Peter Arvad is the founder and designer of Habity, the Copenhagen-based studio whose first product — a phone-free, e-paper bedside clock — set out to make late-night scrolling avoidable rather than merely discouraged. He built the first prototype himself, led the industrial design and manufacturing, and ran the brand and marketing. Before Habity, Peter founded his own studio in 2016, DONNA media. Habity's debut clock launched on Kickstarter in September 2025 and was funded at 900% of its €25,000 goal, including more than 1,920 backers across Europe and the US.
01 Origin. What problem, frustration, or quiet conviction made your company/product(s) necessary? Take us back to the moment the idea wouldn't leave you alone.
The idea for a bedside clock came one evening in my bedroom. My partner rolled over to me and suggested that it was time to introduce a new habit: leaving our phones outside the room. She was right; we spent more time scrolling than looking and talking to each other. But, getting rid of the phone meant we needed another way to wake up, to play our sleep sounds, and to tell the time. The options that were on the market didn’t truly work without a phone or subscription (yes, believe it or not, some clocks offer subscriptions). Other options were simply too big and bulky.
02 The constraint that shaped it. Every well-made object is defined as much by what it isn't as what it is. What was the hardest constraint you worked within, and how did it sharpen the final product?
We wanted a nostalgic feeling. We were making a clock; let’s not pretend it’s something else. We needed a clear stop button, snooze button, and a wheel to adjust time and other settings. The e-paper display was one of the main constraints that we worked around. It’s the heart of the experience. We tested different displays and talked to many suppliers to find the correct size, resolution, and flexibility in modification.
03 A design decision you defended. Walk us through one choice that was questioned, debated, or pushed back on, and why you held the line.
E-paper isn’t frequently used outside of ebooks. It’s a niche product that is slowly growing in popularity as the trend for less screen time is gaining attention. This means that this component is also quite costly to build with. However, I knew it would play a crucial role in replacing the attention-grabbing, blue-light-filled smartphone screen. We needed this analog-esque, slow, and simple display in the design.
Another design feature that received a lot of attention was the tactile buttons. We wanted the stop and snooze buttons to be the most satisfying buttons that you could press. We wanted people to eagerly look forward to pressing the yellow button every morning. I think we created that satisfying feeling quite well.
04 What you removed. Form and Function lives in what's left after the cuts. What did you take out, leave on the cutting room floor, or refuse to add?
In the beginning, we were playing around with more connection ports and other advanced features. But, it just didn’t seem right. The clock should be intuitive and promote simplicity. Currently, it only features a USB-C port and three buttons.
05 What's next, and what stays the same? Where is the brand going from here, and what will never change about how you make things?
Habity is about creating better habits with technology. We all spend too much time scrolling on our phones and looking at screens when we really should connect in the real world and explore what's around us. We hope to continue to offer more ways to create new habits both inside and outside the bedroom.
06 Who's next? Name one or two founders, makers, or studios you think is making products that beautifully marry form and function right now. Someone we should be paying attention to, and why.
Johannes Torpe Studios (Architecture & product design) and Pete Lacy from Behold Cam. @johannestorpestudios @beholdhq
Lightning Round
An object you'd never replace
My Bowers & Welkins speakers (bought over 10 years ago and use on daily basis)
A book, film, or album that shaped how you think about design
Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton M. Christensen
A daily ritual
Morning bike ride to the office for thinking.
The last thing you bought that surprised you
N/A
A piece of advice you'd give to someone making their first product
Reach out to everyone for help. Manufacturers overseas are quite helpful in the process.
Coffee order
Americano
FORM & FUNCTION — Issue 001.
The quarterly print magazine about things worth keeping. Matte, printed, made to be held. Ships July ‘26.