by artun.sepken -

Emotional Design: Why Interruptions Are Never Neutral

Up to this point in my research, I have mostly been discussing interruptions in terms of attention, performance and also recovery. However, interruptions are never purely cognitive events. Every interruption also carries an emotional signal, whether intentional or not. In interaction design, this emotional layer often remains indirect, yet it strongly shapes how interruptions are perceived, tolerated or resisted.

Research in emotional design and affective HCI consistently shows that emotion is not something that happens after interaction, but something that actively shapes it.1 From this perspective, interruptions are not just breaks in task flow; they are moments where systems communicate priorities, urgency and value to the user. These moments can generate calm, trust, irritation, anxiety, or stress depending on how they are designed.

Donald Norman’s framework of emotional design is particularly useful here, as it separates interaction into visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels.4 Interruptions operate across all three. Viscerally, a sudden sound, vibration, or visual alert can trigger immediate affective reactions such as startle or irritation. Behaviorally, interruptions interfere with ongoing action and can either support or hinder smooth task continuation. Reflectively, users interpret interruptions as signals about importance, social obligation or system intent. Together, these layers explain why two notifications with the same content can feel completely different depending on timing, modality and context.

In HCI research, affect is increasingly understood as intertwined with cognition rather than opposed to it. Beale and Peter argue that emotional responses influence attention, decision-making and control, especially in interactive systems that demand frequent shifts of focus.1 From this view, emotionally charged interruptions can narrow attention and reduce cognitive flexibility, while calmer or well-aligned interruptions may support reorientation and recovery.

This relationship becomes especially relevant under conditions of high cognitive load. When users are already mentally engaged, interruptions do not just compete for attention; they amplify emotional responses such as stress or frustration.3 Emotional overload can therefore compound cognitive overload, increasing the perceived cost of interruption even when task disruption is minimal.

Recent work in emotional design and user experience also highlights that emotional responses to interaction accumulate over time. Dybvik  shows that repeated exposure to small design decisions can shape long-term user experience, even when individual interactions seem insignificant.2 Applied to interruptions, this suggests that notification systems are not evaluated moment by moment but as part of an ongoing emotional relationship between user and system. Persistent feelings of pressure, obligation or loss of control can emerge even when no single interruption feels severe.

This perspective helps explain why users often describe notification-heavy systems as “stressful” or “exhausting” rather than merely distracting. The issue is not only frequency, but emotional tone and predictability. Lottridge et al. emphasizes that affective interaction design must account for how systems signal intent and respond to user state. Interruptions that ignore context or emotional readiness risk being perceived as intrusive or hostile, regardless of their functional relevance.3

From an interaction design standpoint, emotional design reframes interruptions as relational events rather than technical events. Designing for interruption therefore involves more than reducing frequency or optimizing timing. It requires attention to how interruptions feel, what they imply and how they position the user within the system. Calm transitions, respectful signaling, and clear recovery cues can all reduce emotional friction, even when interruptions are unavoidable.

Within the broader trajectory of this research, emotional design connects cognitive disruption with lived experience. Interruptions fragment not only tasks but also emotional continuity. Understanding this layer is essential for moving toward design strategies that support flow, recovery and long-term engagement without treating users as purely rational or purely efficient actors.

References (APA 7)

  1. Beale, R., & Peter, C. (2008). The role of affect and emotion in HCI. In Affect and emotion in human–computer interaction (pp. 1–11). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85099-1_1
  2. Dybvik, H. (2022). Experiences with emotional design. Master’s thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
  3. Lottridge, D., Chignell, M., Jovicic, A., & Riekhoff, J. (2011). Affective interaction: Understanding, evaluating, and designing for human emotion. Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics, 7(1), 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557234X11410309
  4. Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Books.
  5. Mueller, J. (2004). Review essay: Emotional design by Donald A. Norman. ACM SIGCHI Bulletin, 36(3), 12–16.

    AI Assistance Disclaimer:
    AI tools were used at certain stages of the research process, primarily for source exploration, grammar refinement and structural editing. All conceptual development, analysis and final writing were made by the author.

by karen.johannesen -

A short analysis of meetup: an event-based social network

A term for such an app discussed in the previous blogpost has been named as “Event-based social networks” (EBSN) in a paper written by Xingjie Liu et. al. in 2012. They are here defined as a service that offers both online and offline social interactions. 

One of the social networks mentioned was meetup. On meetup you can join events created by event hosts or individuals. I decided to look around a little on the website by creating an account. Similar to other dating or “befriending” apps, you enter your intentions of usage, picking a minimum of three interests, personal information such as birthday and gender. 

Events

There is a wide variety of events, ranging from conference talks by companies to small local book clubs hosted by individuals. Users are able to create and look for events based on a long list of event types, such as dancing, games, support & coaching, science & education, etc. What Liu et. al. discusses in their paper is the cold-start problem. This means how events are in a limited timeframe and one can only show interest from when the event is added to when it is finished (Liu et. al., 2012). In meetup I see that it is possible to create events that happen weekly and one can choose which date you would like to participate in, which in a way helps battle this problem. However, I can see the cold-start problem being a relevant problem if you wish to find people to go to an event with you at the last minute.

Personalisation & Connection

The personalisation of your profile is slightly limited. You have the opportunity to add a bio, display your selected interests, your groups, relationship status, which industry you work in, and add your social media. You are also able to pick which lifestage you are currently in, although they are slightly limited. The website does not focus on showing who you are through images as it only allows for one picture, your profile picture. Although I could see this being slightly positive in the sense that it does not lead to an unrealistic display of peoples lives, I believe images can help users to show their personality better. 

What I noticed on meetup is that its primary function is on the creation of events and groups. There is no function to find people and make friends. So instead of looking for people you look for an event that suits you. You are however able to click on event hosts names, and chat. When joining a group you also see a list of group members which you can also chat with, but this is, however, behind a paywall. Which leads us to privacy and security,

Privacy & Security

Putting certain features behind a paywall forces users to give up information, such as your bank or credit card, which will then be linked to your account leading to a possible indirect identification. This makes it slightly more difficult to be anonymous and creates a barrier for people who would like to misuse the application. 

Although, as mentioned, the paywall can be an indirect identificator meetup offers no verification process when signing up to use it for free. I believe this makes it harder for users to be able to trust others as creating a fake account is extremely simple. As a privacy setting you are also able to choose who can contact you (users, group members, organizers). Which all in all does protect one much as it is, for example, quite easy to join groups with a new account.

References

Liu, X., He, Q., Tian, Y., Lee, W. C., McPherson, J., & Han, J. (2012, August). Event-based social networks: linking the online and offline social worlds. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM SIGKDD international conference on Knowledge discovery and data mining (pp. 1032-1040).

by ylva.larsen -

Second round of interviews

4: 60 year old man  

Works from home, loves new technology, a lot of daily screen time. 

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
Yes, I’ve come across it online. 

What does it mean to you? 
A side effect of modern information overload. 

How often do you find yourself doomscrolling? 
Occasionally, especially during news-heavy periods. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
Mainly technology, global politics, and economic trends I would say. 

What usually triggers you? 
Curiosity and wanting to stay updated. 

Are there certain situations or moods? 
During work breaks or late evenings at home. 

How do you feel while doomscrolling? 
Mentally stimulated but also tense. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
Often aware that instead of spending my break scrolling on my phone, i should have given my brain a proper break. 

Do you feel it serves a purpose? 
Yes, staying informed feels important to me. 

Have you tried to reduce it? 
I’ve tried replacing it with podcasts or long-form articles, but I did still spend a lot of time scrolling. 

What pulls you out of it? 
Meetings, work tasks, or eye strain. 

Looking back, how does it affect your life? 
I think it contributes to mental fatigue more than I’d like to admit. 

5: 61 year old woman

Partially on sick leave, works part-time from home. 

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
Yes, and I immediately recognized myself in it. 

What does it mean to you? 
Scrolling even when you know you should stop. 

How often do you doomscroll? 
Almost every day. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
News, health-related topics, social media posts. 

What usually triggers you? 
Fatigue and lack of energy to do anything else. 

Are there certain situations or moods? 
When I’m too tired to rest properly but too restless to stop. 

How do you feel while doomscrolling? 
Sort of numb at first, then guilty. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
Tired, guilty and sort of useless.  

Do you feel it serves a purpose? 
It fills time when I dont have anything to do, but it also steals my time when I actually have something I should be doing.  

Have you tried to stop or reduce it? 
Yes, but when I’m exhausted, scrolling feels like the easiest option. 

What pulls you out of it? 
Physical discomfort or realizing how much time has passed. 

Looking back, how does it affect your mental health? 
I think it increases my tiredness and makes it harder to recover. 

6: 70 year old man 

Retired, lot of free time. Mainly uses Facebook to stay in touch with old friends.

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
No, not really. But i can imagine what it is about.  

What does it mean to you? 
Would assume scrolling through negative news and discussions online, awaiting an inevitable doom.  

How often do you find yourself scrolling through negative or distressing content? 
A few times a week. It’s not constant, but I often spend more time than I intend to. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
Mostly news articles shared on Facebook, political posts, and comment sections. I rarely watch videos as I’m not interested in humorous or entertaining content. 

What usually triggers you to start doomscrolling? 
Usually I just log on to check notifications from updates from friends, and then something catches my attention. 

Are there certain situations or moods that make you doomscroll more or less? 
I do it more when I’m alone and don’t have much planned. When I’m busy or social, I dont check social media. 

How do you usually feel while you’re doomscrolling? 
At first I feel interested and engaged, but over time I become bored of it and somewhat discouraged. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
Often more heavy-hearted than before I started. 

Do you feel like doomscrolling serves a purpose for you in the moment? 
Yes, it gives me a sense of staying informed and helps pass the time. 

Have you ever tried to stop or reduce your doomscrolling? 
I’ve tried to be more mindful of how long I spend on Facebook, but it’s not easy to stick to it. 

What usually pulls you out of a doomscrolling session? 
Realizing that I have spent a lot of time on it, or simply feeling tired of reading negative content. 

Looking back, how do you think doomscrolling affects your mental health, mood, or daily life overall? 
I don’t think it affects me as much as it might do younger people. For me Facebook is important for maintaining social connections, so I don’t want to give it up completely. 

by Indigo Tschurtschenthaler -

5 rules for friendly luminaires

a street with shielded luminaires
Credit: Lampas / Photo by Torben Eskerod, from DarkSky

DarkSky International has published guidelines for environmentally friendly fixtures. They were developed by lighting engineers and designers to reduce glare and light trespass, while mantaining maximal functionality and safety. If a fixture respects these Five Principles of Responsible Outdoor Lighting, it earns the DarkSky Approved seal.

different examples from unshielded to shielded luminaires
Shielding can make a big difference in avoiding light spills, Utah State University
  1. Useful — fixtures should only be installed where they are needed;
  2. Targeted — the light beam should point downward and be appropriately shielded to avoid spills;
  3. Low level — the brightness should be as low as possible and reflection from bright surfaces should be taken into account;
  4. Controlled — timers, motion detectors and dimmers should be used, so that the light only stays switched on when it is needed, dimmed when possible, and turned off when not needed;
  5. Warm-colored — shorter wavelength (blue-violet) light should be limited, as it scatters much more intensely in the atmosphere than longer wavelength lights (red/yellow) and causes visual discomfort.
comparison between unshielded sodium lights (2016) and shielded LED (2021) in Dunedin, New Zealand
The effect of shielded vs. unshielded street lights on light pollution in Dunedin, New Zealand, Reddit

Apta Lighting Design Studio recommends a color temperature below 3000 K. They also state that LEDs and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) are better alternatives to conventional incandescent bulbs, thanks to their low luminance that does not compromise visibility. These bulbs also consume less energy.

Understanding the Kelvin scale, different colours and temperatures
A colour temperature below 3000 K is recommended, My Planet Led

There are four categories of luminaires, depending on location and purpose:

  • Residential Luminaires, for homes
  • Commercial Luminaires, for business properties and public buildings (schools, hotels, and government buildings)
  • Pedestrian Comfort Luminaires, which create a more comfortable experience for pedestrians
  • Sea Turtle Sensitive Luminaires, which do not disrupt the natural navigation system of turtles

As Sea Turtle Conservancy explains, sea turtles are disturbed by artificial light because babies are driven towards the brightest light source after hatching. The brightest horizon used to be the one on the side of the ocean as opposed to the dark sand dunes, but due to artificial lighting they are mislead.

a baby turtle crawling toward artificial light
Hatchlings crawl toward light sources; if these are artificial, they get disoriented, Sea Turtle Conservancy

Producers can apply to receive the DarkSky approval by filling out a form on their website. The list of approved fixtures can be found on their website, with the option to filter them based on usage, technical properties and brands.

screenshot of the DarkSky approved luminaires page
DarkSky approved luminaires

by ylva.larsen -

First interviews

1: 10 year old girl 

Lives in Geneva, Switzerland. Uses a tablet freely and spends a lot of time on it. 

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
No, not before you explained. 

What does it mean to you? 
I think it means when you keep scrolling and scrolling and don’t stop. 

How often do you find yourself scrolling through negative or distressing content? 
I think almost every day, because sometimes videos just come up even if I don’t search for them. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
Short videos on YouTube Shorts, my mom won’t let me have Tiktok. Sometimes it’s videos about war or animals getting hurt. And people being mean in comments. 

What do yu think usually makes you doomscroll? 
When I’m bored. Like when my alone and my friends are busy. 

Are there certain situations or moods that make you doomscroll more or less? 
At night before bed I do it more because i dont want to sleep. Also when I feel lonely or when I’m not allowed to go outside. 

How do you usually feel while you’re doomscrolling? 
Kind of “icky”, curious but also scared. Sometimes my stomach feels weird, but I still  keep watching. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
A little sad. Sometimes I think about it when I try to sleep. 

Do you feel like doomscrolling serves a purpose for you in the moment? 
Maybe, i dont really know. 

Have you ever tried to stop doomscrolling? 
Not really. Sometimes my parents take the tablet away because i spend too much time on it. 

What usually pulls you out of a doomscrolling session? 
When my parents tell me to stop, when the battery dies, or when I get really tired and fall asleep. 

Looking back, how do you think doomscrolling affects your mental health or daily life? 
I think it makes me more scared about the world. Sometimes I worry about things that probably won’t happen to me 

2: 25 year old woman  

Management student from Trondheim Norway that enjoys spending time outdoors. Has a very old phone that barely works. 

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
Yes, I’ve heard it, mostly from friends or social media discussions. 

What does it mean to you? 
Endlessly scrolling through negative news even though it makes you feel worse. 

How often do you find yourself doomscrolling? 
Rarely. Maybe twise a week. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
Mostly big news events like climate change, wars, or political issues. 

What usually triggers you to start doomscrolling? 
Major events. If something big happens, I might check updates repeatedly. 

Are there certain situations or moods that make you doomscroll more or less? 
When I’m stressed or stuck indoors for a long time, I’m more likely to do it. 

How do you usually feel while you’re doomscrolling? 
Overwhelmed and frustrated. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
Relieved. I usually feel better once I put the phone away and go do something else. 

Do you feel like doomscrolling serves a purpose for you? 
Only in the sense that I want to stay informed. 

Have you ever tried to stop or reduce your doomscrolling? 
Yes. I consciously limit news and social media intake and rely more on summaries. 

What usually pulls you out of a doomscrolling session? 
My phone freezing, going for a walk, or realizing that i have spent way to much time on it. 

Looking back, how do you think doomscrolling affects your life? 
I think it affects me less than others because i do it so little, but when it happens, it definitely increases stress and frustration. 

3: 22 year old man  

From Trondheim Norway, currently unemployed, enjoys reading and watching gaming streams on YouTube. 

Have you heard the term “doomscrolling” before? 
Yes, I know the term pretty well. 

What does it mean to you? 
Getting stuck consuming negative content, even when it ruins your mood. 

How often do you find yourself doomscrolling? 
Probably every day or a few times a week at least. 

What kinds of content do you tend to doomscroll? 
Comment sections, gaming drama, news about the economy, politics, and sometimes world news. 

What usually triggers you to start doomscrolling? 
Im unemployed at the moment so having too much free time and feeling unmotivated. 

Are there certain situations or moods that make you doomscroll more? 
When I feel stuck or anxious about the future. 

How do you usually feel while doomscrolling? 
Detached at first, then slowly more pessimistic i guess. 

How do you feel when you stop? 
Drained and guilty. Like I wasted time. 

Do you feel like doomscrolling serves a purpose? 
In the moment it distracts me from stress, even though it replaces it with a different kind. 

Have you ever tried to stop or reduce it? 
I’ve tried setting time limits, but I only ignore them. 

What usually pulls you out of a doomscrolling session? 
A lot of the time hunger, fatigue, or sometimes i manage ro switch to a game or book. 

Looking back, how does doomscrolling affect your life? 
It makes me feel more stuck and less motivated to change my situation. 

by Indigo Tschurtschenthaler -

Can smart design limit the glare of billboards?

a bright billboard on a street at night
Billboards cannot be shielded, as opposed to other fixtures, DarkSky

Electronic billboards, also called electronic message centers (EMC) can be up to ten times brighter than traditionally lit billboards, therefore harming the nighttime environment. Unlike light fixtures, they cannot be shielded and due to the horizontal disposition of LEDs, light is also emitted laterally and upward, into the sky. Light from EMCs can cause glare (a visual condition where intense light reduces vision and causes discomfort) and be a dangerous distraction to drivers. Other than that, it can affect breeding, foraging, and orientation in wildlife.

Due to the impossibility to shield EMCs, design can only slightly mitigate their glare. What is most important is careful operation, programming, and location of this technology.

The DarkSky Technical Committee developed EMC guidelines to provide planners, lighting designers, architects, biologists, government officials, and the general public with solutions for EMC related harm. The guidelines were published in January 2019 and include:

  1. Best practices for the amount of light emitted for urban, suburban, and rural areas
  2. A Curfew when EMCs should be switched off completely, from 11:00 p.m. or 30 minutes after the close of business (for on-premises signs) until one hour before sunrise 
  3. Best management practices to decrease or eliminate negative impacts on the environment and improve safety for drivers and pedestrians

The best management practices consist in 6 points:

  1. Monitoring — The EMC should continuously be monitored by its owner 
  2. Sensitive area setback — EMCs should not be placed within or close to natural areas, beaches, wetlands, state and national parks, wildlife refuges and residential areas
  3. Distraction limitation — Messages should minimise distraction to drivers and pedestrians by setting a minimum message duration, a maximum transition time between messages, and maintaining adequate spacing between EMCs
  4. Gradual brightness reduction — EMC luminance levels should gradually dim between daytime and nighttime modes 
  5. Size limits — Larger EMCs should be avoided
  6. Density limits — The number or combined size of signs permitted for a given road or area could be limited

Unlike other types of lighting, which are quantified by their illuminance (how much light falls upon a surface), EMCs are quantified by thor luminance (the luminous intensity leaving the sign). For this reason, a standard luminance meter should measure the white screen at the moment of installation.

This being said, design also plays a role in light pollution. Sustainability directory states that bright, saturated colours and high contrast also increase light pollution. To protect the night sky designers should opt for darker backgrounds and minimise the overall illuminated area.

by Indigo Tschurtschenthaler -

The world of billboards

During my previous research, I stumbled across Ankünder, the company that manages outdoor advertising in Graz. Allegedly this company is switching off their illuminated billboards at night, and I searched their website for further information relevant to interaction design and light pollution.

an Ankünder billboard in Graz
Billboard on Hauptplatz in Graz, Ankünder

I found information about their rolling advertising media “Poster Lights” and its advantages. It consists of backlit rolling (switching) posters. According to Ankünder, this method is effective due to its high visibility on the road. In addition, the rolling movement draws even more attention than the traditional billboard. They are intended to be used in combination with classic posters and are supposed to transmit high impact, recall and recognition values to the viewer.

“Poster Lights” rolling advertising media in action near Augarten in Graz

I then decided to find out more about the different types of billboards and how they are related to interaction design and light pollution.

According to the billboard service Blindspot, there are different types of billboards:

  • Static billboards, which are usually located on the side of highways and can be illuminated by another light source at night;
  • Digital billboards, which use LED or LCD screens to rotate multiple ads or display animated graphics;
  • Mobile billboards, placed on vehicles, which have the ability to reach strategic locations.
picture of static billboard
Static billboard, Pinpoint Media
picture of digital billboard
Digital billboards, Play Signage
picture of a mobile billboard
Mobile billboard on a truck, Lime Media

What changes between a digital and a static billboard is budget and flexibility. While LED or LCD billboards are more expensive, they allow content scheduling and catch more attention due to motion and bright colours. On the other hand, static billboards have higher installation costs, but they always occupy the same position, building brand familiarity. One example is the iconic Schweppes neon sign in Madrid’s Gran Vía, which is officially protected as a Monument of Cultural Interest.

picture of Schweppes billboard in Madrid
The huge Schweppes Billboard in Madrid is a mixture between static and digital, La Sexta

What caught my attention were interactive billboards. These use technology or analogue methods to create engagement with the viewer. Some methods are touchscreens, motion sensors, QR codes, and VR (in combination with one’s phone), but on another service called Media Venue I also read about scented billboards, a billboard that is a rock-climbing wall, or a company that gave its public the chance to vote on social media for the billboard to be displayed.

interactive billboard that can be climbed by Ikea Clermont-Ferrand
Billboard that can be climbed by Ikea Clermont-Ferrand, Archilovers

by julia.trummer -

#6 Technology Acceptance Across Ageing Societies

Central and Northern Europe: Austria, Finland and the Netherlands

In many European nations, the digital gap is defined by a sharp decline in internet use as individuals enter their late 70s and 80s.

  • Austria: A significant gap persists between younger and older cohorts. While 95% of Austrians aged 16 to 74 used the internet in 2023, only 53.8% of those aged 75 to 84 were online. Within this older group, the gap widens further: 64% of 75- to 79-year-olds are online, compared to just 43% of those aged 80 to 84. [3]
  • Finland: Research highlights that the gap is not just age-dependent but linked to frailty. While 80% of non-frail Finnish individuals have internet access, this drops to 46% among those considered frail, indicating that health status is a primary driver of the digital divide in this region. [4]
  • The Netherlands: Studies here show that technology use is negatively associated with lower social status and physical functioning, though gender differences in ICT use were not significantly observed in Dutch samples. [4]

Japan: Leading with Followers

Japan is a unique case due to its position as a world leader in demographic ageing, which has turned the country into a global laboratory for technology adoption.

  • Necessity as a Driver: Unlike other nations where technology may be viewed as a luxury, Japan’s acute labour shortages in agriculture and caregiving have forced a higher acceptance of automation. For example, the average age of a Japanese farmer is 68.4 years, leading to the widespread deployment of ICT-enabled heavy machinery to augment the skills of an ageing workforce. [1]
  • Psychological Drivers: A comparative study between Japan and the UK regarding online public services found that self-efficacy and ageing satisfaction were more prominent determinants of technology readiness and usage in the Japanese elderly population. [1]

What is ICT-enabled heavy machinery?

At its core, heavy tech machinery refers to large, powerful equipment integrated with modern technologies like GPS, telematics, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and advanced software. Unlike their purely mechanical predecessors, these machines can communicate, self-diagnose and perform tasks with a high level of accuracy. [2]

The United States: Sociodemographic and Racial Patterns

In the United States, the digital age gap is heavily influenced by a combination of sociodemographic factors and physical health.

  • Patterns of Use: US data indicates that technology use among older adults is strongly correlated with younger age, male gender, white race, higher education and being married. [4]
  • Health as a Barrier: Also physical fitness is a major hurdle; more than 75% of the American population aged 65+ reports difficulties in physical functioning, which correlates with decreased technology use. Furthermore, approximately 21% of US seniors have visual impairments that complicate digital screen interaction. [4]

Developing Countries: China and Bangladesh

In developing regions, the gap is often influenced by cultural norms and the speed of infrastructure development.

  • China: This region has seen a surge in research, particularly regarding smartphone acceptance. However, findings suggest that Chinese seniors under 65 are more likely to adopt these technologies, while older cohorts remain more resistant. [5]
  • Bangladesh: A distinct cultural gap exists here; older adults traditionally use mobile phones only for typical voice calls. The concept of receiving health care advice via a phone is a relatively new and daunting concept, leading to higher levels of technology anxiety compared to developed nations. [5]

Sources

[1] K. Kushida, “Japan’s Aging Society as a Technological Opportunity,” 2024. Accessed: Dec. 23, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://carnegie-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/files/ Kushida_Demographics%20and%20Tech%20Trajectories_final.pdf#page=23.21

[2] “What Exactly is Heavy Tech Machinery?,” Heavytechservices.ca, 2025. https://www.heavytechservices.ca/what-exactly-is-heavy-tech-machinery (accessed Jan. 05, 2026).

[3] N. Djahangiri, V. Kropfreiter, and J. Peterbauer, Internetnutzung von älteren Menschen in Österreich: Ergebnisse der Erhebung zum Einsatz von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien in Haushalten 2023. Wien, Austria: Statistik Austria, 2023.

[4] N. Halmdienst, M. Radhuber, and R. Winter-Ebmer, “Attitudes of elderly Austrians towards new technologies: communication and entertainment versus health and support use,” European Journal of Ageing, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 513–523, Apr. 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00508-y.

[5] Y.-Y. Yap, S.-H. Tan, and S.-W. Choon, “Elderly’s intention to use technologies: A systematic literature review,” Heliyon, vol. 8, no. 1, p. e08765, Jan. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08765.

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Embodied Interaction: How the Body Influences Our Perception of Slowness 7/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

UX and UI design is often viewed as a visual or cognitive discipline: layout, flows, clarity, usability.

However, every interaction with a digital service is also a physical experience. Users hold devices, move their fingers, adjust their posture, pause, breathe, and repeat gestures hundreds of times a day. The body is not an external factor, but the environment through which digital interaction takes place.

In the context of physical interaction, the main focus is on the physical layer of the user experience. This is especially important in “slowness”, as slowing down is not only perceived mentally or visually. It is felt through movement, tension, rhythm, and physical effort. Interfaces shape the behavior of the body — and, consequently, how time is perceived.

🤹‍♂️ The Body Inside Everyday Digital Services

Most everyday applications implicitly train the body to move quickly. Social media feeds encourage rapid scrolling, messaging apps reward instant responses, and productivity tools favor quick taps and minimal friction. These models may optimize efficiency, but they also accelerate the body’s rhythm:

Fingers move faster, attention shifts more frequently, and interactions become reactive.

[1] Lived Customer Experience

👋 Slow Gestures as UX Decisions

Gesture design is a powerful time management tool. When interaction is based on slow or prolonged gestures, it naturally discourages impulsive use.

Examples:

👉Long press instead of instant tap — requires a decision, not a reflex.
👉Holding to confirm actions — prevents accidental behavior.
👉Gradual unfolding of interactions — unfolds over time rather than ending instantly.

“A delayed button press is not just about waiting — it’s about signalling intention and providing feedback that connects the user’s body to the system. It creates a moment for the user to feel the interaction, rather than skim through UI elements without awareness.” — Lodestar Design [2]

👻 Tactile interaction and physical presence

Touch is not just a means of input, it carries emotional and temporal meaning. Touching, pressing, sliding, or holding are felt differently by the body, and interfaces that take this difference into account create a greater sense of stability.

Meditation and journaling apps often use this approach, avoiding aggressive touch navigation in favor of smooth transitions and prolonged touchscreen interaction.

A good example is the Calm [3] app, where respond smoothly to touch duration and pressure, that creates a stronger sense of presence. Instead of treating input as abstract commands, they treat it as physical engagement.

🏃 Movement-based feedback and body rhythm

Movement plays a key role in how the body interprets digital feedback. Abrupt animations signal urgency and demand attention. Smooth, gradual movements better match natural physical expectations.

Calm motion-based feedback:

👉 reduces startle response;
👉 supports continuity rather than interruption;
👉 mirrors the dynamics of physical processes in the real world.

Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines emphasize motion that feels “natural and respectful of user focus”, especially in transitions and state changes. This approach helps interactions feel less mechanical and more embodied.

“Aim for brevity and precision in feedback animations. When animated feedback is brief and precise, it tends to feel lightweight and unobtrusive.” — Apple Human Interface Guidelines, Motion [4]

⏸️ Pauses, Stillness, and Physiological Effects

Continuous interaction keeps the body in a state of readiness. Interfaces that never pause encourage shallow breathing and constant micro-movement. In contrast, designs that allow stillness — screens that wait, moments without animation, interactions without immediate feedback — create space for physiological regulation.

Some focus and writing tools deliberately avoid real-time notifications or visual noise, allowing users to remain physically settled for longer periods.

Good example is iA Writer, which minimizes interface elements to reduce physical and cognitive agitation.

📢 Why Embodied Interaction is important in UX/UI design

Without taking the body into account, slow design risks becoming superficial—calm visual effects are superimposed on fast, demanding interaction models. True slowness arises when visual, cognitive, and physical rhythms are aligned.

Designing with embodiment in mind means designing with how services are actually used, not just how they look on screens.

Sources 🛈

[1] Phenomenology and CX: Designing for Lived Experience in a Digital World. New Metrics. Available at: https://www.newmetrics.net/insights/phenomenology-and-cx-designing-for-lived-experience-in-a-digital-world/

[2] Process Doc: Micro Interactions of a Delayed Button Press. Lodestar Design (Medium). Available at: https://medium.com/@lodestar-design/process-doc-micro-interactions-of-a-delayed-button-press-456d7bcfb0b3

[3] Calm: Meditation, Sleep, and Relaxation App. Calm.com. Available at: https://www.calm.com/

[4] Motion — Human Interface Guidelines. Apple Developer. Available at: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/motion/

by elisa.berger -

Identitfiying the problem

The last weeks I was facing some struggles which is why this post was on-hold for a while. I felt a bit stuck and the reason is the size of this topic’s scope. While being unsure about the direction my research would take, I continued investigating about the neurological disorder and gathered more information. Although it made me feel like I could understand it better I felt a bit overwhelmed by the broadness of this topic and the lack of a cleary defined problem for my research.

Luckily I was able to organize a zoom meeting with a journalist that is diagnosed with migraine as well and dedicates their time to raise awareness about this disease. This conversation helped to identify core topics and possible themes i could look into.

These were some of the key takeaways from our meeting:

  • when talking to them and hearing about their own individual experience with migraine I realized how many aspects I could relate to but there were still several differences in how migraine affects us e.g.
    • the frequency of attacks (chronic migraine or episodical migraine)
    • intensity of an attack
    • aura
  • they mentioned the importance of talking to other migraineurs to feel more seen and understood
  • we have both used migraine apps to track our triggers and pain days
  • we agreed that awareness of this disease has increased over the last 20 years, but in our experience, it remains stigmatised and often misunderstood
  • they have created a very interesting sound installation to let people have an experience with an overwhelming migraine attack

This interview was essential to realize that my research and reflections outside of the investigation had already progressed so much and taken one direction without me noticing. The reason being that I didn’t take enough notes and that most of my thoughts weren’t written down to organize them which led to me feeling overwhelmed. I felt like I was already several steps ahead but this research diary was still on page 3. Another reason may be that since I am affected by this disorder I feel like already have a strong foundation of this topic and personal experiences with digital tools like Apps but at the same time I am trying to look into this topic from a scientifical and design perspective. Combining those perspectives turned out to be harder than I imagined, however I still belive that it could be significant for this research. As I have to find a way to incorporate both takes to have a meaningful result.

What does this topic have to do with design?

You may wonder about the relation of migraine with design as I haven’t really elaborated my intention. Design helps to create solutions whenever there are problems and a Designer decides to dedicate their time to ideate a creative solution to minimize the problem. But where does the problem lie in this case?

First of all one essential problem is the fact that there is no awareness about this complex disorder. I have mentioned this in previous blog posts but I realized it’s connection to the other problems. As this disease is not talked about enough it remains a stigmatized topic in our society with no space to talk about pain and sufferment caused by it. This could be a reason for migraineurs not being able to recognize their condition in the first place. With poor awareness and knowledge about this neurological disorder how should you even understand what is happening to you? Another problem is the difficulty of being diagnosed correctly and receive care by a healthcare professional and the time to get attended at a neurological appointment to be examined. I was about 19 years old when I learned that I had migraine with aura during my first appointment at a neurological institution I had been waiting for a year. The WHO (2025) states that the main clinical barrier lies in the lack of knowledge among health care providers.

The lack of effective communication between healthcare providers and their patients as a reason for unawareness of ways to reduce migraine attacks by lifestyle changes and stress management. Since almost everything is considered a trigger and the list of triggers is long and confusing and varies in most migraineurs. Why an attack is triggered at a certain point or what triggers it are questions that still need further investigation according to the Medical University Vienna (2016). But the patient education is a significant part of improving their condition (WHO,2025).

One approach to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks is to use so called pain calendars. There are physical paper templates (see image below) to write down the times you experienced a migraine and some of its characteristics e.g.

  • pain severity
  • symptoms
  • duration of pain
  • triggers (sleep quality, stress, menstruation, weather, etc.)

Personally I got tired of printing these templates my neurologist gave me and looked into digital solutions. Mobile apps have been developed for migraineurs to offer a fast and portable overview recognise triggers and warning signs and in the best case identify patterns (see image below). Currently, there are several apps that are either free or chargeable. My goal is to conduct a short evaluation of selected apps to analyze their design and effectiveness from a UX Design perspective. My hypothesis is that most of these apps are designed to track everything without even mentioning the risks on mental health and blame and controling self-management behaviour. From personal experience a few years ago when I used apps to track pain triggers I noticed a correlation in myself to developing a pesimistic and fearful mindset of sufferment. Therefore I am going to look into this issue and whether other patients also experience overanlalyzing and blaming oneself when an attack occurs although they made “healthy” choices.

My following approach

To distance myself a bit more from my own experiences and take the role of a User Researcher, i plan to create an online survey about migraine with and without aura. The goal will be to ask participants for the individual experience of aura and gather more insight into what migraineur’s struggles are. Besides, I would like to find out if they use any tools to track their pain days and if yes, which ones. Lastly, it could be interesting to ask them about a way to simulate an attack to raise awareness about migraine and if they can imagine it to be implemented in VR or with an App or an art installation?

Sources