Ambient Signals
In a world clamoring for our attention, we should be more intentional with where we give it.
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If your entire life is filled with pings and dings and blinking notifications that stress you out, you’re not alone. And we can do better.
What if instead of a BEEP or a BLINK there was a quiet puff of air, subtle shadow, or gentle tap that caught your attention and let you know your attention was needed?
That’s the goal of Little Signals, a “series of interaction experiments” created by the Google Seed Studio (and Map Project Office) tasked with creating “advanced concepts for Google hardware devices.”
Each object has its own method of communicating, like through puffs of air or ambient sounds. Additionally, their small movements or simple controls bring the objects to life and make them responsive to changing surroundings and needs.
Just as everyday objects might find simple ways to inform us – like the moving hands of a clock or the whistle of a kettle – Little Signals consider how to stay up-to-date with digital information while maintaining moments of calm.
Here’s a video of how the 6 notification types could work to reduce the noise in our digitally connected lives…
Because this is an exploratory research project, these won’t be available in stores. HOWEVER, Google has made the Air plans available via download for you to buy the parts, construct, and code your own via a 23 page PDF! YES!
The whole ambient signals experiment makes me think about the signals we subscribe to, the ones we can’t avoid, and the ones we can more intentionally allow into our lives.
I love a good signal (thus the newsletter name, right?). But I’m a die-hard user of Apple’s bedtime alarm, which fades in from silence–versus a jarring klaxon. I turned off all the notifications on my Apple Watch. I bought LED light stickers to cover all the unnecessary blinking things in my bedroom. I even spent some time turning off delivery alarms in all but one of the smart home devices in my house.
In a world clamoring for our attention, we should be more intentional with where we give it.
What have you done to take control of the noise in your daily habits? Would you be interested in ambient signals in your lifestyle? -Greg
🐦 SOME GOOD SOCIALS
🔥 QUICK HITS
Harvard Business Review: To Be More Creative, Schedule Your Breaks.
WaPo: Doomscrolling got you down? Take a break at a digital rest stop.
GeekWire: ‘Second Life’ creator shares lessons learned from one of the world’s first metaverses.
The Drum: Rishad Tobaccowala on digital transformation: ‘While change sucks, irrelevance is even worse’.
Protocol: Snap plans to turn every public space into an AR experience.
Snapchat: 92% of Gen Z want to use AR for shopping.
TechCrunch: Coinbase launches NFT marketplace in hopes of appealing to crypto and mainstream users.
Vice: Metaverse Company to Offer Immortality Through ‘Live Forever’ Mode.
The Verge: Meta is racing to release its first AR glasses in 2024.
BusinessWire: Study Finds 52% of Gen Z Gamers Feel More Like Themselves in the Metaverse than in Real Life.
YouTube of the Week: Exploring SCENE METALCORE BANDS MySpace Pages From The 2000's.
Viral TikTok of the Week: Ahh!
See you on the internet!
Greg
PS: I’m hiring again. Check out our open roles here.
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