The Eye Clock
— An Interactive Timepiece
The Eye Clock is a computational clock that reimagines how we perceive time by embodying it in the form of a living, responsive eye. Instead of relying on numbers or hands, this piece uses motion, color, and behavior to express the passing of time in a more human way—through attention, perception, and interaction.
Design Concept
As an Interactive Media Arts student, I spend long hours coding, prototyping, and consuming digital media. I often feel time not as a mechanical measurement, but as an emotional and sensory experience—something that moves with my focus, changes with my state of mind, and often blinks past me without notice.
Key Features
Hourly Color Shift:
The background color is randomly generated and updates every hour. This subtle atmospheric shift becomes a quiet marker of time passing, similar to how daylight changes across a day.Cursor-Tracking Eyeball:
The eyeball follows the user’s cursor, creating a sense of mutual attention. When the cursor leaves, the eye gently returns to its neutral position—mirroring how human gaze naturally resets.Randomized Blinking:
The eye blinks at irregular intervals, imitating natural human blink patterns. This adds an organic rhythm, making the clock feel alive rather than purely digital.
Process
sketch
Hourly changed background color
Introduction hover effect
Reflection
The Eye Clock reframes time as something we experience through perception and attention rather than pure measurement. By turning a clock into a responsive, living organism, it gently questions our relationship with screens, focus, and the constant flow of digital life.