dice-style to-do – Simone Giertz built a chore chart that assigns tasks in a dice-determined order, then evolved it into a vertical list with a randomly selecting marker—designed to avoid repeating already-completed items.
He started with written lists, but the problem wasn’t the work—it was the choosing. Simone Giertz says she relied on dice-determined order to keep herself from overthinking and cherry-picking tasks, and while it helped, she wanted something smoother.
So she went back to the problem from the ground up: the interface. Instead of rolling dice and trying to translate randomness into action. she focused on building a board where a marker could randomly point to a task on a vertical list. Her goal was simple—make the selection feel pleasant, not fiddly.
The project’s core challenge was making sure the marker didn’t keep landing on items that were already done. Giertz tested different mechanisms to get the random pick to “skip” completed tasks. A set of magnetic toggles that could repel the marker sounded promising, but she found it didn’t work.
The solution ended up being more straightforward. Completed tasks get moved past a divider, so the marker can’t land on them anymore. With that change, the board’s selection mechanism clicks into place—random in spirit, reliable in execution. She describes the finished product as satisfying to interact with. a chore chart that feels like a joy to use. and one that makes it more likely things get done.
The build also fits into a longer streak of productivity experiments that have shown up over the years. from “Arya’s Hacking the Self” to other unusual trackers like a rotary time tracker and an e-ink macropad. Giertz’s twist is different. though: rather than just measuring time or optimizing workflow. it targets one specific habit—when the list is right there. the temptation to pick what feels easiest can quietly take over.
Simone Giertz to-do list productivity task tracking dice random selection DIY gadget interface design magnetic toggles chore chart