New seal of approval for tech products that respect people’s time, attention and humanity
A new certification program is challenging technology companies to prioritize wellbeing by designing products that minimize distraction. Calm Tech Certified evaluates products against principles for creating more mindful technology experiences, and describes itself as “the world’s first standard for attention and technology.”
The certification’s inaugural class includes four products demonstrating how calm technology principles can be applied across different categories. Airthings View Plus, for example, is an air quality monitor that communicates complex data via a minimal and unobtrusive display, while Daylight’s DC-1 is a tablet designed to protect users’ focus and circadian rhythms.
The program arrives as concerns about technology’s impact on mental health continue to mount. For brands, certification offers a way to differentiate their products in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Early results from certified products show promise: the Unpluq Tag, a tool that blocks apps on a user’s phone with a physical key, reports that over 50% of customers remain engaged after one year, with average daily screen time reduced by 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Whether or not your company will be pursuing Calm Tech certification, it’s worth exploring how its principles can be applied to your products.
Amber Case's Principles of Calm Technology
Calm Tech was founded by Amber Case, a longtime UX designer and technology thinker who formulated the following eight principles for creating calmer hardware and software:
I. Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention
II. Technology should inform and create calm
III. Technology should make use of the periphery
IV. Technology should amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity
V. Technology can communicate, but doesn’t need to speak
VI. Technology should work even when it fails
VII. The right amount of technology is the minimum needed to solve the problem
VIII. Leverage familiar behaviors to introduce new ones
