Call to Action

In today’s attention economy, students are bombarded by digital distractions that erode focus and undermine learning. Smartphones, once lauded as tools of empowerment, now act as conduits for addictive habit loops and notification overload. Call to Action proposes a radical new design paradigm for human-computer interaction, one that replaces app-centric engagement with action-centered ambient computing.

How might we build computing systems that serve students’ goals without demanding their attention?

Inspired by the philosophies of ubiquitous computing and calm technology, Call to Action envisions an ecosystem of ambient, multi-sensory devices that help students complete daily tasks while fading into the background. These tools do not compete for attention; instead, they empower students to act intentionally, drawing from user context to deliver just-in-time support.

Final Design

The project centers on the Action-Centered Design Framework, which shifts the focus from engaging with apps to fulfilling user intentions through modular, contextual actions. This framework culminates in a functional installation, The Action Room, a model dorm room equipped with three ambient computing artifacts:

• Thought Lamp: A responsive desk lamp that activates a projected display for note review and thought organization when nudged, offering an intuitive method to engage with study content.
• Olfactory Timer: A Pomodoro-style timer that uses scent rather than sound to mark study intervals, gently alerting students through smell to preserve cognitive flow.
• Ambient Plant: A real plant embedded with a subtle motorized movement system, gently prompting users through kinetic cues to return to tasks without startling interruption.

Together, these artifacts exemplify a future where computing coexists with human routines, leveraging environmental cues such as light, motion, smell rather than screens and alerts.

Read the Full Thesis