Why I Stopped Using My Phone as an Alarm Clock
Every morning began the same way.
My phone alarm would sound. I'd reach over, silence it, and before I had even sat up in bed I would already be looking at notifications.
An email. A message. A ‘quick’ look at Instagram.
Ten minutes later I was still in bed, scrolling.
What was supposed to be the start of a productive day had become a habit of distraction.
As designers, my wife and I spend much of our working lives thinking about objects: how they fit into our homes, how they shape our routines, and how small design decisions influence everyday behaviour.
The more we reflected on it, the more we realised that our phones weren't really the problem. Smartphones are incredibly useful tools and we rely on them every day.
The problem was the environment we had created around ourselves.
By sleeping with our phones beside the bed, we had made distraction the easiest possible choice. Turning off the alarm naturally flowed into checking messages, reading emails or opening social media. It wasn't a conscious decision anymore. It had simply become part of the routine.
If we wanted a different habit, we needed a different environment.
The Problem With Using a Phone as an Alarm Clock
Smartphones are extraordinary tools, but they are also designed to compete relentlessly for our attention.
When your alarm clock is also your email inbox, your social media feed, your news source and your messaging platform, it becomes almost impossible to wake up without immediately being pulled into the digital world.
We wanted a little space to wake up properly.
To make a coffee. To reflect on the days priorities. To write down a few thoughts. To complete a small task before the rest of the world started asking for our attention.
The challenge wasn't self-control. The challenge was that our environment was working against us.
Every morning, the most distracting object in our lives was sitting within arm's reach of the pillow.
Returning to Something Simpler
Rather than trying to resist the temptation to check our phones every morning, we decided to remove the temptation altogether.
The simplest solution seemed obvious: stop using our phones as alarm clocks, and instead use a dedicated object.
Wake up with a physical alarm clock, have your morning coffee and read a book
No notifications.
No endless scrolling.
No temptation to check "just one thing".
Just an alarm.
The problem was that we struggled to find one we actually wanted to live with.
Most affordable alarm clocks felt like electronic devices rather than considered objects. They did their job perfectly well, but lacked the warmth and personality we were looking for. They would look out of place in our apartment.
Others were very expensive design pieces that felt difficult to justify.
We wanted something simple, useful and attractive enough to leave on display long after the alarm had been switched off.
An alarm clock that could sit comfortably on a bedside table, a bookshelf or a desk without feeling like a piece of technology.
When we couldn't find it, we decided to design it ourselves.
Designing an Alarm Clock We Actually Wanted to Use
What began as a simple idea became months of experimentation.
We tested different clock mechanisms from China, Germany and Japan, comparing the reliability, mounting ease, cost and user experience of changing the time and setting the alarm.
We refined proportions, tweaked tolerances and worked through countless prototypes. The clock hands proved especially challenging as they need to be light enough for the mechanism to move, but strong enough to grip and remain durable for everyday use.
As the design evolved, the soft wavy edges began to remind us of the milk coffee (or French butter) biscuits that we had recently included in the gift boxes of our wedding guests. It wasn't intentional at first, but the resemblance became impossible to ignore and eventually the name ‘Biscuit’ stuck.
Today every Biscuit Alarm Clock is made in our Paris studio. We 3D print each component ourselves (even the hands), carefully assemble each alarm clock by hand and test every piece before it is ready for a new home.
The only component we don't manufacture ourselves is the quartz alarm mechanism, powered by a standard AA battery which is included in the box - as we have always found it frustrating when a product arrives but cannot be used immediately!
The choice of materials was just as important as the form.
Many alarm clocks feel like electronic devices. We wanted our Alarm Clock to feel at home among books, ceramics and other objects that naturally accumulate in a living space.
That led us to develop two finishes.
The Coffee version is produced using a bio-based plastic containing recycled coffee grounds collected from French cafés. It has a rich, dark tone and subtle variations that make every piece slightly unique.
The Caramel version incorporates cedar wood particles, creating a lighter finish with a visually softer and more natural character.
Neither material was chosen simply because it was sustainable. We chose them because they brought warmth, texture and personality to an object that we interact with every day.
We weren't trying to reinvent the alarm clock.
We were simply trying to create one we would genuinely want to use every day.
A clock that could help us start the morning away from our phones while feeling at home on a bedside table, bookshelf or desk.
An everyday object, thoughtfully made.
An Alarm Clock That Helps You Get Out of Bed
One thing we didnt fully anticipate was how much the placement of the clock would matter.
Instead of sleeping with a phone beside the pillow, we place the alarm clock elsewhere in the room.
On a dresser. Across the bedroom. Sometimes on a shelf in another room altogether.
Far enough away that we need to physically get up to switch it off.
That small change introduced just enough friction to break the habit of immediately reaching for a screen.
Once you're standing, you're already halfway into the day.
Why We Still Use One Today
The goal was never nostalgia. We don't believe technology is the enemy. What we wanted was a little more control over when technology entered our day.
The Coffee Biscuit Alarm Clock is produced using a bio-based PLA containing recycled coffee grounds collected from French cafés
By replacing our phone alarm with a dedicated clock, we created a small boundary between waking up and connecting to the rest of the world.
A quieter beginning.
A little less distraction.
A few minutes that belong entirely to us.
The Biscuit Alarm Clock was born from that idea.
Not as a decorative object first, but as a practical tool for a better daily routine.
And perhaps that's why it has become one of our favourite objects in the studio.
Because every day begins with it.
If you're trying to create a more intentional morning routine, you can discover the Biscuit Alarm Clock here. Each one is designed, created and assembled in our Paris studio, and available in Coffee and Caramel finishes.