Designing Interaction to Support Sustained Attention

Abstract

The impact of digital technology on human cognition has become a topic of significant interest in recent years, with various studies highlighting the adverse effects on cognition, particularly attention. While the negative impact of digital applications on our attentional processes is well-documented, practical solutions to mitigate these detrimental effects are rare. In this paper, we propose Attention Mode as a design solution that aims to minimise the negative impacts of digital technology on attention by creating easy-to-understand and navigate user interfaces. This approach can help users focus on tasks, reduce cognitive load, and minimise distractions, ultimately improving their overall experience. We developed interaction mock-ups incorporating the Attention Mode and conducted a preliminary one-to-one sharing with 5 participants to analyse to get early feedback. It resulted in valuable feedback on how such a design focus could help users to focus on the content without distractive elements. By integrating the issues from the start of the design process instead of handling it as an afterthought, this work offers new insights into crafting user interfaces in a way that the negative impact of digital technology on attention is mitigated.