Calm technology or calm design is a type of

information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system ...

where the interaction between the technology and its user is designed to occur in the user's periphery rather than constantly at the center of attention. Information from the technology smoothly shifts to the user's attention when needed but otherwise stays calmly in the user's periphery.

Mark Weiser Mark D. Weiser (July 23, 1952 – April 27, 1999) was a computer scientist and chief technology officer (CTO) at Xerox PARC. Weiser is widely considered to be the father of ubiquitous computing, a term he coined in 1988. Within Silicon Valle ...

and

John Seely Brown John Seely Brown (born 1940), also known as "JSB", is an American researcher who specializes in organizational studies with a particular bend towards the organizational implications of computer-supported activities. Brown served as Director of Xer ...

describe calm technology as "that which informs but doesn't demand our focus or attention." The use of calm technology is paired with

ubiquitous computing Ubiquitous computing (or "ubicomp") is a concept in software engineering, hardware engineering and computer science where computing is made to appear anytime and everywhere. In contrast to desktop computing, ubiquitous computing can occur using ...

as a way to minimize the perceptible invasiveness of computers in everyday life.Tugui, Alexandru (2004)
"Calm Technologies In A Multimedia World"
ACM Digital Library.

Principles

For a technology to be considered calm technology, there are three core principles it should adhere to: # The user's attention to the technology must reside mainly in the periphery. This means that either the technology can easily shift between the center of attention and the periphery or that much of the information conveyed by the technology is present in the periphery rather than the center. # The technology increases a user's use of his or her periphery. This creates a pleasant user experience by not overburdening the user with information. # The technology relays a sense of familiarity to the user and allows awareness of the user's surroundings in the past, present, and future.

History

The phrase "calm technology" was first published in the article "Designing Calm Technology", written by Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown in 1995. The concept had developed amongst researchers at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center in addition to the concept of ubiquitous computing.Weiser, Mark; Gold, Rich and Brown, John Seely (1999)
"The origins of ubiquitous computing research at PARC in the late 1980s"
IBM Systems Journal. Weiser introduced the concept of calm technology by using the example of LiveWire or "Dangling String". It is an string connected to the mounted small electric motor in the ceiling. The motor is connected to a nearby

Ethernet cable Ethernet () is a family of wired computer networking technologies commonly used in local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 198 ...

. When a bit of information flows through that Ethernet cable, it causes a twitch of the motor. The more the information flows, the motor runs faster, thus creating the string to dangle or whirl depending on how much network traffic is. It has aesthetic appeal; it provides a visualization of network traffic but without being obtrusive.Hohl, Michael (2009)
"Calm Technologies 2.0: Visualising Social Data as an Experience in Physical Space"
Parsons Journal For Information Mapping.

Implementation and examples

Video conference Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) systems ...

s are an example of calm technology. Information conveyed such as through

gesture A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or o ...

s and

facial expression A facial expression is one or more motions or positions of the muscles beneath the skin of the face. According to one set of controversial theories, these movements convey the emotional state of an individual to observers. Facial expressions are ...

s can be gathered, as opposed to telephone conferences which do not provide this peripheral information.Tugui, Alexandru (2011)
"Calm Technologies: A New Trend for Educational Technologies"
World Future Review.

Smart home Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * ''SMart'', a children's television ser ...

s are an extension of calm technology due to their emphasis on awareness and adaptability to the user's needs.Rogers, Yvonne (2006)
"Moving on from Weiser's Vision of Calm Computing: Engaging UbiComp Experiences"
Microsoft Research. From 2001 to 2003, the EU funded 17 projects under an initiative called "The Disappearing Computer". The goal of this initiative was to explore new concepts and techniques that would lead to the development of calm technologies for people-friendly environments.European Commission - US National Science Foundation (2004)
"The Disappearing Computer"
The European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics.

Future research

Due to

mobile technology Mobile technology is the technology used for cellular communication. Mobile technology has evolved rapidly over the past few years. Since the start of this millennium, a standard mobile device has gone from being no more than a simple two-way pa ...

trends towards

pervasive computing Ubiquitous computing (or "ubicomp") is a concept in software engineering, hardware engineering and computer science where computing is made to appear anytime and everywhere. In contrast to desktop computing, ubiquitous computing can occur using ...

ambient intelligence In computing, ambient intelligence (AmI) refers to electronic environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. Ambient intelligence was a projection on the future of consumer electronics, telecommunications and computing ...

, and

miniaturization Miniaturization ( Br.Eng.: ''Miniaturisation'') is the trend to manufacture ever smaller mechanical, optical and electronic products and devices. Examples include miniaturization of mobile phones, computers and vehicle engine downsizing. In e ...

, calm technology is becoming a more integral part of these devices.Fiaidhi, Jinan; Chou, Wes; Williams, Joseph (2010)
"Mobile Computing in the Context of Calm Technology"
IT Professional Magazine. Another development of calm technology is its transformation into unattended technology, where the technology always exists in the periphery and never requires central attention from the user.Levin, Vladimir (2008)
"Evaluating Unattended Technology, a Subset of Calm Technology"
University of Waterloo.

References

Ubiquitous computing

External links

* {{Cite web , title=Short list of classic papers on calm technology , url=https://calmtech.com/papers.html , access-date=2022-05-18 , website=calmtech.com