns the wood display dial. After 30s without any time adjustments, the lid locks automatically.


One servo serves to power the time display dial, and returns to its orginal position as time passes. The second servo is part of the locking mechanism. As delicate as it seems, it works as a barrier large enough that it locks the lid, but can also be broken open easily in case of emergency.