Philosophy
From ubiquitous computing to informative art
The theory behind BioFilix, the rationale for its form, and the framework used to evaluate it.
Ubiquitous computing
Weiser, 1991
Computing has moved from specialized, shared machines to everyday household products.
This shift means we are inundated with technology and screens as we go about our daily lives.
Apps and algorithms fight for control over human attention.
Calm technology
Weiser & Seely Brown, 1996
A term coined at Xerox PARC in the 1990s to describe a possible response to the predicted flood of ubiquitous devices.
Like a car’s engine hum, it should only be noticed when something changes.
Deliberately moves between the periphery and focus of your attention to avoid overwhelm.
Ambient information systems
Pousman & Stasko, 2006
An application of calm technology that translates data which is normally invisible to the user.
Visualization of the unseen acts as a subtle behavioural nudge.
Passive, non-paternalistic, and never demanding: the user chooses to act, or not.
A framework for evaluation
Pousman & Stasko's four design dimensions (2006).
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"The merits of a design are only as good as the scale on which they are measured."
Applying the framework
Implementation
A brief introduction to BioFilix’s two resting states.
Brian Patterson 2025-2026