The Challenge
Office workers and remote professionals spend countless hours at their desks, leading to chronic neck pain, poor posture, and accumulated stress. Traditional solutions require leaving your workspace or using separate apps, breaking workflow and reducing adoption.
- 70% of desk workers experience neck and shoulder pain.
- Stress and poor posture compound throughout the workday.
- Existing breathing apps require context switching away from work.
How might we create a solution that integrates seamlessly into the workday while addressing both physical and mental wellbeing?
The Solution
A Chrome extension that provides specialized breathing exercises designed to reduce cervical pain, improve posture, and manage stress—all without leaving your browser.
Key Features
- 4 Specialized Exercises: Expert-designed breathing patterns for neck relief, posture, stress management, and relaxation.
- Draggable Overlay: Non-intrusive interface that works on any webpage without interrupting workflow.
- Customizable Patterns: Adjust inhale, hold, and exhale durations to match personal needs.
- Multi-language Support: Available in English, Italian, French, and Spanish.
- Visual & Audio Guidance: Intuitive cues for perfect breathing rhythm.
- Privacy-First: All data stored locally with zero tracking.
My Role
As the Solo Developer & Designer, I owned the complete product lifecycle from research to Chrome Web Store publication.
- Research & Validation: Conducted user interviews with office workers experiencing neck pain and stress.
- UX Design: Created user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes for browser extension context.
- Technical Implementation: Built the extension using React, TypeScript, and Chrome Extension APIs.
- Testing & Iteration: Beta testing with 15+ users to refine breathing patterns and UI interactions.
Innovative Breathing Exercises
Neck Relief Breathing (Our Innovation!)
Specifically designed to reduce cervical pain with extended inhalation (8s inhale, 4s exhale) that brings cervical vertebrae into extension. This unique approach targets the root cause of tech neck.
Postural Breathing
Three-stage breathing technique (4s inhale, 4s exhale) that systematically expands belly, chest, and clavicle area in sequence for improved body alignment.
Mental Wellbeing Exercises
- Calm & Relax: Extended exhalation (4s inhale, 8s exhale) activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Stress Relief: Balanced box breathing (4s inhale, 4s hold, 4s exhale) for nervous system regulation.
Design Philosophy
Seamless Integration
The extension appears as a minimal, draggable overlay that users can position anywhere on their screen. This allows them to continue viewing their work while following breathing exercises.
Progressive Disclosure
Users start with preset exercises but can dive into customization when ready. The interface prioritizes simplicity for beginners while offering depth for advanced users.
Accessibility First
- Multi-language support from day one.
- Visual and audio cues accommodate different learning styles.
- High contrast themes for visibility.
- Keyboard shortcuts for power users.
Technical Implementation
Architecture
- React for component-based UI architecture
- TypeScript for type-safe development
- Chrome Storage API for local preference persistence
- Content Scripts for overlay injection on any webpage
Privacy & Security
- Zero external server communication
- All settings stored in local Chrome storage
- No analytics or tracking
- No personal information collected
- Open source for transparency
Try It Yourself
Air Pose is available on the Chrome Web Store. Whether you're experiencing neck pain, working on your posture, or managing stress, give it a try and breathe better throughout your workday.