1 place or time where you’re completely in control of your attention:<\/p>\n
Oddly the time I feel the most in control of my attention is when I’m in the shower. I’m alone, there’s no external stimuli, no phones just me and my thoughts. It’s when I get a lot of my best thinking and mental organization done. I feel like this is the time when I have total and uninterrupted control of my own thoughts.<\/p>\n
2 When has an app helped you do what you wanted? When has it moved you away from your own goal?<\/p>\n
Amazon has been extremely useful to me for a variety of purposes, but it can also distract and pull you down rabbit holes as easily as social media. For instance, recently I was buying a new camera and browsing different options\/equipment on amazon and it really did help me decide on what I eventually decided to buy (although I didn’t end up purchasing it on amazon). While I was doing this, though, Amazon tried really hard to keep my attention and pull me down into different products by subtly suggesting other things that it knew I was interested in and soon I found myself looking at products that were vastly different and unrelated from my initial search.<\/p>\n
3 Eliminate a dark pattern<\/p>\n
With my above example, Amazon could eliminate its somewhat manipulative\/deceptive pattern of suggestions by limiting search results to only relevant categories or by asking the user if they would like to see similar\/related or suggested products rather than displaying them by default.<\/p>\n
DAY 2:<\/p>\n
App: Amazon<\/p>\n
1. Identify the Pattern:<\/p>\n
Amazon captures attention with algorithmic suggestion of products, deals, and services that are meant to interest the user. When you open the App, for example, the primarily useful part of the site that the user is likely there for, the search bar, is the smallest part of the screen. Amazon immediately tries to grab your attention with large colorful advertisements and suggestions “for you.”<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0 Name the Encoded Value<\/p>\n
The value of amazon is convenience, speed, and reliability. You can get practically anything from there and it is legitimately very useful for everyday needs.<\/p>\n
3. Who benefits?<\/p>\n
The user benefits from being able to use Amazon’s platform, but Amazon benefits much more overall from the user’s attention. Amazon is able to make money by selling advertisements or better placement or by encouraging the user to stay and buy more things from amazon.<\/p>\n
FIX: This could be improved by hiding suggestions and advertisements unless the user actively seeks them out. It is likely that many users would still actively seek out these advertisements so Amazon would still retain some benefit but it would eliminate the manipulative theft of attention.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Question 4? – Large scale issue fix<\/p>\n
Over-packaging of products. Find a way to only use single layers of packaging or none at when possible. Why do plastic water bottles need to be packaged in plastic? Less convenient but more sustainable choices need to be prioritized. Design systems that don’t require multiple layers of packaging or intentionally reduce them when possible. Part of this could be achieved by government packaging mandates or cooperation between shipping giants like amazon and manufactures to use one layer of packaging instead of multiple.<\/p>\n
Question 5 – Tips for Focus<\/p>\n
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