The distractions of modern technology seem inescapable. Articles, social media posts, and academic studies frequently condemn the attention-grabbing qualities of our phones and laptops—ironically, a problem we often read about and discuss on the very devices said to cause it.
Amber Case, speaker and author of Calm Technology, knows this all too well. “A lot of technology is not using our peripheral attention, but instead our primary attention, which makes it tiring and difficult to use it,” says Case. The much-maligned smartphone notification is a common example, bombarding the user with pop-ups seeking to redirect the user’s attention.
But observing a problem is just the first step. What comes next is deciding how to solve it, and the Calm Tech Institute, an organization founded by Case, has an idea.
From Principles to Certification
Case’s book, inspired by the work of Xerox PARC researchers Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown, outlines eight principles for calm technology; examples include the idea that technology “should require the smallest possible amount of attention” while in use, and that it “should work even when it fails.” The book’s ideas gained the attention of major technology companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, and Case gave talks at TED and the Thinking Digital Conference, among others.
“But that wasn’t enough,” says Case. While her ideas received plenty of interest, she noticed that interest didn’t translate to concrete action. Companies designing new products were unclear on what was right, or wrong, and uncertain about how they might put calm technology ideals into practice.
So, Case decided on a new approach. She founded the Calm Tech Institute in May 2024 to develop and promote a Calm Tech certification. “A standard is a good way of rewarding that behavior,” says Case.
The certification includes 81 points that span six categories: attention, periphery, durability, light, sound, and materials. Some of the certification’s specifications are quite stringent. It outlines minimum standards for user interface (UI) design, such as consistent use of icons and font typography, asks that all but the “most crucial” notifications be turned off by default, and requires an instruction booklet with a list of replacements and compatible parts.
The Calm Tech certified reMarkable Paper Pro ditches distractions for a paper-like feel.reMarkable AS
Early Adopters Get on Board
The first handful of devices that earned the Calm Tech certification were announced at, or just before, CES 2025.
This first batch included, for example, the reMarkable Paper Pro. Released on September 4, 2024, the Paper Pro looks like an iPad and has a color eInk display, but it’s tightly focused on writing and organizing notes with the tablet’s included stylus. ReMarkable purposefully constrains the device’s features to maintain a distraction-free experience. Though it can sync notes online, the Paper Pro doesn’t have an app store, a web browser, or widgets. It doesn’t even display the time.
Mats Herding Solberg, reMarkable’s chief design officer, wasn’t aware of the Calm Tech certification while the Paper Pro was designed, but once he learned of it, was pleased to find the tablet’s distraction-free approach matched up with the requirements.
“We found that many principles closely aligned with the intentions behind our design,” says Solberg. “These principles will guide us in creating technology that aligns with humans.”
Another early adopter was Mui Labs, creator of the Mui Board, a smart home device that looks like a piece of finely finished decorative wood but, when touched, illuminates to reveal a smart home interface. I spoke with Case at Mui Labs’ booth on the show floor of CES 2025, where the company announced that its latest iteration, the Mui Board Gen 2, earned the Calm Tech certification.
Several other devices earned certification in late 2024. These include the AirThings View Plus, an air quality monitor with a simple eInk display that I highlighted during the 2021 wildfire season; the Daylight Computer, a portable PC with an eInk display and custom OS meant to reduce distractions; and Unpluq, a physical dongle that can lock apps on Android and iOS devices until the dongle is moved close to the device.
Calm Tech Looks to Expand in 2025
While the first products have received certification, it’s still early days for the Calm Tech Institute. The certification’s 81-point specification is not yet publicly available (though Case did provide a copy for me to review). The Calm Tech Institute hopes to have the certification published “soon,” says Case. It’s also exploring research into calm technology and working with neuroscientists to study the “cognitive need for dimensionality and texture” in user interfaces.
“Bit by bit, I hope to influence the industry and reward it,” says Case.
ReMarkable, for its part, seems to appreciate the certification and will likely pursue the certification for its future products, according to Solberg. “I am hopeful that we will continue to deliver products that receive high praise from the Calm Tech Institute,” he says.