diff --git a/blipblop/ui/visualblip.py b/blipblop/ui/visualblip.py
index 83d27a2..f4ebb84 100644
--- a/blipblop/ui/visualblip.py
+++ b/blipblop/ui/visualblip.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QComboBox, QFrame, QGroupBox, QHBoxLayout, QLabel, QPushButton, QSizePolicy, QSplitter, QTextEdit, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
-from PyQt5.QtCore import QItemSelectionModel, Qt
-from PyQt5.QtGui import QPainter, QBrush, QPen, QPixmap
+from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QAction, QComboBox, QFrame, QGroupBox, QGridLayout, QLabel, QPushButton, QShortcut, QSizePolicy, QSplitter, QTextEdit, QVBoxLayout, QWidget
+from PyQt5.QtCore import QItemSelectionModel, QLine, QPoint, Qt
+from PyQt5.QtGui import QColor, QKeySequence, QPainter, QBrush, QPen, QPixmap
 
 import blipblop.constants as cnst
 
@@ -13,32 +13,71 @@ class VisualBlip(QWidget):
     def __init__(self, parent=None) -> None:
         super().__init__(parent=parent)
         
-        vbox = QVBoxLayout()
-        self.setLayout(vbox)
-        
+        grid = QGridLayout()
+        grid.setColumnStretch(0, 1)
+        grid.setColumnStretch(2, 1)
+        grid.setRowStretch(1, 1)
+        grid.setRowStretch(3, 1)
+        self.setLayout(grid)
+
         l = QLabel("Visual task")
+        grid.addWidget(l, 0, 0, Qt.AlignLeft)
+        instruction_label = QLabel("Instructions:\n -fixate central cross\n -press start (enter) when ready\n -press space bar as soon as the stimulus occurs")
+        grid.addWidget(instruction_label, 3, 1, Qt.AlignLeft)
         self._draw_area = QLabel()
         self._draw_area.setSizePolicy(QSizePolicy.Expanding, QSizePolicy.Expanding)
-        canvas = QPixmap(400, 300)
-        canvas = QPixmap()
+        grid.addWidget(self._draw_area, 2, 1)
+        self.reset_canvas()
+        self.create_actions()
+    
+    def create_actions(self):
+        self._start_action = QAction("start trial")
+        self._start_action.setShortcuts([QKeySequence("enter"), QKeySequence("return")])
+        self._start_action.triggered.connect(self.paint_event)
+        self._reaction = QAction("reaction")
+        self._reaction.setShortcut(QKeySequence("space"))
+        self._reaction.triggered.connect(self.on_reaction)
         
+        self.addAction(self._start_action)
+        self.addAction(self._reaction)
+
+    def on_reaction(self):
+        print("reaction")
+        self.reset_canvas()
+
+    def reset_canvas(self):
+        bkg_color = QColor()
+        bkg_color.setAlphaF(0.0)
+        canvas = QPixmap(400, 400)
+        self._canvas_center = QPoint(200, 200)
+        canvas.fill(bkg_color)
+        self.draw_fixation(canvas)        
         self._draw_area.setPixmap(canvas)
-        vbox.addWidget(l)
-        vbox.addWidget(self._draw_area)
-        
-        start_btn = QPushButton("start")
-        start_btn.clicked.connect(self.paint_event)
-        vbox.addWidget(start_btn)
-       
+        self._draw_area.update()
+
+    def draw_fixation(self, pixmap):
+        left = QPoint(175, 200)
+        right = QPoint(225, 200)
+        top = QPoint(200, 175)
+        bottom = QPoint(200, 225)
+        painter = QPainter(pixmap)    
+        painter.setPen(QPen(Qt.red,  1, Qt.SolidLine))
+        painter.drawLine(left, right)
+        painter.drawLine(top, bottom)
+        painter.end()
+        self._canvas = QPixmap(400, 400)
+        self._canvas_center = QPoint(200, 200)
+        self._draw_area.setPixmap(self._canvas)
+
     def paint_event(self):
         painter = QPainter(self._draw_area.pixmap())    
         painter.setPen(QPen(Qt.red,  1, Qt.SolidLine))
         painter.setBrush(QBrush(Qt.red, Qt.SolidPattern))
-        painter.drawEllipse(40, 40, 80, 100)
+        
+        painter.drawEllipse(self._canvas_center, 100, 100)
         painter.end()
         self._draw_area.update()
-        
-        
+         
     def reset(self):
         pass