We need more Calm Technology, and it's coming from Kyoto

It's incredible how some people have predicted the future so many years in advance. In the mid-90s, at the dawn of the internet and over a decade before the iPhone, researchers were already concerned about information overload and intrusive technologies.

Mark Weiser was a computer scientist at the renowned Xerox PARC in the 80s and 90s. He is best known for coining the term "ubiquitous computing," but he also coined the term "Calm Technology" and wrote extensively on designing such technologies. Although Mark passed away in 1999, his work has been carried forward by many, including Amber Case, who founded the Calm Tech Institute.

What is Calm Technology?

According to the Calm Tech Institute: "Calm Technology is a process for designing technology that works with human attention, instead of against it."

Here are few of the principles listed on their website:

• Technology should require the smallest possible amount of attention
• Technology should inform and create calm
• Technology should amplify the best of technology and the best of humanity
• The right amount of technology is the minimum needed to solve the problem
• Technology should respect social norms

You can imagine how Calm Technology resonates with so many people today.

With devices and apps all vying for our attention, we live in a noisy world. Social media is particularly egregious, bringing out the worst in people and amplifying them for clicks and scrolls. The smartphone revolution has been a double edged sword. While it has brought us much closer together, it has also shortened our attention spans and fostered screen addiction among many. With such a love hate relationship with technology,it's no surprise that we do not love technology in our living environments.

What is happening in Kyoto?

For those familiar with Japan, Kyoto likely evokes images of temples nestled amidst serene Japanese gardens, picturesque cobblestone streets lined with traditional architecture. The calm stereotype of Kyoto contrasts sharply with the bustling metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka, though it's only partly accurate. There are plenty of modern buildings and traffic jams, not to mention hordes of tourists during peak seasons. Nevertheless, there is something interesting happening in the startup scene in Kyoto, where several startups are creating Calm Technologies.

mui Lab

A spinoff of a printing company in Kyoto, mui Lab developed a smart home hub that is made of wood.

The mui Board features a touch interface and an LED display that lights up behind a real wood veneer. When turned off, the mui Board is indistinguishable from a piece of wood on the wall. mui Lab recently completed the crowdfunding campaign for their second-generation mui Board, raising over $160,000 USD.

The design of the mui Board is very much guided by the principles of Calm Technology, emphasizing that technology should disappear when not in use. I had the opportunity to try out the mui Board, and because it is made of real wood, it’s truly a wonder when the interface lights up unexpectedly.

Atmoph

What do you do when your room has no windows or when the window faces a wall of a building next door? Create a virtual window! This was the inspiration behind Atmoph, which was conceived ten years ago in Kyoto.

The idea is simple: frame an LCD screen with a window-like bezel and display scenery from around the world. Imagine looking out at the Mediterranean seaside, the Swiss Alps, or the bustling streets of Tokyo (if that's what floats your boat). They even feature fictional scenery from movies like Star Wars and games like Death Stranding.

Although Atmoph does not mention Calm Technology in their marketing materials, their product embodies its principles. The device blends seamlessly into the background and only captures attention when the user chooses to engage with it. While the LCD display may draw some attention, especially in darker settings, this is not Atmoph's primary intention.

Galari

Galari is a digital art frame we are developing, combining an e-paper display with a traditional photo mat and frame typically used for artwork. Galari can display thousands of artworks, show family photographs or uploaded images, and provide information such as weather updates, news, and traffic alerts. Even though we were unaware of Calm Technology when we started, our work with Galari also embodies its principles.

We chose e-paper as our display technology because it emits no light. While commonly used in e-readers to reduce eye strain, e-paper excels at seamlessly blending into the background. Unlike LCD screens which are noticeable, Galari disappears into the background. When we show our prototypes, most people don't realize that Galari is a digital product. They think it is regular artwork mounted on the wall.

The startup world is inherently noisy. With numerous services vying for attention, the competition intensifies, leading to increasingly loud efforts to stand out. Moreover, many services monetize our attention, fostering addictive interactions that keep us glued to our screens. When we began Galari, we wanted to be an antithesis to these startup trends. We did not want to create something that made you feel guilty after prolonged use. We wanted to bring small delight that blended into our everyday lives.

We are preparing to launch Galari via crowdfunding on Kickstarter. If you are interested in finding out more about Galari and being informed when we launch, visit our website: https://www.galari.design.

Kyoto as a startup hub

Kyoto has never been a "loud" city, unlike the bustling startup hubs of Tokyo and Fukuoka, which are much better known in Asia. Nevertheless, Kyoto is emerging as a major center for deep tech and healthcare startups. For centuries, this city has been a quiet incubator for technologies that have made incremental advancements to human society. A seasoned entrepreneur once told me, "If you want to be noticed, go to Tokyo. If you want to work on meaningful things, go to Kyoto."

I doubt that Calm Technology will become the next big buzz in the startup world like blockchain or AI. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly one of the more meaningful endeavors in our current society, and it's no surprise that Kyoto is becoming a hub for it. We need to coexist with technology more effectively, and Kyoto has excelled in this for many centuries.