Noto

Noto is a concept that reimagines the interaction with notifications. In a world with abundant digital distractions, Noto creates a structured and controllable environment for digital interactions. By implementing the principles of Calm Tech into the home environment, Noto enables users to determine when and where to engage with the digital world, ultimately reducing stress in everyday life.

Problem

The average person checks their smartphone 144 times a day. Fear of missing out drives compulsive checking every ten minutes on average. Unpredictable and overwhelming, notifications disrupt concentration at work and moments of relaxation, often distracting from what really deserves focus in the moment.

Organize messages

Create personalized mailboxes for your specific needs. Next, assign them to designated rooms within your home. Within the rooms, dedicated message stations serve as hubs for storing and managing the corresponding notifications. This establishes distinct analogue boundaries for your digital world, ensuring a focused environment.

Store and fetch messages

When a station is activated, it grows with each notification stored. When you're ready to focus on your messages, simply push the top part down. This action clears the station and transfers the notifications to your devices. Rotate the top to deactivate the station when you're awaiting messages and prefer them delivered directly rather than stored.

Digital Foundation

Notifications can be assigned to specific categories with a simple swipe to the left. In the background, an intelligent system learns from the users interactions, automatically organizing future notifications. This on-the-fly configuration provides peace of mind, as users don't have to react immediately but know they can retrieve the message at the right time and place. To enhance clarity, notifications on the lock screen are neatly grouped based on their designated mailboxes.

Functioning prototype

A fully functional physical prototype was developed using Arduino and 3D printing. The tool ProtoPie enabled testing haptic interactions with the user group, such as pressing down, deactivating, and reactivating Noto. Furthermore, the prototype allowed our team to present the project in person at the PUSH UX Conference in 2023.

Physical Integration

The message station is designed to be unobtrusive and subtle, devoid of unnecessary lights or displays. Its status is easily recognizable at a glance. The variation in height provides a quick estimate of stored notifications, eliminating the need for detailed information. Serving as the interface for the Noto System, the station features an intuitive tactile hardware interface, allowing users to interact with familiar patterns: a push to drain and a twist to open or close.