Taking breaks since 2018
About Intermission
Intermission is an independent Mac app designed and developed by me, Alex Greene. Since 2018, it has helped people take millions of screen breaks.
Why Intermission exists
I spend a lot of my day looking at screens. A family member is an optician, so I’ve heard about the 20-20-20 rule ever since I started spending time in front of them: every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Intermission helps me remember to take those breaks.
But knowing I should take a break doesn’t always mean I do. When I found myself skipping breaks, I redesigned Intermission to make it a sustainable part of my workflow. I wanted reminders I would follow, with enough flexibility to fit around what I was doing. That’s what I’m building for myself—and for anyone else who could use a little help looking away.
Formerly Breaks for Eyes
The app began under the name Breaks for Eyes. It was already available on the Mac App Store when I acquired the project in 2018. I redesigned it, renamed it Intermission, and continued developing it as an independent product. If you remember Breaks for Eyes, you are in the right place: Intermission is the same app.
About me
I’m a multidisciplinary product designer and engineer based in San Francisco. My work spans product design, user research, and native software. I like products that feel human, a little whimsical, and uncomplicated.
I design and build Intermission independently. Product questions and support emails go directly to me, so please reach out!
