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Client A's bug. Your side project's refactor. A note to update your shell config. All in one list.
If you juggle more than one project, a single to-do list gets crowded fast. Every time you switch projects, you have to read past everything else to find what matters there.
The fix is simple: one list per project. When you switch projects, you switch lists.
In short
- Focus Pad collections give each project its own checklist, and ⌘K or ⌘1 to 9 switches between them.
- Each collection has its own color names and sort order.
- Tasks from AI agents, GitHub issues and Pesky reminders land in, or point to, the right project.
- Optional Cloud Save keeps an end-to-end encrypted copy and never overwrites silently.
Collections in Focus Pad
Focus Pad is the always-on-top Markdown checklist in DevWorkspace Pro. A collection is a separate task list. Make one for each project, and keep General for everything else.
| Action | macOS | Windows and Linux |
|---|---|---|
| Find, make or switch a collection | ⌘ K | Ctrl K |
| Go to collection 1 to 9 | ⌘ 1 … 9 | Ctrl 1 … 9 |
| Next / previous collection | ⌃ Tab / ⌃ ⇧ Tab | Ctrl Tab / Ctrl Shift Tab |
To make a collection, press ⌘K, type a name that does not exist yet, and press Enter.
Hover over the collection button in the top right corner to see them all. Each row shows the number of tasks, plus how many are priority 5 and priority 4. One glance tells you which project has urgent work.
To rename or delete a collection, hover over its row and click the pencil or the trash can. Deleting removes the tasks too, so Focus Pad asks you to confirm. General cannot be renamed or deleted.
Each project speaks its own language
Every collection has its own color names. In one project, red can mean "Blocks release". In another, it can mean "Client asked". Double-click a color in the row below the top bar to rename it.
Each collection also keeps its own sort order on this computer. Sort one project by deadline and another by priority then color, if that suits you.
Tasks that land in the right list
Tasks from your tools can go straight to a project collection:
- AI agents. With the Focus Pad MCP server, an agent can list collections, make a new one and add tasks to it. Add a line to your
CLAUDE.mdsuch as "Add open review items to the Focus Pad collection for this project", and the agent's output stays in the right place. - GitHub issues. Click Send to Focus Pad on an issue in Git › Issues to add it as a task. When you complete it, Focus Pad asks if you want to close the issue on GitHub.
- Pesky notifications. If a task is not in General, the notification shows the collection name. Click it, and Focus Pad opens that collection with the task highlighted.
Tasks can also go out to the right project. Click the sparkle icon (✦) on a task, select the project as the working folder, and the task goes to your AI coding tool there.
Why separate lists help
Every project switch has a cost. Research on interruptions found that longer and more demanding interruptions lead to longer times to resume the main task (Monk et al., 2008). The memory-for-goals model proposes that cues help people retrieve suspended goals (Altmann & Trafton, 2002).
A project list is that kind of cue. Come back to a project after two days and the list tells you where you were and what is next. No noise from other projects.
Cloud Save: the same lists on every computer
Cloud Save keeps a copy of all your collections in your DevWorkspace Pro account. It is off by default.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Encryption | End-to-end, AES-256-GCM, done on your computer before upload |
| Key | Comes from a recovery key that only you have. The server never gets it. |
| Account | Uses your license. No separate account. |
| Saving | A few seconds after you stop typing. Tasks are always saved locally first. |
| Offline | Focus Pad keeps working and sends the newest tasks when the connection comes back |
| Size | Up to about 500 KB of text |
Conflicts never overwrite silently
Each save tells the server which version it is based on. If another computer saved a newer version first, Focus Pad asks what you want to do:
- Keep both (recommended): adds the cloud collections. If a collection with the same name has different tasks, it is added as Name (cloud).
- Use the cloud copy: replaces this computer's tasks. Focus Pad keeps the previous local copy so you can restore it.
- Keep this computer's copy: replaces the cloud copy.
Keep your recovery key safe
DevWorkspace Pro does not keep a copy of your recovery key. Store it in a password manager. To use Cloud Save on a second computer, enter the same key there.
A setup that works
- Make one collection for each active project. Leave old projects out.
- In each collection, name the colors for what matters there.
- Tell your AI agent which collection to use for each project.
- Turn on Cloud Save if you work on more than one computer.
References
- Monk, C. A., Trafton, J. G., & Boehm-Davis, D. A. (2008). The effect of interruption duration and demand on resuming suspended goals. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 14(4), 299–313. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014402
- Altmann, E. M., & Trafton, J. G. (2002). Memory for goals: An activation-based model. Cognitive Science, 26(1), 39–83. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog2601_2
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a collection for a project?
In Focus Pad, press Command+K (Ctrl+K), type a name that does not exist, and press Enter.
How do I switch between project lists fast?
Press Command+1 to 9 (Ctrl+1 to 9) to go to collection 1 to 9, Control+Tab for the next collection, or Command+K to search by name.
Can the cloud server read my tasks?
No. Cloud Save is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256-GCM. The key comes from a recovery key that only you have, and the server never gets it.
What happens if two computers change the same list?
Focus Pad asks you which version to keep: Keep both, Use the cloud copy, or Keep this computer's copy. One computer never overwrites the work of another without asking.