Enchanted Objects: Innovation, Design, and the Future of Technology

What possible services could signs provide besides static labels and directions? What can be done to augment signs so they cease

Suppose, for example, that you had an enchanted wall in your kitchen that could display, through lines of colored light, the trends and patterns in your loved ones’ moods?

pervasive potential of ambient displays, especially those in public spaces—such as offices, commercial buildings, airports, and schools—will help people learn more about and better monitor the health of their businesses, organizations, and teams, and even of entire cities.

It’s important for technologists to understand this desire to have superhuman powers and extraordinary abilities,

The screen is a blunt instrument.

idea was based on glanceability, or what cognitive scientists call preattentive processing.

each of the main characters is linked to a unique melodic phrase, each played by a different, easily recognizable instrument. A clarinet signifies the cat, the wolf is a French horn, the bassoon announces the grandfather.

The lack of objects has had an icy effect on us. Human relationships, too, have become more transactional, sharply punctuated, thin and curt.

I want the computer-human interface to be an empowering and positive experience—to minimize the interruption, annoyance, and distraction of our so-called smartphones and glass-faced tablets.