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 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/

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 julia🐨razumovskaia -

Temporal Experience in UX: How Interfaces Shape Our Sense of Time 6/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

In UX design, time is almost never neutral.


Even if an interface is designed to be “fast,” it still actively influences the perception of time: as pressure, flow, anticipation, boredom, or calm. Users don’t perceive milliseconds — they perceive moments. In this sense, every interface is also a temporal system.

From a technical perspective, time is rather an objective parameter. Loading takes a certain number of seconds, animations have a fixed duration, and interactions can be measured and optimized. From a human perspective, time is definitely subjective and variable. The same interaction can be perceived as rushed or relaxed depending on how it is structured, presented, and built. UX design is not just a process that occurs over time — it creates a sense of time.

Waiting Is a Designed Experience

Waiting is often treated as a failure state, something to hide or minimize. Yet waiting is one of the most emotionally charged temporal moments in UX.

The loading moment may sometimes feel:

👉 stressful and uncertain;
👉 neutral and unnoticeable;
👉 or calm and exciting.

This depends not so much on duration as on meaning. Progress indicators, language, movement, and visual rhythm all influence whether waiting is perceived as wasted time or purposeful preparation. When waiting is well structured, users tolerate it better—sometimes they hardly notice it.

“Show people what’s taking so long and they’ll be more satisfied. Sometimes they even *prefer a longer waiting time with information over a bland progress bar that is twice as fast because they know what to expect.” — Sanne Eikelboom [1]

Micro-Interactions Create Temporal Rhythm

“Micro-interactions are small but crucial elements that enhance user experience (UX). They offer intuitive cues and turn routine tasks into enjoyable moments. Learn about their significance in modern UX design through examples and best practices. Understand how these subtle interactions contribute to more engaging and intuitive digital environments.”[2]

[3] Micro-interactions to delight your users: what, when and how.

Micro-interactions shape our perception of the interface:

👉reactive or thoughtful;
👉hasty or deliberate;
👉demanding or forgiving.

Temporary perception arises not from a single animation, but from the accumulated rhythm of interaction.

Compression and fragmentation of time

Many digital products compress time by eliminating pauses and natural stopping points. Infinite scrolling, autoplay, and algorithmic sequencing contribute to continuous movement.

“The infinite scroll is just another one of these addictive design features … I often find myself … scrolling through recommended feeds on YouTube and Netflix for minutes on end, only to give up and not watch anything because nothing seems interesting. … You scroll. And scroll and scroll and scroll.” — Grant Collins [4]

The result is not only faster consumption, but also a disruption of the sense of time:

👉 users feel constantly active;
👉 but rarely feel present in the moment;
👉 and time passes without a clear memory of how it was spent.

Speed here does not equal efficiency — the opposite, it often leads to fatigue.

Making Time Visible Again

Some interfaces take the opposite approach: time is displayed rather than hidden. When users see the duration, progress, or boundaries of a session, they regain awareness and control over the situation.

“Showing elapsed time … accentuates the passing of each and every second and minute. When we show elapsed time, psychologically it is a bit of torture for the user and it accentuates the passing of each and every second and minute.” — Chris Kiess [5]

Examples include:

👉 a clear beginning and end;
👉 a summary of events or reflections on time;
👉 explicit pauses instead of endless continuation.

Visuality transforms time from something fleeting into something users can interact with and control.

When time becomes visible, interaction shifts from passive consumption to purposeful engagement. Users are no longer absorbed by a continuous default stream—they are given the opportunity to decide whether to continue, pause, or stop. Visibility transforms time from an invisible resource consumed by users into a shared reference point that they can understand and manage.

Sources 🛈

[1] Loading UX: Make Users Not Care About Having to Wait. UX Design. Available at: https://uxdesign.cc/loading-ux-make-users-not-care-about-having-to-wait-c3b02a0220b5

[2] Micro-Interactions in UX. Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/micro-interactions-ux

[3] Micro-interactions to delight your users: what, when and how. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgrkV_hJdJw

[4] Why the Infinite Scroll Is So Addictive. UX Design (UX Collective). Available at: https://uxdesign.cc/why-the-infinite-scroll-is-so-addictive-9928367019c5

[5] Expressing Time in UI & UX Design: 5 Rules…and a few other things. Prototypr. Available at: https://blog.prototypr.io/expressing-time-in-ui-ux-design-5-rules-and-a-few-other-things-eda5531a41a7

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Case Study Review: Digital Products That Already Practice Slowness 5/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

In this part of my research, I would like to review apps and digital products that, in my opinion, practice the basic principles I discussed in my previous article, or that align with the ideology of “slowness” and promote it to the masses.
I have tried all of these apps myself, and I will try to draw objective conclusions and also point out my observations while using the app.

🌳 Forest: Stay Focused

The app was created in 2014 in Taiwan by the Seekrtech team. The team was inspired by digital overload and the habit of constantly checking our phones. Unlike strict blockers, including iPhone blockers, Forest offers a beautiful, metaphorical approach to managing our attention, namely through the idea of growing and caring for a tree.[1]

How does it work ❔

The user plants a virtual tree, and the tree grows for a set period of time. If you exit the app or use your phone while the tree is growing, it will immediately die. In this way, attention is transformed into a process that requires time, patience, and consistency.
The interface is minimalistic and visually calm—almost nothing happens during a session in the app, which reduces cognitive load and supports slow and steady concentration.

Forest makes pausing and waiting a valuable experience rather than an interface flaw. The app demonstrates that slowness can be not an obstacle, but a conscious design tool that supports user attention and well-being.

🌟🌟Are.na (knowledge & research platform)

Are.na is an online social networking community and creative research platform founded by Charles Broskoski, Daniel Pianetti, Chris Barley, and Chris Sherron. Are.na was built as a successor to hypertext projects like Ted Nelson’s Xanadu, and as an ad-free alternative to social networks like Facebook, forgoing “likes,” “favorites,” or “shares” in its design. Are.na allows users to compile uploaded and web-clipped “blocks” into different “channels,” and has been described as a “vehicle for conscious Internet browsing,” “playlists, but for ideas,” and a “toolkit for assembling new worlds.[2]

How the slowness is practised ❔

⭐There is no endless feed or algorithmic content delivery.
⭐Users curate channels manually, gradually and consciously.
⭐There are no likes, ratings, or engagement metrics.

Why it matters❔:
The platform encourages slow accumulation and rethinking of information, rather than rapid consumption.

📖 Readwise Reader (reading & reflection tool)

Readwise is a digital tool designed to help you retain and organize the most valuable insights from your reading. Readwise leverages powerful techniques like spaced repetition and active recall to supercharge your memory. Through Daily Reviews, Readwise ensures you regularly revisit key insights from your reading material, perfectly timed to enhance retention. This prevents knowledge from slipping away and keeps your memory sharp.[3]

How does it work ❔[4]

How the slowness is practised ❔

Readwise has a very calm, understated interface: there are no notifications, endless feeds, or visual tricks that encourage rapid scrolling. Instead, the app encourages thoughtful, sequential reading. An important feature of Readwise is the ability to return to texts over time: saved fragments and notes periodically reappear, inviting you to reread and rethink them. As a result, reading ceases to be a one-time activity and becomes a longer, slower process of reflection, where understanding and memorization are more important than speed and quantity.

📩 Slowly (intentional communication app)

Slowly is created for those who yearn for the meaningful conversations that are lacking in the era of instant messaging. It connects people around the world at a slower but better pace.

Meet a new pen pal, seal your letter, and stamp it—start connecting with the world on Slowly![5]

I love this app! I meet the most wonderful people in a longer format, more curious, more meaningful context. I’ve met people who live across the river and across the ocean from me, and we are all so similar. — Paula Anderson [6]

How does it work ❔

Unlike instant messengers, messages do not arrive instantly: delivery time depends on the distance between the correspondents and can range from several hours to several days. This deliberate slowdown changes the very attitude towards communication — letters are written thoughtfully, not impulsively, paying attention to wording and meaning rather than speed of response.

This approach reduces the pressure of constant availability and the expectation of immediate responses. Communication becomes more conscious and emotionally rich, and the pause between messages ceases to be “empty time” and becomes part of the experience. Slowly shows that digital products can support depth and trust not through acceleration, but through rhythm and anticipation.

🎞️ Letterboxd (platform for mindful viewing and reflection on cinema)

Letterboxd — is not just a service for marking watched movies, but a space for a slow approach to media. Instead of clip consumption, it encourages users to record their impressions after viewing: users write notes, return to movies, and build their own history of taste over time. There is no pressure to rush — you can’t “scroll through” a movie, and feedback only appears after the experience is complete.[6]

How the slowness is practised ❔

⭐Interaction occurs after watching the film, not during.
⭐The emphasis is on reflection and forming an opinion, not on instant reaction.
⭐No endless consumption or autoplay.
⭐The profile functions as a personal archive of experiences, not as a quick content feed.

Sources 🛈

[1] Forest App. Forest: Stay Focused — About the App. Seekrtech Co., Ltd. Available at: https://www.forestapp.cc/

[2] Are.na. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are.na

[3] Readwise Docs. What Is Readwise? Readwise Documentation, 2025. Available at: https://docs.readwise.io/readwise/docs

[4] Readwise. Home Page, Readwise, 2025. Available at: https://readwise.io/

[5] Slowly. Home Page, Slowly, 2025. Available at: https://slowly.app/

[6] Letterboxd. Home Page, Letterboxd, 2025. Available at: https://letterboxd.com/

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Calm & Slow Interaction: Key Principles for Designing Attention – Aware Interfaces 4/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

Designing with slowness in mind does not mean slowing down or reducing the functionality of technologies. It is about creating interfaces that feel calmer, more understandable, and less demanding. Slow and calm interaction helps reduce digital stress and gives users more space to reflect, observe, and enjoy the moment.

Below are a few simple principles that demonstrate how you can incorporate slowness into everyday applications and digital interactions.

⏸️ Meaningful Pauses

Pauses allow users to understand, reflect, or simply take a breather between actions. These pauses don’t disrupt the experience, but rather structure it.

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Introduce short pauses before irreversible actions (e.g., deleting elements).
⭐ Add micro-delays to animations that create a natural rhythm to the interface instead of an instant transition.
⭐ Use loading states intentionally, providing small contextual cues instead of distracting spinning indicators.

A well-placed pause can transform interactions from reactive to intent-driven.

🐢 Gentle Transitions

Quick, sharp transitions create a sense of speed and urgency. Smoother transitions reduce cognitive strain and make interfaces more tactile.

“Your brain loves continuity. Abrupt changes? Stressful. Jerky movement? Distracting. Our minds crave flow. And transitional elements, when done right, smooth out the experience…” — Marco Mazzurrana [1]

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Replace instant screen switches with smooth transitions, slides, or dissolves.
⭐ Use easing curves that simulate physical motion rather than mechanical jumps.
⭐ Allow UI elements to appear gradually, rather than all at once.

Even a transition lasting 150–250 ms can change the feel of the interaction.

😵 Low information density

Screens with high information density overload working memory. Low density creates space for attention.

“High information density places heavy demands on user cognition, forcing the brain to process too many signals at once. In contrast, a leaner information layout reduces cognitive load and allows the mind to focus and make sense of content more easily.” — Poulami Chakraborty [2]

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Prioritize one task on each screen.
⭐ Ensure gradual disclosure of information: show only what is necessary at the moment.
⭐ Reduce the number of simultaneous notifications, icons, and visual competition.[3]

A calm interface communicates information only when necessary.

👂 Embodied interaction

Slowness can come from the body: breathing, posture, pace, and gestures shape how we interact with technology.

“Touch, sound, and vision are the primary senses apps use to influence how we behave. These sensory channels shape how we feel and respond before we even think about it.” — Harrish Murugesan [4]

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Use gestures that encourage slower, smoother movements (long press, drag, explore).
⭐ Integrate tactile feedback that mimics physical softness rather than sharp impulses.
⭐ Encourage interfaces that respond to movement — walking, pausing, turning — rather than just touch.

This principle brings interaction closer to real human rhythm.

⚡️ Reducing pressure when making decisions

Fast interfaces speed up the selection process, often increasing cognitive fatigue.[5]

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Provide clear recommendations instead of overloaded menus.
⭐ Limit the number of options available at once; use structured instructions.
⭐ Offer “later” or “not now” options to reduce urgency.

Reducing pressure creates psychological space.

⌛ Temporal consistency

A slow interface should not switch unexpectedly between fast and slow modes; its rhythm is predictable.

❔ How to apply:
⭐ Maintain a consistent animation speed.
⭐ Align the timing for different functions.
⭐ Avoid mixing abrupt transitions with slow ones.[6]

Temporal consistency builds trust.

Sources 🛈

[1] Marco Mazzurrana. Designing the Pause: How Transitional Elements Shape User Experience. maerco.framer.ai, 2024. Available at: https://maerco.framer.ai/blog/designing-the-pause-how-transitional-elements-shape-user-experience

[2] UX Collective. Designing for Information Density. UX Design, 2021. Available at: https://uxdesign.cc/designing-for-information-density-69775165a18e

[3] Fresh Consulting. Manage Data Density: High-Level to Low-Level. Insights Blog, 2021. Available at:
https://www.freshconsulting.com/insights/blog/ui-ux-principle-52-manage-data-density-high-level-to-low-level/

[4] Harrish Murugesan. “Psychology Behind UI/UX Design.” TEDxUTA, 2021. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdXI9yznzz8

[5] Jayasurya P. Understanding Decision-Making in Terms of UX: Dual Theory Insights. Medium, 2022. Available at:
https://medium.com/design-bootcamp/understanding-decision-making-in-terms-of-ux-dual-theory-insights-e66ef7432b2b

[6] Nielsen Norman Group. Consistency and Standards. NN/g Articles, 2020. Available at:
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/consistency-and-standards/

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Designing for Speed: How Fast Interfaces Shape Our Digital Behavior 3/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

Modern interfaces seem fast not only because they are optimized, but also because they were designed that way from the outset — visually, cognitively, and, most importantly, emotionally.

“Did you ever notice that some apps seemed faster even though your internet connection remains the same?” — Ayman Abdallah, 2025 [1]

The author explains that the perception of speed depends not only on metrics but also on design decisions such as smooth animations, instant feedback, and placeholders during loading—all of which create that “feeling of speed” regardless of the actual loading time.

Today, fast interfaces have long become the norm. In this article, I want to examine and discuss the key patterns of “fast UX” that define our digital experience.

1️⃣ Instant Feedback — instant reaction as an illusion of control

Instant Feedback is a so-called seamless reaction: you like something, and the heart immediately turns red; you swipe right, and the screen changes instantly without any smooth animation. This pattern reinforces the feeling that the app is always “ready” and sometimes even faster than you are.

Examples:

⭐Instagram: likes, saves, animations — instant, even if the request has not yet reached the server. “Visual simulation of action.”
⭐TikTok: swipe to the next video with zero delay, even if the video is loading in the background.
⭐YouTube Shorts: reactions and swipes are also instantaneous. The feeling of an endless stream.

❔ How does this speed things up? Instant Feedback suppresses the moment of pause, thought, and reflection. Even the slightest delay could allow you to realize what is happening.

2️⃣ Endless scroll — no beginning and no end

One of the most fashionable inventions of digital content consumption culture.

Examples:

⭐TikTok: swipe to the next video with zero delay — even if it is loading in the background. The platform has also recently introduced the ability to automatically scroll through the feed.

«Are we truly ready for it to be the white noise in the background of our daily lives?» — Jordan Hart [2]

This is a great example of how one seemingly insignificant feature can fundamentally change the core concept of the TikTok platform.

“Autoscroll makes TikTok — an app that people use to dissociate, and which already has to remind its users to take a break because they’ve been scrolling for hours  — into an even more passive experience. And I’d argue you get the most out of TikTok when you engage with it, going down that rabbit hole on a new topic that caught your interest or reading the back-and-forth in the comments section about a hot-button issue.” [3]

Endless scroll provides an infinite amount of content without a stop signal, without a bottom line, and even without a pause. The only pause is when you go to the comments and try to socialize a little. This is a difficult task with an unknown outcome, which, from a psychological point of view, forces the user to continue in an attempt to find the end, which does not exist.

⭐We are also all familiar with Instagram Reels, Threads, Pinterest, and X feeds.

“As a result, the feed is a ubiquitous interface — an infinite stream of content, a list that goes on forever.” — Alexis Lloyd [4]

3️⃣ Notification Loops — as a trigger for acceleration

Notifications are a kind of rhythm in which we live. They form an accelerated cycle of checking:

Notification —> Waiting —> Reaction —> Click —> Attention

Examples:

⭐Instagram: notifications that “someone has started a live stream,” “you’ve been tagged,” “new post”
⭐Facebook: notifications for every random action
⭐TikTok: push notifications about “trending videos you might like”
⭐Snapchat: the same streaks

❔ Why does this speed things up? Notifications create a certain time frame that dictates when we need to act, without giving us a chance to think. We don’t choose the moment — it chooses for us.

4️⃣ Micro-Acceleration Patterns

Modern applications use micro-movements that create the illusion of speed, even if the actual work of the system takes longer. This is one of the key mechanisms of “fast UX.”

Examples:

⭐LinkedIn, Airbnb, Uber, Notion: use of Skeleton Leaders — so-called low-fidelity gray blocks that mimic the structure of future content. This way, the brain is already loaded and sees movement, it seems that everything is about to happen, but the loading is still in progress. This keeps the user engaged.
⭐Spotify, Google, Gmail: use the technique of movement towards the result. Interfaces use animation before the data is ready. Animation of the transition to the player, a pop-up map, opening a letter.
⭐Instagram, YouTube, Duolingo: auto-advance behavior. Content plays and switches automatically — without the user’s decision. The video switches to the next one based on a recommendation, the same endless feed, or a transition to the next task without indicating it.

🔚 Conclusion

Finally, I would like to mention that all these patterns are effective, but not from the point of view of human experience.

For humans, this creates:

📌a feeling of rush;
📌an inability to stop;
📌short, superficial attention;
📌an accumulation of cognitive noise;
📌digital fatigue;
📌destroy the sense of time by accelerating the internal rhythm.

Fast UX is more than just speed.
It is the aesthetics of acceleration built into every movement: swipe, like, notification, update.
These patterns shape the pace of our lives.

I can also recommend a relevant video on this topic by a blogger who highlights the problems of digital noise and, based on her own experience, talks about how to clear it up and turn it to your advantage:

“Our brain processes approximately 10 billion bits per second through our senses—sight, hearing, and touch. At the same time, our prefrontal cortex, which is our attention, can only process 10 bits per second of what it allows into our consciousness.

This ratio is not really new. Even in the days of the telegraph, people complained of being overwhelmed. I love reading historical commentary on new technologies because what we now consider unique to our time has actually been described in the same words by people in the past.” [5]

Sources 🛈

[1] Ayman Abdallah. Why some apps feel faster than others. Medium, 2025. Available at: https://medium.com/@aymanabdallah/why-some-apps-feel-faster-than-others-926a30839fab

[2],[3] Jordan Hart. TikTok’s new auto-scroll feature sparks debate. Business Insider, 2024. Available at:
https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-autoscroll-feature-comments-section-2024-1

[4] Alexis Lloyd. Future #62: Invention & Reinvention. Ethical Futures Lab / Medium, 2023. Available at:
https://medium.com/ethical-futures-lab/future-62-invention-reinvention-4c657950f89d

[5] Anastacia Kay. Как выйти из цифрового тумана (How to Get Out of Digital Fog). YouTube, 2024. Available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_vi1-y-bbQ

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

What does “Slowness” actually mean? 2/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

In today’s world, the concept of “slowness” usually has a negative connotation and is considered a negative trait.

Slow internet is annoying
Slow loading means an error
A slow user is inefficient

And it seems to me that recently, interest in the concepts of “slowness” and “mindfulness” has been growing. Many celebrities are leaving social media, or never joined in the first place, and we are returning to slow content — long videos lasting 30+ minutes, watching interviews lasting several hours, and preferring slow conversational content.

Researchers, designers, urbanists, psychologists, and app developers are all talking about the concept of “slowness”

Slowness as a cultural concept 🏛️

In fact, the concept of “slowness” began long before digitalization. Philosopher Hartmut Rosa expresses this idea in his book Social Acceleration:

“We live in a world where acceleration has become the norm, and anything that cannot be accelerated is perceived as an obstacle.” [1]

This is where the need for a certain slowdown arises — not as a rejection of progress and marginality, but as a return to attention, depth, and presence.

In pop culture “slow living” — the idea of conscious slowing down — has gained enormous popularity when it comes to everyday household chores. Popular bloggers are increasingly promoting this topic, with people like Matt D’Avella and Tam Kaur making videos about digital overload, their own rituals of mindfulness, and how to cope with the pace of modern life.

[2] Matt D’Avella. “How to slow down your life.” YouTube, 2019.

“In 2023, the study shows that close to every other person say they spend too much time on electronic devices. And as many as one third of consumers state that they suffer from digital overload.” — The global Trend Tracker Report 2023 (Toluna & Two Sides) [3]

That is:
📌 almost every second person believes that they spend too much time in front of screens;
📌 a third of respondents directly mention a state of digital overload.

Slowness and digital experience 🤳

When talking about the concept of “slowness” in the field of interfaces, it should no longer mean “anti-productivity” After all, slow design in a digital environment is:

📌unhurried design;
📌an interface that respects attention;
📌a system that does not consume resources;
📌a conscious way of interacting.

In 2001, Lars Hallnäs and Johan Redström proposed the concept of Slow Technology. They wrote that technology can be: “…not instruments of acceleration, but mechanisms of reflection.”[4]

A little later, Mark Weiser and John Brown introduced the concept of “calm technology” — technology “that informs but doesn’t demand our focus or attention.”[5] In this concept, information moves around our focus and awareness, not in the middle. Information is there when we need it and disappears unnoticed when we don’t need it.

This philosophy is now actively used in HCI (Human–Computer Interaction) and manifests itself as:

📌The use of smooth transitions
📌Breathing apps with slow animation
📌Minimalist phones without visual noise

Even when talking about TikTok — a platform originally conceived as high-speed, several-second content — the duration of videos has been increased to several minutes — up to 10.[6]

“You can create videos of different lengths:
Videos you record in TikTok can be up to 10 minutes long.
Videos you upload in TikTok can be up to 60 minutes long.”

Why is it important for designers to study slowness? 🤔

For designers, “slowness” is not about slowing down, but about the quality of the experience we create.

Slow design allows the user to:

📌Relieve overload and anxiety
📌Increase attention to content
📌Be aware of their own pace
📌Support the user rather than exhaust them

Trends such as temporal design — the design of time, rhythm, and pauses—are already emerging in the field of interactive design.

[7] Image source: Cranford Teague, “What is Temporal Design Thinking?” Medium, 2020.

“Temporal design thinking broadens the scope beyond interaction points and linear journeys into a wider world of how the goal for the product might fit into the actors’ wider goals and needs over time.”[8]

Sources 🛈

[1] Hartmut Rosa. Social Acceleration: A New Theory of Modernity. Columbia University Press, 2013.

[2] Matt D’Avella. “How to slow down your life.” YouTube, 2019. Available at: https://youtu.be/bmr1-K4dfvg?si=SeERSkPiQAbXTpva

[3] Two Sides & Toluna. Trend Tracker Report 2023. Two Sides Global, 2023. Available at:
https://www.holmen.com/ko/paper/insights/paper-inspiration/digital-fatigue/

[4] Lars Hallnäs and Johan Redström. “Slow Technology – Designing for Reflection.” Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 201–212, 2001.

[5] Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown. “The Coming Age of Calm Technology.” Xerox PARC, 1996. Available at:
https://calmtech.com/papers/coming-age-calm-technology.pdf

[6] TikTok Support. “Camera Tools: Creating Videos.” TikTok Help Center, 2024. Available at:
https://support.tiktok.com/en/using-tiktok/creating-videos/camera-tools

[7] Image source: Cranford Teague, “What is Temporal Design Thinking?” Medium, 2020. Available at:
https://cranfordteague.medium.com/what-is-temporal-design-thinking-dd0845e7fc3c

[8] Cranford Teague. “What is Temporal Design Thinking?” Medium, 2020. Available at:
https://cranfordteague.medium.com/what-is-temporal-design-thinking-dd0845e7fc3c

by julia🐨razumovskaia -

Designing for Slowness: The Role of Slow Living in Interaction 1/10

#slowness #slowliving #slowinteraction #digitalcalm #calmtechnology

A world that moves too fast 🌍

According to statistics, every day about 70-80 percent of people start their day with their phone [1], thus beginning the day with movement—scrolling, constantly moving from one app to another, wanting to see everything at once. Technologies that were once created for our own efficiency, with the aim of helping us simplify our lives, now complicate it and kill our rhythm. We look, we refresh, we respond. We move quickly not because we want to, but because technology forces us to.

And I have long been interested in the question: What if design, especially interactive design, became slower rather than rushing us? What if interfaces helped us to be not only efficient but also more observant?

Slowness as a design attitude 🦥

“Slowness” does not mean inefficiency at all. It means being aware of the passage of time, rather than ignoring it or trying to escape it.

” …slow living is not about living your life in slow motion; it’s about doing everything at the right speed and pacing instead of rushing. By that same logic, slow living is not about losing time by going slowly; it’s about gaining time by doing the things that are most important to you.” — Kayleigh Draynn, “The Philosophy of Slow Living,” Stylist Magazine, 2021. [2]

In the world of design, this is referred to as experience optimization. Instead of removing friction, we can design movements that allow the user to reflect: a pause before sending, a fading effect when moving screens, sounds that immerse the user in the environment.

Designing for slowness asks a simple but radical question:

How do our technologies shape our sense of time — and how might we reclaim it?

Early Ideas of Slow and Calm Technology 🗃️

Possible solutions and reflections on this topic have already been described, and systems have even been devised. These are systems that encourage reflection rather than prompting immediate action. More than a quarter of a century ago, Lars Hallnäs and Johan Redström came up with the concept of “Slow Technology” [3]— their idea was revealed in the dominance of logic and speed in human-computer interaction. They created a technology that emphasizes time, arouses interest, and encourages patience.

Later, Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown introduced the concept of “Calm Technology”[4], which allows us to be informed without being overwhelmed or distracted. They promoted the idea that new technologies should be in the shadows and in the background, becoming part of our environment rather than distracting us from our focus.

Beyond Screens: Towards Movement and Presence 🌳

Yes, for me, this question expands even further.

What if slowness can exist not only within the interface but also when we are moving? In the context of walking, cycling, or simply being in one place right now?

As an interface designer, I have to work with interfaces that connect and take into account both digital and physical experiences: maps, navigation systems, sensors that translate movement into data. I want to focus not on speed and efficiency, but on quality.

What if I want to engage a person and choose something beautiful, calm, or rhythmic rather than fast? My motivation is to explore and observe how interactive design can be transformed into a conscious experience—where movement itself becomes the center for awareness and connection, rather than just transportation.

[5] Image source: Slow Ways, a UK-based initiative encouraging slower, more mindful mobility.

Emotional and Sensory Dimensions of Slowness 👀

Slowness is not just about time—it’s also about how we feel.

When movement slows down, we begin to feel better — audio becomes louder and clearer, textures become more visible, and space becomes more tangible. Designing for slowness also means involving the body in the process as well as the mind — allowing users to notice, listen, and feel more than just take action.

In urban spaces, this means reconnecting people with their surroundings. Something that will make people respond to the present, a navigation app that not only guides them through the streets but also engages their other senses: more sunlight, tranquility, greenery. Through this approach, design becomes a bridge between digital awareness and materialized emotions, turning ordinary movement into a reflective action.

Challenges of Designing for Slowness in a Fast World 😓

Paradoxically, designing for slowness may seem like an act of resistance or some kind of downgrade. After all, we live in a world where success is measured by productivity and the almost immediate demonstration of success when it occurs. I believe that interfaces that pause, delay, or call for awareness challenge not only design norms but also society’s expectations.

The biggest challenge is the balance between calmness and usability. It turns out that a system that is too slow risks scaring users away altogether, while one that is too fast will not fit this philosophy. Another challenge will be assessing how well the design fits the concept of “slowness.” Can we even measure or test success in this case? How can we measure awareness?

Despite all these questions, I see value in this work, which is why I also want to talk about physical space, because I have a feeling that people in it are slower and more aware. Maybe I can get inspired by the physical world and integrate it into the digital one? Designing for “slowness” is about ethical design — recognizing human limitations and restoring a more humane rhythm to everyday life.

Next Steps in My Research 🔍

1.Delving deeper into the concept of “slowness”

I want to learn more about what this really means, especially in terms of interactive design—not only as a lack of speed, but also as a quality of awareness, rhythm, and presence. I want to study this in both theory and practice and how it can help create more conscious design.

2.Comparing urban contexts

In the next part—and possibly in a separate section dedicated to this topic—I want to compare different cities and reflect on their infrastructure and daily rhythms, from the walkable city of Graz to megacities like Vienna and the unorganized chaos of Tokyo. Such comparisons will help me understand how urban design is closely linked to interactive design and how I can contribute to this.

3.Analysis of existing tools and platforms

My research will also include a critical analysis and review of various applications, particularly transportation, map, and taxi apps. The goal is to understand how current systems prioritize speed and efficiency and how they could emphasize the quality of movement, emotional comfort, and sensory experience.

4.Methods and design experiments

Through observation, experiential mapping, and comparative analysis, I want to understand how people interact with navigation apps and urban space.

5.Conceptual framework

Ultimately, I want to define the term “slowness” as a design principle that unites digital interaction, bodily experience, and urban consciousness. The goal is not to resist technology, but to rethink our relationship with it and create a more human rhythm.

Sources 🛈

[1] Deloitte. Irish Mobile Consumer Survey 2024: Smartphone Usage and Consumer Trends. Deloitte Ireland, 2024. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/ie/en/about/press-room/consumer-trends-smartphone-usage.html

[2] Draynn, K. (2021). The Philosophy of Slow Living. Stylist Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.stylist.co.uk/long-reads/slow-living-lifestyle-stress-nature-three-day-reset-foel-gopyn-conwy-north-wales-national-trust-holiday-remote-countryside-cottage-mindfulness/257646

[3] Hallnäs, L., & Redström, J. (2001). Slow Technology – Designing for Reflection. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 5(3), 201–212. https://doi.org/10.1007/PL00000019

[4] Weiser, M., & Brown, J. S. (1996). Designing Calm Technology. Xerox PARC. Retrieved from https://calmtech.com/papers/designing-calm-technology-by-mark-weiser-and-john-seely-brown

[5] Image source: Slow Ways, a UK-based initiative encouraging slower, more mindful mobility.