Momotaro

Time goes by so slowly

Or does it? We used to be bored. Waiting for a bus, staring at a wall, letting the mind wander. That wandering, that useless, uncomfortable nothing, is where ideas are found. We traded it for endless scrolling. The idea of Momotaro was born out of that feeling. Time spent, nothing gained.

A space that works the other way

So I set out to design an app that works against the doomscroll our brains are now wired for. One that helps build better focus habits by blocking the apps that distract you, with beautiful customization that unlocks the more you use it.

A small, calm figure

Going through other apps in the category, they all felt mechanical, vibe-coded, sterile. Looking at sketches from a recent trip to Japan, I found a warm, calm character staring back at me. Big fonts, elegant colours, minimal UI, and then eureka: a character that smiles at you every time. The idea for the app was complete.

Slow, consistent, worth building

But I wanted that branding to work in favour of functionality. Research led me to this one study that suggests it takes around 66 days to form a habit. I broke that into hours, assumed people would use the app a couple of times a week, and used that to set milestones. Those milestones unlock new colour themes, soundscapes, and fonts.

Year

2025

Platform

iOS

Role

Creative direction, product design, branding

Website

momotaro.app

“Adorable app blocker… unlockable colour themes and giant type give this familiar idea a unique personality.” — Kai Brach, Dense Discovery
“Laszlito updated his cute, but ruthless little app Momotaro. It helps you focus without distractions, cuz Momo blocks any app until your session ends. Built in sunny Barcelona, a long swim from Silicon Valley.” — Nalden, Rumicat

Momotaro launched in October 2025 and found its audience quietly, through newsletters, word of mouth, and people who still believe the best tools don't need to shout.

Creative direction — Orlando F. Ruiz

Soundscapes — Thomas Williams, composer and sound designer

Typeface — Laura Meseguer, Gresca

Built in Barcelona. A long swim from Silicon Valley.

Momotaro — customization left 01 Momotaro — customization left 02 Momotaro — customization left 03 Momotaro — customization left 04 Momotaro — customization left 05
Momotaro — customization right 01 Momotaro — customization right 02 Momotaro — customization right 03 Momotaro — customization right 04 Momotaro — customization right 05
Colour themes designed to soothe.
Momotaro — character Momotaro — character
From a sketch in Japan to a 3D character.
Momotaro — character Momotaro — character Momotaro — character Momotaro — character
Momotaro — Gresca left Momotaro — Gresca right
Gresca by Laura Meseguer.
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