Calm Technology
By Amber Case. O’Reilly Books, Oct 2015. 150 pages.
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Our world is made of information that competes for our attention. What is needed? What is not? We cannot interact with our everyday life in the same way we interact with a desktop computer.
Technology shouldn’t require all of our attention, just some of it, and only when necessary. Calm technology describes a state of technological maturity where a user’s primary task is not computing, but being human. The idea behind Calm Technology is to have smarter people, not things.
The difference between an annoying technology and one that is helpful is how it engages our attention. Calm Technology is a framework for designing ubiquitous devices that engage our attention in an appropriate manner. The aim of Calm Technology is to provide principles that follow the human lifestyle and environment in mind, allowing technology to amplify humanness instead of taking it away.
The terms calm computing and calm technology were coined in 1995 by PARC Researchers Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown in reaction to the increasing complexities that information technologies were creating. This book builds on their work for the next generation of designers, developers and humanists.
A Kids Book About Technology
Amber Case. Penguin Random House. Spring 2021.
For Ages 5+
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We’re all cyborgs. It’s true! We as a society cannot function without technology. We use it every day in all aspects of our lives—but that’s not a bad thing! The problem is when we let it take over our lives. It’s all about balance. In understanding the value and quality of your time.
Technology is neither good or bad, it’s all about how we use it and what we use it for.
This book will help kids and grownups alike reflect on their relationship with technology and learn to embrace the benefits of being unplugged.
By Amber Case.
An Illustrated Dictionary of Cyborg Anthropology
Amber Case, with Douglas Rushkoff (Introduction) and Maggie Wauklyn (Illustrations), Published by CreateSpace, Jan 2014. 110 pages.
What does it mean to have an online persona? How is technology changing the way we work, live and play? How do our tools influence the way we interact with the world? Technology is intertwined with almost every aspect of our lives. Our cell phones, cars and laptops have turned us into cyborgs. Cyborg Anthropology is a way of exploring how we live as a connected species.
This book explores topics such as junk sleep, hyperlinked memories, panic architecture, the quantified self, and how humans are changing through the use of technology. This book is an appetizer for an emerging field of study, an inspirational starting point for designers, developers, researchers, students, and anyone who wishes to explore the symbiotic relationship between technology and culture.
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Designing with Sound
By Amber Case and Aaron Day. O’Reilly Media, Fall 2018. 245 pages.
Sound can profoundly impact how people interact with your product. Well-designed sounds can be exceptionally effective in conveying subtle distinctions, emotion, urgency, and information without adding visual clutter. In this practical guide, Amber Case and Aaron Day explain why sound design is critical to the success of products, environments, and experiences.
Just as visual designers have a set of benchmarks and a design language to guide their work, this book provides a toolkit for the auditory experience, improving collaboration for a wide variety of stakeholders, from product developers to composers, user experience designers to architects. You’ll learn a complete process for designing, prototyping, and testing sound.