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Principles of Calm Technology

Our world is made of information that competes for our attention.
What is necessary? What is not?

When we design products, we aim to choose the best position for user interface components, placing the most important ones in the most accessible places on the screen.

Equally important is the design of communication. How many notifications are necessary? How and when should they be displayed? To answer this, we can be inspired by the principles of calm technology.

  1. Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention

  2. Technology should inform and create calm

  3. Technology should make use of the periphery

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

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

  6. Technology should work even when it fails

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

  8. Technology should respect social norms