Vision
Yet rather than feeling freed by this efficiency, we often experience the opposite [5]. Time saved is quickly filled with additional tasks, notifications, and expectations, reinforcing a cycle of busyness rather than alleviating it. In this context, productivity becomes less a tool and more an obligation, where the promise of doing more in less time is endlessly pursued, even at the expense of our attention and well-being. As more aspects of daily life are automated, engagement and presence are diminished, and the experiences that could otherwise enrich the monotony of daily life risk merely being reduced to tasks to be completed. In turn, our ability to meaningfully engage with the world around us is gradually lost [1].
By designing technology with these qualities rather than prioritizing performance alone, it can enhance experience, bring attention instead of taking it, and support autonomy rather than reliance. Additionally, such an approach seeks to reinforce individuality, curiosity, and surprise that is otherwise lost in the monotony of daily life. This is not a call to reject technological progress or return to a less advanced past, but an invitation to engage with technology more intentionally, creating balance instead of becoming caught in an endless pursuit of efficiency. In this context, my idea of slowness refers less to the speed of which we do things, and more to how intentionally and autonomously we engage with everyday life.