The document outlines principles of 'calm technology' as discussed in a workshop led by Amber Case, emphasizing that technology should be unobtrusive and enhance human experience rather than dominate attention. Key principles include requiring minimal attention, leveraging peripheral awareness, and gracefully managing failures. Various projects are proposed to illustrate these concepts, such as creating annoying devices and designing products that utilize ambient awareness.

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Workshop on Designing
Calm Technology
calmtech.com
Workshop by Amber Case | Research Fellow
Harvard Berkman Klein Center
Civic Media @ MIT Media Lab
@caseorganic
caseorganic@gmail.com

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50 billion devices
will be online by
2020. -Cisco

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The "Smart" Watch

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The "Smart" Fridge

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The Dystopian Kitchen of the Future

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Interruptive
Technology

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Connected Animals

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The new Schrödinger's Cat
Failure forces humans to ‘manually’ feed ravenous pets

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PetNet is not held responsible for any service failures:
Source: http://readwrite.com/2016/08/01/petnet-shows-happens-iot-fails-dl1/

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We need a
Calm Technology

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XEROX PARC: mid-90s
Mark Weiser John Seeley Brown

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“A good tool is an invisible tool.
By invisible, we mean that the
tool does not intrude on your
consciousness; you focus on the
task, not the tool.”
Mark Weiser --
1993

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A person's primary task
should not be computing, but
being human.

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Principles of Calm
Technology

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I. Technology shouldn’t require
all of our attention, just some of
it, and only when necessary

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A Tea Kettle

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II. Technology should inform and
create calm

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III. Technology should make
use of the periphery

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A calm technology will move easily from the periphery
of our attention, to the center, and back:
Things in the periphery are attuned to by the large
portion of our brains devoted to peripheral (sensory)
processing. By placing things in the periphery we are
able to attune to many more things than we could if
everything had to be at the center. Thus the periphery
is informing without overburdening.
- Weiser, Brown, The Coming Age of Calm Technology

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IV. Technology should
amplify
the best of technology and
the best of humanity

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1. Machines shouldn't act like humans
2. Humans shouldn't act like machines
3. Amplify the best part of each
Design for people first

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V. Technology can
communicate, but it doesn’t
need to speak

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The Roomba Robotic
Vacuum Cleaner :)

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VI. Technology should work
even when it fails.

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The new Schrödinger's Cat
Failure forces humans to ‘manually’ feed ravenous pets

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VII. The right amount of
technology is the minimum
needed to solve the
problem.

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Street Lights Toilet Occupied Sign

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VIII. Technology should
consider social norms

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Restorative
Normal
Enhancing Fear-inducing
Accepted
Invisible
Technology and Invisiblity

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Calm Technology allows people to
accomplish goals with the least
amount of mental cost

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Exercises

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Place*
- Relation
- History
- Identity
*Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology
of Supermodernity (1995), Marc Augé

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Non-place
Modern Urban
Society

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Project #1:
Design a place in
a non-place.
20 min

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Principles of Calm Technology
I. Require the least amount of attention
II. Inform and encalm
III. Empower the periphery
IV. Amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity.
V. Communicate without needing to speak
VI. Consider social norms
VII. The minimum tech to solve the problem
VIII. Fail gracefully

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Project #2:
Create the most annoying
device possible
(15 min)

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Project #3:
You’ve inherited the same
device you just created. Now,
calm it down!
(15 min)

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Principles of Calm Technology
I. Require the least amount of attention
II. Inform and encalm
III. Empower the periphery
IV. Amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity.
V. Communicate without needing to speak
VI. Consider social norms
VII. The minimum tech to solve the problem
VIII. Fail gracefully

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Ambient Awareness

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1. Haptics vs. auditory alerts (haptic compass)
2. Light status vs. full display (on/off)
3. Positive or negative tones (home electronics)
4. Transparency (inner-office windows)
Create ambient awareness through
different senses

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Light-Based
Status System
connected to Beeminder
@aaronpk 2014

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Weather Status
Lighting
Hue Lightbulb connected
to a weather report
@aaronpk 2014

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Project #4:
Design a product or service that
uses Ambient Awareness to
deliver information
(20 min)

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Principles of Calm Technology
I. Require the least amount of attention
II. Inform and encalm
III. Empower the periphery
IV. Amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity.
V. Communicate without needing to speak
VI. Consider social norms
VII. The minimum tech to solve the problem
VIII. Fail gracefully

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Thank you
very much!
calmtech.com
Calm Technology
from O'Reilly and
amazon.com!

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Slides will be posted to
slideshare.net/caseorganic