by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Finding our way without rushing 10/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology #navigation #urbanexperience

[1] Photo by Margo Vorobeva

Most modern navigation tools are optimized for one goal: efficiency.
The fastest route. The shortest time. The fewest obstacles.

But cities are not just systems for getting around. They are places to experience, observe, and gradually build relationships with. And our movement through them shapes our sense of connection — or alienation.

I imagine a different type of navigation. One that adapts not only to geography, but also to people.

What if a map asked not only where you want to go, but also how you want to feel along the way?

🗺️ A map that takes into account:

⭐ your mood (calm, curious, tired, sociable);
⭐ your time (a quick walk or a day off);
⭐ your preferences (parks, cafes, quiet streets, shops, dog-friendly routes etc.);
⭐ and your familiarity with the city.

💡 Instead of constantly directing you along the same optimized routes, the system could gently suggest alternatives:

👉 a longer route through the park when you need to slow down;
👉 a street you’ve never walked down before;
👉 a neighborhood you usually pass by, but never visit;
👉 a café along the way when the time seems right.

This wouldn’t remove choice — it would expand it.
Multiple routes. Different rhythms. Clear intentions.

*Video is AI generated

Research by Gregory D Clemenson already shows that the way we navigate affects how we remember places and how focused we are on what is happening. Clear step-by-step instructions can reduce spatial awareness and personal engagement with the environment, while more exploratory or sensory forms of navigation promote cognitive mapping and concentration. [2]

Urban theorists such as Jan Gehl have long argued that cities should be designed with human experience in mind—for walking, stopping, observing, and staying—rather than solely for high throughput and speed. However, digital navigation often pulls us in the opposite direction. [3]

In large cities such as Vienna, London, New York, or Moscow, it is easy to live in a very small personal world:

🏠 home → 🖥️ work → ☕ favorite café → 🛍️ supermarket

Entire neighborhoods remain unknown, even after many years of living there. A slow, adaptive navigation system could gently open up these worlds. Not by forcing detours, but by inviting them.

I want to explore this idea in more detail: to develop a navigation interface that prioritizes quality of movement over speed, awareness over automation, and choice over control.

A map that doesn’t rush you to your destination,
but helps you build a relationship with the city along the way.

💚Thank you!💚

Sources 🛈

[1] Mobile photo: Movement. 35AWARDS Photography Contest. Best of Contest, Viewer’s Choice, Top 35. Photographer: Margo Aleksandrovna Vorobeva. Available at: https://35awards.com/page/contests/num/743

[2] Rethinking GPS navigation: creating cognitive maps through auditory cues. Scientific Reports, 2021. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8032695

[3] Gehl, J. Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Island Press, 2011. Available at: https://cus.ubt-uni.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jan-Gehl-Life-Between-Buildings_-Using-Public-Space-2011-Island-Press.pdf

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Slowness in Navigation: How Maps Shape the Way We Move 9/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology #navigation #urbanexperience

Most navigation tools are built around one promise: get me there fast. The “best” route is usually the shortest, fastest, or most efficient. And, as with many digital products, this default value subtly trains us to behave in a certain way: we start moving through places rather than being in them.

This article looks at maps as interfaces that design movement. Not just in apps, but in cities too. When a system optimizes speed, it changes what we pay attention to, how we feel while traveling, and what we remember afterward.

🤔 Why this matters (beyond convenience)

❗ Your attention narrows: you follow instructions rather than your surroundings.
❗ Exploration slows down: you stop noticing landmarks, textures, narrow streets, and “micro-attractions.”
❗ Stress builds up: constant updates and the “keep moving” logic can feel like pressure—similar to how notifications increase the sense of urgency in digital life.

🚶‍➡️ Maps as “pace setters”

When using turn-by-turn navigation, you delegate some of the tasks of orientation and decision-making. Research in the field of navigational assistance has raised concerns that clear directions may reduce the effectiveness of spatial learning (you reach your destination, but remember less information about the route).

This is the key question of “slow living” in navigation:

Do we need a tool that simply takes us from point A to point B, or one that helps us connect with the place?

“…current GPS apps (based on turn-by-turn navigation) promote a passive form of navigation that does not support learning or the formation of cognitive maps.” — Microsoft Research, Redmond (2021) [1]

🗺️ Comparing map logics (what each app “optimizes for”)

1. Google Maps [2]

👉 Key principle: efficiency + accessibility for all


Advantages:
➕Extremely efficient A→B routing, multimodal options, reliable POI database.

Designed for quick decision-making: “best route,” “fastest route,” “leave now.”

Disadvantages:
➖The “fastest” approach may dominate, even if you have time.
➖Research is present, but it is secondary to speed (you can explore, but the interface pushes you toward achieving your goal).

2.Yandex Maps [3]

👉 Key principle: city management + detailed urban practicality (Russian cities)

Advantages:
➕ Often very detailed dense urban development: entrances, public transport logic, accurate location determination.
➕ The feeling of “the city as a system”: created for everyday travel in difficult conditions.

Disadvantages:
➖ As a rule, it supports a functional rhythm focused on daily travel: fast, straightforward, problem-solving.

3.Mapy.cz [4]

👉 Key principle: outdoor recreation + hiking/walking/cycling culture

Advantages:
➕ Great for hiking as an activity, not just a means of transportation.
➕ Offline-oriented logic and detailed route information encourage exploration and the creation of longer routes.

Specific example: Mapy.cz emphasizes offline maps and convenient route planning as a key set of features (especially useful for hiking, trekking, and traveling).

Disadvantages:
➖ The product “expects” you to wander. This expectation alone changes the pace.

Let’s compare the same place — the city center of Vienna — across different map interfaces:

Google maps
Yandex maps
Mapy.cz

🙋 Why would “slow navigation” be optimized?

If we rewrite the criteria for success, we get a different interface:

Instead of: the fastest route
Try: a peaceful route / an interesting route / a safe route / an accessible route / a shaded route / a scenic route

Slow navigation could purposefully include:
👉 landmarks (parks, observation decks, cafes) as key elements of the route
👉 rest stops (benches, quiet places, small squares) as part of the journey
👉 a gentle choice instead of one “best” route (3 moods, not 3 minutes)

This is directly related to the city: if streets are shared spaces, design should not only serve drivers and speed.

Sources 🛈

[1] Rethinking GPS navigation: creating cognitive maps through auditory cues. Scientific Reports. 2021. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8032695

[2] Google Maps.Google LLC. Available at: https://www.google.com/maps

[3] Yandex Maps. Yandex LLC. Available at: https://yandex.com/maps

[4] Mapy.cz. Seznam.cz, a.s. Available at: https://mapy.cz

by elisa.berger -

Evaluating survey about migraine

In the last post I created a short survey with the goal to find out more about the different individual experiences of migraine and gather more information about struggles and possible tools and solutions.

Participants

After creating the survey with nine questions on SurveyMonkey I shared it with people I know that also suffer from migraine with or without aura. During the peer review in class a fellow student told me that they could share this survey with a friend as well. So in total, I collected answers from six participants.

Evaluation of results

Visual aura

Half of the participants experience an aura, while one person just experiences it sometimes and one particpant doesn’t.

In this survey zig-zag lines or flashing lights and temporary vision loss e.g. blind spots are experienced by 67%. Difficulty speaking or and other symptoms were experienced by 33%. The two people responded with “Other” specified their answer in their own words. One of them mentionend that prior to their migraine led lights have a multiplier effect. If they see them during or after an tattack they see bright colors with something close to the shape of the tiny lights all over the place. Another response was they perceive a change of taste, a weird sensation in the mouth/saliva.

Biggest pain

The answers about the most difficult part of living with migraines show similiar topics. Some contestants stated that not being able to predict or control a migraine attack as the worst. Others mentioned the enduring headache pain or sufferment for two days. While other participants explained that feeling paralysed, uncapable physically and mentally and not being able to speak, think or work is their biggest pain point. One person also wrote that sleep is the only effective “medicine” for them although sleeping during an attack hurts.

Migraine prevention

Two people knew about the importance of regular meals and sleep routines. One person mentioned their diet. Two participants said that they try to drink lots of water and to take it slow and taking enough breaks. One also takes magnesium supplements. Another responded that they avoid strong lights such as cars at night while driving or the light of screens.

One person answered that they don’t do anything to prevent attacks anymore. They used to take pills especially for migraines as soon as they noticed the beginning of a migraine. But this wasn’t a guaranteed help.

Influenced life areas by migraine

The area that was the majority of 66% of participants voted for is the career/ productivity. On second place is mental health, followed by social life and family life. One person specified their answer with “struggles and stress” although this could be generalized with the mental health area.

Migraine tracking

Four migraine patients don’t track any of their symtoms or pain days. One person answered that they used to but currently doesn’t and only one of the six participants actually uses an App called “Garmin connect”.

Feeling understood by non-migraineurs

The majority doesn’t feel understood by people who don’t suffer from migraines. 50% answered with “disagree” and 33% with “strongly disagree”. One person gave a neutral rating.

However, 67% “strongly agreed” with the helpfulness of talking to migraineurs and 33% with “agree”. Showing that all of them appreciates sharing or listening to other people with migraine.

Preferred medium for a migraine aura simulation

The majority (83%) prefers an inmersive art installation for a simulation of migraine aura. Followed by VR on second place (50%).

One person added a comment that they think it’s essential that the simulation could be experienced at random, unexpected moments like in a meeting, at school, at university, on a date or at an event.

And one migraine paitient responded that they would be afraid that these simulations would trigger an attack.

Interpretation of the results

The survey results highlight a significant “empathy gap” between migraineurs and society . While participants struggle most with the unpredictability and physical paralysis of attacks, they feel largely misunderstood by those around them who have never had an attack.

Besides, an interesting finding is that tracking methods (apps or Websites) are not used, suggesting a need for more seamless or rewarding monitoring.

All of the participants value peer-to-peer connection which could indicate that community-based solutions could be more effective than isolated self-management.

The high interest in an aura simulation, specifically one that mimics the unexpected timing of an attack, reflects a desire to communicate the loss of control that defines the condition.

Limitation of this survey

For future reserach more participants would have to answer the questions to offer significant quantitative results and to prove the mentioned findings.

Tool

I realized during the creation of the survey that the free version of the SurveyMonkey tool only offered nine questions and no questions with answers in Likert scale format. However, I found a way to work around these limitations and create a short version of my survey.

by amelie.bund -

[DesRes 1] Agile_x_SelfCheckout No. 10: Next Steps

No. 10: Next steps

After one semester I’m still happy with my chosen topic, or rather say topics (plural). I still believe that my thesis will make sense by combining the agile topic with the use case of cash registers. As one might already tell, simply by looking at blog entries, I had some struggle outlining and combining these two perspectives. Overall I think the working title Agile_x_SelfCheckout is a good approach to sum up what I’m working on.

Dividing the topics more clearly

For the future I have decided to cover each topic separately in my research. So for example in the first half of the next semester I will cover the “agile” perspective, and in the second half it will be all about the findings concerning the cash registers.

Collaboration with REWE Digital

I have started my student job at REWE Digital some weeks ago. I already have a better perspective now on my responsibilities at work. The biggest benefit of collaborating with this company is that I have the access to the test systems and could perform detailed user tests, even including pseudo payments.

Disclosure and sensitive information

As for the blog entries this means that I have to be really careful about what information I am allowed to include in each entry. I have to make sure not to expose disclosed information that is to be kept a secret within the company.

Self Checkout or Served Solutions

So far I have put a lot of focus on self checkout solutions. However, it depends on my specific tasks and goals as an employee of REWE digital, which prototypes I will get to work on.

One things remains: whatever artifact I will be working on, I know that I will have the possibility to cover something relevant to the whole service design process.

Accessibility?

The topic of accessibility remains my biggest concern. I would love to cover it, but once again, due to the possibilities within my employment, it still needs to be decided wether or not, this is a relevant topic or not.

Next Semester

I am looking forward to continuing working on this project and increase my expertise concerning agile project management, as well as getting a better understanding of the struggles users of both served as well as self checkout registers are exposed to.

I will kick off the next semester by adapting my research question to open more possibilities.

by karen.johannesen -

Final Post: Process reflections & recap

Process reflections

It has been a difficult task to do research and write weekly blog posts. I have previously been more used to a scientific paper based approach to research, where you take your time to lay out a plan first before worrying about producing an output. As I am used to this process taking time, I now felt more rushed to figure out the direction of where I am going, how I would do it etc. each week. This often left me feeling paralyzed, procrastinating, leaving the work to the last minute. I found myself not producing anything helpful, neither for me or others reading the blog posts later. 

Coming from a university with less modules and lectures to focus on also made this shift difficult in balancing and managing the workload of the different modules. This in turn affected the blog post, which often fell at the back of my head. With this in mind I take with me the importance of laying out a temporary plan for what research methods one thinks would be fitting for the topic and focusing on one thing at the time. Swapping topics also led me to having to start all over and it was limited what I was able to do with the short amount of time with each, although I could definitely have dug a little deeper.

I believe I could have done research using more varied methods than simply looking at previous research, surveys, analysing and some of my own thoughts and experiences. For example some interviews, user testing, maybe try to create some user journeys to see where changes could’ve been made. 

Recap

To summarize what the previous blog posts consisted of, we know that EBSN connects people through activities rather than direct matchmaking. This we can see in Meetup, an EBSN that prioritizes events and groups over individual connections and has limited personalization of your profile. With the previously mentioned loneliness epidemic I see EBSN or matchmaking applications being a potential helper in battling this epidemic. However, it feels as if the matchmaking applications are often not encouraging real meetups, but just there to offer another game to play. While the EBSN has a more community and event focus, rather than individual connections. I believe one needs to work on bridging the gap between the offline and online world, and by lowering the stress and tempo of the individual connection to let people connect on a deeper level.

by karen.johannesen -

The matchmaking design

This topic of designing for better connections has also been studied in relation to videogames. Johnson and Mitchell (2016) reviewed different kinds of matchmaking systems in videogames that go beyond matchmaking based on skills. Overdog was a matchmaking service for Xbox One that matched players based on their interest, although it seems as though its activity was low. They also found that matchmaking based on location was important for the gaming community (Johnson & Mitchell, 2016). Most matchmaking applications do follow the location principle either restricting users to see people in their area based on their location data or a location picked by their choice. Although the latter makes it possible for users to choose locations in which they are actually not in, losing some of its purpose. 

In one way matchmaking apps that are available today are not that different from a game. The swiping almost feels like a game in the way that one is making rapid decisions based on brief and direct information, and receiving celebratory animations once there is a match. From some interviews about Bumble and Bumble BF some found this rapid swiping positive in order to find compatible people based on interests, and “eliminating” those who do not share the same interests, while others felt like there is too little information. Although the function already existed, some wished it would be possible to filter who you see based on their interest tags. This comes to show that this function has not been designed to be visible enough for users to easily find in the app (Capelli, 2025).

This rapid swiping and having to send a message 72 hours after matching made the participant feel stressed while using the app. Participants felt like they did not take the time to get to know people properly as one would in real life. Based on this, and more,  Capelli suggests that this suggests that the participants wished for the interactions of the app to be closer to what one would normally do in real life settings. Some participants that were interviewed tried to meet as early as possible offline and move the connection from being digital to more real (Capelli, 2025). Perhaps these applications should get better in pushing and supporting meetings quicker, than simply opening up a chat and letting the people themselves take it from there. As taking this next step is not as easy for everyone.

Bumble does actually offer a function that allows for offline meetups. Here users can create and join events. Some participants said they enjoyed this function as it allowed for meeting a more varied group of people, instead of just getting stuck on swiping people with the same interest. Leaving people more open to meet more people beyond their own hobbies, and doing so in real life (Capelli, 2025). Such functions should definitely be more included in matchmaking apps in order to bridge the offline and online connection better. What is also something that should be more looked into is how to design the matchmaking to feel more like how you meet people in the offline world to make it feel less like a game and another task to do.

Resources

Capelli, I. (2025). Tensions in Curating Connections Online: Exploring FLINTA* Users’ Experiences with the Platonic Matchmaking App Bumble For Friends. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1971122&dswid=-1870 

Horton, E., Johnson, D., & Mitchell, J. (2016, November). Finding and building connections: moving beyond skill-based matchmaking in videogames. In Proceedings of the 28th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction (pp. 656-658). https://doi.org/10.1145/3010915.3011857 

by julia.trummer -

#9 (10) Final Post

In this final post of the semester, I want to come back to some of the research questions I defined at the beginning of this journey, especially the two different directions this topic can take. I believe the challenge of older adults struggling with technology can be approached in two ways: one focuses on how interaction design can support them in learning digital skills, while the other asks how we, as designers, can make digital systems easier to understand in the first place.

Interaction design can support older adults in learning digital skills by acting as a something like a cognitive guide that reduces mental effort, aligns with their unique conceptual frameworks and fosters the trust for experimentation.

As Designers we can try:

1. Aligning with Seniors’ Mental Models

  • Older adults conceptual models of technology often differ significantly from the screen-centered logic used by younger generations. [1]
  • Linear Logic over Screen-Based Logic: Seniors frequently intuitively adopt a linear, storytelling-like approach to interactions. Interaction design can support learning by using step-by-step narratives rather than multi-layered, interactive screens that can be disorienting. [1]
  • Contextual Clarity: Older users may confuse similar UI elements, such as address bars and search fields. Design should use explicit, consistent wording and “polite” system feedback, to align with their social expectations and provide a sense of security. [1]
  • Separating Interface from Implementation: Seniors often struggle to distinguish between the frontend (what they see) and the backend (how it works). Design that clearly defines the interface as a “method of communication” might help them grasp the abstract nature of software. [1]

2. Teaching Strategies

Secondly it would be possible to teach elderly people about systems and how they work. Instruction for older adults is most successful when it moves away from standard methods and aligns with the cognitive preferences of the age group.[1]

  • Align with Linear Mental Models: Seniors often approach technology through a “storytelling” or linear logic rather than the screen-based, multi-layered logic common in modern software. Designing learning paths that follow a step-by-step narrative can help them internalise abstract concepts.[1]
  • Abstract Thinking Exercises: Before diving into software, starting with exercises like drawing symbols for abstract terms can prepare seniors for the conceptual nature of digital interfaces. [3]
  • Minimise Cognitive Friction: Instruction should focus on minimising friction by reducing the number of steps required to complete an action, which supports those who process fewer “discrete information bits” at one time. [4]
  • Provide Task Support: Using external cues, reminders and labels, known as environmental support, can compensate for memory decline and improve performance to the level of younger learners. [2]

Next Steps

I already have some ideas for the next steps. I’d like to dive deeper into the interaction side of this topic and as mentioned in the presentation, I’m also considering running a workshop. While researching similar projects, I found that when working with older adults, confidence and trust are often bigger hurdles than the technology itself.

Sources

[1] D. Orzeszek et al., ‘Beyond Participatory Design: Towards a Model for Teaching Seniors Application Design’, arXiv [cs.CY]. 2017.

[2] F. Craik, ‘Memory Changes in Normal Aging’, Current Directions in Psychological Science – CURR DIRECTIONS PSYCHOL SCI, vol. 3, pp. 155–158, 10 1994.

[3] Thefinchdesignagency, “Building User Trust in UX Design: Proven Strategies for Better Engagement,” Medium, Feb. 05, 2025. https://medium.com/@thefinchdesignagency/building-user-trust-in-ux-design-proven-strategies-for-better-engagement-c975aa381516

[4] G. A. Wildenbos, L. Peute, and M. Jaspers, “Aging barriers influencing mobile health usability for older adults: A literature based framework (MOLD-US),” International Journal of Medical Informatics, vol. 114, pp. 66–75, Jun. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2018.03.012.

[5] 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.

[6] F. Craik, ‘Memory Changes in Normal Aging’, Current Directions in Psychological Science – CURR DIRECTIONS PSYCHOL SCI, vol. 3, pp. 155–158, 10 1994.

by ylva.larsen -

Recap and final presentation prep

To refresh, domscrolling is defined as: The compulsive habit of spending excessive time online scrolling through negative news or content that causes feelings of sadness, anxiety, or anger, even when it’s disheartening. And my main research question starting this project was: Can ethical and intentional design help decrease peoples doomscrolling habits?

How design promotes doomscrolling

through my secondary research i found that there are three main categories of ways design leads to an increase of doomscrolling.

1: Interface Features that Reduce Friction. For example infinite scroll, autoplay, and constant content availability.

2: Algorithmic Personalization and Content Curation. Algorithms prioritize content that maximizes engagement, often selecting emotionally intense, sensational, or negative material.

3: Persuasive Design and Reward Mechanisms. Notifications, social feedback, rewards, and habit-forming triggers.

My Personal Expriments

Did three personal experiments to try to decrease my own doomscrolling and screentime.

1: No phone in the morning. The one that worked out best for me

2: Time limit on apps. Worked to some extent, but too esy to ignore as is does not feel urgent at the moment. This method is the one that has do anything to do with the actual innterface design, having a notificatio pop up, maybe there is a better way to execute this?

3: 30 min deddicated scroll time. Did not work for me at all.

I did manage to decrease my wn screentime a little bit after a while, but I am not sure wether is is due to the exersises in my experiments or just by doing so much research and becomming more aware of the issue.

Interviews

I held 6 interviews with people between the age of 10 and 70. The most Interesting finds relevant to design were the fact that the most common hook that drives people to start doomscrolling was notifications from news, social media apps an such. Also that the type of content mostly consumed while doomscrolling is short-form videos with autoplay settup.

I also found that 4/6 wanted to reduce their own doomscrolling, so there is a wish and hopefully a maket for trying to solve this problem.

Posible design solutions

I also found three posible solutions designers can follow to decrease doomscrolling:

1: Introducing Design Frictions. For example manual content loading giving natural stopping points instead of infinite scroll

2: Regulating Addictive and Manipulative Design. For example transparency requirements, or restrictions on exploitative design.

3: Alternatives to Algorithmic Platform Designs. For example chronological feeds instead of algorithmic and user-controlled recommendation systems.

Future vision

I find this topic very interesting but I will probably not choose this as my masters topic as i am most interested in product design.

However, one posible outcome I have thought of is to elevate the time limit restricting notifications. This tool had did not work very well for me because it did not seem important or urgent to follow the notifictions nudging as i could easily ingnore it. I think that it would be more effective to impliment some sort of character that you could feel emathy for, or propose the break from screentime as a team effort.

by Indigo Tschurtschenthaler -

The niche of light pollution games

Let’s take a look at how to raise awareness on light pollution through gamification.

people gathered at night to install new lights
The installation of new lighting by the DARKER SKY Project, photo: Burmann/NPorts

Nienke Aal, wildlife management student at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences did an internship at the DARKER SKY Project. It is an Interreg North Sea project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, which aims at reducing light pollution and increasing biodiversity and ecological connectivity. In her report about the experience, Nienke describes the creative and collaborative approach of the project. In fact, it involved designers, ecologists, and storytellers, who all contributed to create a nature-friendly night.

Students of the minor Design for Complex Problems from NHL Stenden, the Netherlands developed interactive sessions with stakeholders to inform and encourage reflection and behavioural change. They showed them different pictures of artificial lighting and asked them to rate them as either “good” or “bad”. They approached the activity with an open mind and showed that listening is equally important as designing.

Students from the course Communication and Multimedia Design (CMD) also from NHL Stenden created a board game and an animation to raise awareness about light pollution. The game took players through four different habitats, each with a different light. Light was the villain in the game, causing difficulties to players and ultimately leading them to lose. The animation on the other hand showed the effects of light pollution on animals, but translated to humans. With light, the character felt more and more exhausted. At the end, the curtains close and the relief can be felt with the help of music. After watching the animation, five out of nine people who had not worried about light pollution before admitted that they felt concerned about the future of biodiversity.

people looking at computer screens, and talking. On the background, a big whiteboard with many sticky notes
man playing a board game
a final concept presentation

These photos were all taken by Nienke Aal for DARKER SKY. Unfortunately I could not find any close-up pictures. Nevertheless, reading about them was inspiring and made me realise that design, interdisciplinarity and non-formal education can really tackle complex issues.

Another example of interaction design for awareness I found is the videogame Lux, developed at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi in Canada. It is designed to promote better lighting practices among the population and show the impact light pollution has on animals. Although games about light pollution are not very common, they are usually educative and serious, while this one wants to give a playful twist to the issue.

The story is set in a North American city plagued by light pollution. In the game, the player is Lux, a cat that has the mission to save small animals incapacitated by the dazzle. Lux performs different tasks, including replacing blue light bulbs with warmer ones and correcting their orientation. A drone, which represents the enemy, emits a light that disorients the protagonist.

cute calico cat with hoodie and backpack, seen from the front and from the back
Lux, the protagonist, Lux
game loop with tasks for Lux the cat
The game loop, Lux

The description gives us detailed information about the UI, the design method used and character design. The UI introduces icons and bold words in the text bubbles to help the player skim through the speech bubbles. The Lux game was developed using a user-centered design approach and the Agile method, where playtesting had an essential part. 

All animals are native to the northern American environment and are named after light or energy references, such as Candela, Joule, Étincelle and Lumen.

Candela the barn owl says: Good start. Now, to replace a blue light, you first need to find an orange light.
Candela, the barn owl, gives instructions to the player. The UI introduces icons and bold words in the text bubbles to help fast reading and improve accessibility, Lux
Final concept art of Joule the bird, Étincelle the opossum, Lumen the moth and the surveillance drone
Some of the characters with light and energy inspired names, Lux
screenshot of the mission "separated family": find the three baby opossums and bring them back to their mother.
In level 2 the player has to locate and bring back three opossum babies, after their mother almost gets hit by a truck with blinding headlights and loses them, Lux

Lux wants to play with contrast: light seems necessary for humans, but it can be harmful for animals. Through this game, players can easily learn good practices that are friendly to fauna and can recognise problematic lighting in their environment.

I really recommend you to read the whole game description, I think it is a masterpiece because every detail is carefully selected, plus the characters are adorable.

videogame with pixelated night sky and speech bubble at the bottom
The game Growing Light by Space Owl

I also found a short game that depicts a quiet moment, Growing Light by Space Owl. In it, some campers observe the stars at night. The player can use arrow keys or the touch screen to search the night sky with the telescope and follow the campers’ conversation. The author’s motivation behind this minigame is showing that we are missing out on a chunk of the human experience if we’re deprived of our view of the night sky. It is very short and simple: as a player, you only move the telescope and make the characters speak. Still, the simplicity of the plot, the minimal interaction and the dark colours were able to transmit me serenity.

board game
The printable “board” of Journey through a Bright Night

I am ending this article about gamification with an analogue example called Journey through a Bright Night. It is a board game developed by a mother and her two children, who wanted to educate their classmates about light pollution. It is an open source game that can be downloaded, printed on a sheet of paper and played with just a dice and playing pieces. While moving forward on the path, players face the same challenges that animals of different species encounter due to light pollution. The game’s format already exists, but it is educational thanks to detailed explanations.

Researching games about light pollution has been fascinating. I discovered a whole genre that I did not know existed. Unfortunately they are not very popular because environmental causes rarely are a reason for profit and this one is still a niche. I hope some day light pollution will get as much attention as plastic in the oceans, fast fashion, greenhouse emissions and deforestation, and maybe design can help make that happen.

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

The City as a Designed System: Architecture, Space, and Pace 8/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

In my last three blog posts, I want to focus more on the city and the human experience in the city, the moments when we slow down and speed up, why this happens, and how design can shape our experience. In the last 10th blog post, I will describe an idea that came to me while using maps for traveling, hiking, and using maps in the three countries where I have lived.

Cities often have a default sense of urgency. We rush through the streets, quickly moving between buildings and rarely stopping unless there is a clear reason to do so. This feeling of acceleration is usually associated with modern lifestyles or digital technologies. However, long before the advent of smartphones and notifications, the city itself was already shaping the speed at which we move.

🏛️ Architecture as an Invisible Script

“First we shape the cities — then they shape us.” — Jan Gehl, Life Between Buildings (2011) [1]

Urban planning determines not only where we can go, but also how we get there. Wide, straight streets encourage continuous movement. Narrow sidewalks discourage lingering. Long building facades with minimal variation encourage visual scanning rather than observation. Even the absence of benches, ledges, or secluded corners suggests that stopping is not expected.

[2] Vester Voldgade, Copenhagen.

🤳🏾 Cities as Interfaces

From an interactive design perspective, a city can be viewed as an interface consisting of physical components:

👉 streets as navigation paths;
👉 intersections as points of interaction;
👉 buildings as visual landmarks;
👉 public spaces as potential places to pause — or missed opportunities.

As in digital systems, default settings matter. When urban space is designed primarily for efficiency, throughput, and movement, speed becomes the implicit norm. There is little friction, but also little invitation to linger.

Urban planner Kevin Lynch in his book “The Image of the City” emphasized how spatial clarity aids orientation and movement, but also warned that excessive legibility can turn a city into a mere transportation environment rather than a place where new experiences can be had.

[3] Urban Planning Elements: Kevin A. Lynch.

🏃‍♀️ Designing for Flow, Not Staying

Modern cities are increasingly optimizing flows: transportation efficiency, pedestrian capacity, visibility, and safety. While these goals are valid, they often result in spaces that are difficult to inhabit at a leisurely pace. Transitional areas—entrances, plazas, underpasses—are designed to move people through, not allow them to linger.

This logic stands in sharp contrast to alternative urban models such as the Cittaslow movement. The Cittaslow manifesto explicitly challenges acceleration as a default urban value, proposing a city designed not primarily for throughput, but for quality of everyday life. [4]

🦥 What is a Slowcity:

The Cittaslow manifesto contains seventy recommendations and obligations, the main ones being the following :

  • Enhancement of the historic urban heritage by avoiding the construction of new buildings.
  • Reduction of energy consumption.
  • Promotion of ecological technologies.
  • Multiplication of green spaces and leisure areas.
  • Cleanliness of the city.
  • Priority to public transport and other non-polluting transport.
  • Reduction of waste and development of recycling programs.
  • Increase in the number of pedestrian areas.
  • Development of local shops.
  • Development of community infrastructures and equipment adapted to the disabled and the various ages of life.
  • Development of a genuine participatory democracy.
  • Preservation and development of local customs and regional products.
  • Exclusion of GMOs.

🏎️ Pace as a Design Outcome

[5] Making Cities Slower… And Safer For All.

Speed in the city is rarely a personal choice. It is determined by structural decisions: street width, building density, visibility, and the presence or absence of places to rest. These elements together determine the rhythm of the city.

Understanding the city as a designed system helps shift the focus away from blaming individuals for driving too fast. Acceleration is often not a mindset—it is an architectural condition.

Speed in the city is rarely a personal choice. It is shaped by structural decisions embedded in street design and urban layout. When movement is prioritized over presence, speed becomes the default — even in spaces meant to be shared.

“City streets aren’t the sole domain of cars and their drivers. They’re also home to pedestrians of all ages, to cyclists, mobility scooter and wheelchair users, to groups of playing children, and mass transit passengers. They are shared spaces, which means they need to provide safety to all.” — Making Cities Slower and Safer for All, Forbes (2024) [6]

Sources 🛈

[1] Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space. Jan Gehl. Island Press, 2011. Available at: https://cus.ubt-uni.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jan-Gehl-Life-Between-Buildings_-Using-Public-Space-2011-Island-Press.pdf

[2] Vester Voldgade, Copenhagen. Massengale Blog. Available at: https://blog.massengale.com/2015/07/19/vester-voldgade/

[3] Urban Planning Elements: Kevin A. Lynch. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8OuADNE1EQ

[4] In Praise of Slowness: Let’s Slow Down the City! Citego. Available at: https://www.citego.org/bdf_fiche-document-1735_en.html

[5,6] Making Cities Slower and Safer for All. Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewinkless/2024/07/17/making-cities-slower-and-safer-for-all/