Technology Should Ask for Your Attention, Not Demand It

Technology should require only some of our attention, and only when necessary. Amber Case, scholar of human-technology interaction and author of Calm Technology, argues that the difference between an annoying tool and a helpful one lies in how it engages attention. She presents principles for designing harmonious technologies that amplify humanness, covering notification styles, compressing information into other senses, and designing for the least possible cognitive overhead.