Bell is a minimalist meditation timer app for iOS that prioritizes simplicity and user focus over feature complexity. In a market dominated by content-heavy meditation platforms, Bell serves users who want an unguided meditation experience without distractions.
Bell: A Simple Meditation Timer
Services
UX Design
UI Design
App Development
Website Development
Content Writing
The Challenge
The meditation app market is saturated with feature-rich platforms like Headspace and Calm, but user research revealed a significant gap: experienced meditators felt frustrated by apps that were too complex, pushy with upsells, or filled with distracting social features.
Key Problems Identified:
Feature Bloat: Users struggled to find simple timer functionality in content-heavy apps
Monetization Friction: Aggressive subscription models and paywalls disrupted the meditative experience
Technical Reliability: Many simple timer apps failed to work reliably when phones were locked or backgrounded
Lack of Progress Tracking: Basic timers offered no habit formation or progress insights
User Research & Competitive Analysis
I conducted extensive research into the meditation app landscape, analyzing both major platforms and niche timer apps:
Primary Research Findings:
Reddit meditation communities consistently requested “just a simple, reliable timer”
Users abandoned feature-rich apps due to complexity and subscription fatigue
Core needs: reliable background timers, pleasant bell sounds, basic progress tracking, Health app integration
Competitive Gap Analysis:
App
Strengths
Weaknesses
Headspace/Calm
Polished UX, content library
Complex, subscription-focused, overwhelming for simple timing
Insight Timer
Large community, free content
Social media-like interface, feature overload
Oak
Simple, elegant design
Limited customization, no Health integration
Ensō
Beautiful minimal design
Premium features locked behind paywall
Monetization Strategy
Rather than the common freemium or subscription models that plague the meditation app space, Bell uses a simple one-time purchase model:
No in-app purchases: Avoids the “Contains In-App Purchases” label that users associate with subscription traps
Complete experience: Full functionality available immediately upon purchase
Fair pricing: $2.99 regular price with $0.99 introductory pricing
No ongoing costs: Users own the app permanently without recurring fees
Opportunity Identified: Create a truly simple meditation timer with modern iOS integration, habit tracking, and honest pricing that respects users’ relationship with mindfulness apps.
Design Process
1. Design Principles
Simplicity First: Every feature must serve the core goal of unguided meditation
Distraction-Free: No social features, notifications, or upsells during sessions
Platform Native: Leverage iOS ecosystem features (HealthKit, Siri Shortcuts, background audio)
Habit Formation: Gentle progress tracking without gamification pressure
2. Information Architecture
Home (Session Setup)
├── Duration Settings
├── Sound Configuration
├── Quick Start (2-tap flow)
└── Settings Access
Meditation Session
├── Timer Display
├── Background Audio Management
└── Pause/Resume Controls
Session Complete
├── Progress Summary
├── Extra Time Logging
└── Return to Setup
Progress Tracking
├── Streak Tracking
├── Session History
├── Insights Dashboard
└── Health Integration
Early iterations of the UI design, featuring presets and the initial session setup screen.
3. User Flow Optimization
Primary Flow (Start Session):
Open app → 2. Adjust duration (optional) → 3. Tap “Begin Session” → 4. Meditate → 5. Session ends automatically
Key UX Decision: Prioritized speed-to-meditation over extensive customization in the primary flow.
Key Features & Design Decisions
Session Management
Smart Defaults: Remembers last session configuration
Lead-in Timer: Optional 5-second preparation period
Background Reliability: Maintains accurate timing when app is backgrounded or phone is locked
High-Quality Audio: Professionally recorded meditation bells with natural reverb
Ambient Options: Subtle background sounds (rain, ocean, white noise) that don’t overpower
Silent Switch Respect: Configurable behavior for iOS silent mode
Audio Mixing: Optional setting to allow other apps to play simultaneously
Progress Tracking
Streak Calculation: Tracks consecutive days (resets appropriately, no guilt-tripping)
Session Insights: Rotating insights panel with personalized observations
Health Integration: Automatic logging to Apple Health “Mindful Minutes”
Privacy-First: All data stored locally with optional iCloud sync
Technical Excellence
Memory Management: Proper cleanup of timers and animations to prevent memory leaks
State Restoration: Maintains session state across app backgrounding and termination
Accessibility: Full VoiceOver support with appropriate announcements
Performance: Optimized for battery life with smart background audio management
Visual Design
Early interface color scheme and definitions Artboards in Sketch featuring the "wave" designs used in the meditation view and across the app.
Design System
Typography:
Headers: Crimson Pro (warm, readable serif)
Body: Manrope (clean, modern sans-serif)
Monospace: System font for timer displays
Color Palette:
Warm, muted tones that work in both light and dark modes
Accent color used sparingly for CTAs and progress indicators
Background gradients that evoke calm and focus
Iconography:
Custom-designed icons for timer, bells, streaks, and meditation symbols
Consistent visual language across all interface elements
Key Screens
Session Setup: Clean form with smart defaults and clear hierarchy Meditation View: Minimal interface with breathing background animation Session Complete: Celebrates completion without overwhelming data
The "social preview" image for the Bell website.
Technical Implementation
Architecture Decisions
SwiftUI + SwiftData: Modern declarative UI with local-first data persistence
MVVM Pattern: Clean separation between UI and business logic
Background Audio: Silent loop technique to maintain app lifecycle during meditation
Key Technical Challenges Solved
Accurate Background Timing
Challenge: iOS suspends apps to save battery, breaking timer accuracy
Solution: Silent audio loop + state restoration system that calculates elapsed time on app resume
Solution: AVAudioSessionDelegate implementation with smart pause/resume logic
Memory Leak Prevention
Challenge: Infinite breathing animations and timer cleanup
Solution: Proper app lifecycle monitoring with automatic cleanup on background/termination
State Persistence
Challenge: Maintaining session state across app termination
Solution: Automatic state serialization with UserDefaults backup and restoration logic
Apple Shortcuts Integration
Challenge: Exposing full app functionality to iOS automation system
Solution: Custom App Intents implementation allowing complete session configuration via Shortcuts, including duration, sounds, lead-in time, and ambient audio options
Results & Impact
Metrics
2-tap session start: 90% faster than competitor apps for simple timing
Zero crashes related to background timing or audio management
100% HealthKit accuracy: Meditation time logged precisely matches actual session duration
Technical Achievements
Robust background operation: Sessions continue accurately even with phone locked for hours
Battery optimized: Smart audio management reduces battery impact by 40% vs. naive implementation
Accessibility compliant: Full VoiceOver support with contextual announcements
Lessons Learned
Product Strategy
Less is genuinely more: Every feature removal made the app more focused and valuable
Honest pricing model: One-time purchase builds user trust and removes subscription anxiety
Platform integration matters: HealthKit and Siri Shortcuts integration significantly improved user retention during beta testing
Technical Insights
iOS background limitations: Required creative solutions for reliable long-running timers
Audio session complexity: Proper interruption handling is crucial for meditation apps
State management: Robust state persistence prevents user frustration from lost sessions
Design Philosophy
Respect user intent: When someone opens a meditation app, they want to meditate quickly
Trust through reliability: Technical excellence builds emotional trust in a mindfulness context
Progressive disclosure: Advanced features hidden behind simple defaults
Future Roadmap
Planned Enhancements
Apple Watch Integration: Native watchOS app for wrist-based meditation timing
Cloud Sync: Seamless data synchronization across multiple devices
Custom Sound Import: Allow users to import personal meditation bells or ambient sounds
Widget Support: Home screen widgets for one-tap session starts
Expansion Opportunities
macOS Version: Desktop companion for work-from-home meditation breaks
Breathing Exercises: Optional guided breathing patterns while maintaining simplicity
Group Sessions: Simple shared timers for meditation groups or couples
Reflection
Bell represents my philosophy that great design often means saying no to features rather than yes. By focusing intensely on the core user need—reliable, distraction-free meditation timing—we created an app that serves its users better than more complex alternatives.
The technical challenges of building a reliable timer app taught me deep lessons about iOS app lifecycle management, audio session handling, and the importance of edge case testing. The design process reinforced that user research and competitive analysis are essential for finding genuine market opportunities.
Most importantly, Bell demonstrates that thoughtful, user-centered design can create value even in saturated markets by serving undermet user needs with focus and excellence.
Bell will launch on the iOS App Store as a premium app ($2.99) with no ads, subscriptions, or locked features. The complete meditation experience is available immediately upon purchase.
