Designed to be noticed
We tend to think of attention as something that happens inside us. Something catches our eye, interests us or makes us curious, and we give it our attention. But much of what surrounds us has also been designed with attention in mind.
Think about the small details we encounter every day online. A notification appears in a particular colour. A button stands out from the rest of the screen. A headline gives us just enough information to make us curious. A video begins playing. A feed continues as we scroll. None of these details happen by accident. They are part of how digital experiences are designed.
There is nothing particularly new about designing something to be noticed. A shop window, a noticeboard, a newspaper headline or a flashing sign has always been intended to catch our eye. What is different about digital technology is how much can be presented to us, how quickly it can change and how closely it can respond to what we have previously looked at.
When everything wants to be noticed
Our attention is limited, but the number of things asking for it seems almost limitless. We can move from a message to an email, from a headline to a video, from one conversation to another, all within moments. The things competing for our attention are not necessarily trying to interrupt us in an obvious way. Sometimes they are simply designed to make it easy to continue. There is always another recommendation, another story or another piece of information waiting. Perhaps that is why it can be useful to think about attention not simply as something we either have or lose, but as something that is continually being invited in different directions.
It's not a failure of attention
When we find ourselves scrolling longer than we intended, checking our phone again or moving from one thing to another, it can be easy to make it personal. Why can't I just put it down? Why am I so distracted? Why can't I concentrate?
Perhaps there is another way to look at it. We are living among technologies that have been carefully designed to be noticed and used. Being drawn towards something that has been made interesting, convenient or difficult to leave is not necessarily a sign that we have failed. It is simply part of the environment we are in. However, it doesn't mean we have no choice. It means we might be kinder to ourselves when we notice how easily our attention can be drawn.
Becoming curious
I think there is something useful in becoming curious about the design around us.
What made me look? What kept me there? Was I looking for something, or did something simply catch my attention? When I notice that my attention has drifted, what do I want to do next? There doesn't need to be a perfect answer. We might stay. We might look away. We might return to what we were doing. The important part may simply be noticing what is happening.
Once we begin to see how much is designed to be noticed, we may become a little more aware of the difference between what catches our attention and what deserves it. Our attention will always be drawn towards things. That is part of being human. Perhaps caring for our attention begins with noticing what is asking for it — and gently deciding what we want to give.
What is catching your attention today?