Focus Companion†
A quiet place for your next good hour. An ambient world, a small companion, and a little room to breathe.
INDEPENDENT SOFTWARE STUDIO
From nil,
toward wonder.
Small worlds to get lost in.
Thoughtful software to come back to.
01 /A DIRECTION. A BEGINNING.
A little less noise.
A little more possibility.
DESIGNED WITH CURIOSITY.
BUILT WITH CARE.
We're Northnil, an independent software studio in California. We design, build and publish our own interactive experiences for desktop and mobile.
A quiet space to focus. A small puzzle that changes how you think. We bring graphics, interaction and engineering together to make everyday moments a little more interesting.
A few things we believe in02 /SMALL WORLDS, TAKING SHAPE
In the making.
Two ideas. Room to grow.
Made at our own pace.
Puzzle†
One clear rule. A fresh way to think. Little moments of discovery, made for the minutes in between.
† WORKING TITLES. CONCEPT ARTWORK, NOT PRODUCT SCREENSHOTS. BOTH PRODUCTS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT.
03 /WHAT GUIDES US
Start with nothing.
Make it something.
NORTH + NILA DIRECTION + A BLANK CANVAS
01Small, on purpose.
One carefully scoped idea at a time. We like software with a clear reason to exist and enough room for the little details to matter.
02Feeling is a feature.
The way light falls. The rhythm of an interaction. The sound that lets you settle in. How a product feels is part of how it works.
03Craft all the way down.
We bring visual design and software engineering into the same conversation, from the first sketch to the last line of code.
04 /THE PERSON BEHIND THE STUDIO
FOUNDER · SOFTWARE ENGINEER · TECHNICAL ARTIST
Hi, I'm
Linshen Xiao.
I work where code meets art, bringing real-time graphics, creative tools and interactive worlds to life.
My experience includes projects at TikTok and Framestore. At Northnil, I bring that background into thoughtful experiences for desktop and mobile. Beyond the screen, I enjoy photography, music and time outdoors.
More about me & my worklinshenxiao.com