You will not believe how technology grabs your attention.
When was the last time you completed an elevator ride without reaching out for your device? Even while reading this, it is likely that Facebook reminds you of your friend’s activity, a subscription email pops up or you get tagged in a meme on Instagram. Everyone is battling to get noticed. Time is the new currency. Welcome to the attention economy.
Many tech companies are built on this principle. Facebook’s news feed is designed to keep us scrolling. Netflix’s autoplay feature encourages binge watching. Pinterest’s masonry grid layout retains our attention, enticing us for more. The list is endless. These design hacks tap into our curiosity, steer our thoughts and distract us from everything else we are trying to do. Sprinkled with intermittent variable rewards, these products are engineered to keep us coming back for more.
But while many mainstream digital products are in a race to increase ‘time spent’, some of them also care about ‘time well spent’. The Mindful Design showcase is a curated collection of such websites and apps that value the user’s attention, needs and goals. The website seeks to inform makers of technology how design can positively impact the user’s well-being.
In other words, it is a contribution to digital well-being in today’s attention economy. Because
well, it’s about time.
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If you have come across a product that is mindful, give us a shout and we’ll have it featured!