Laid back vs rushed
Digital tools may push us to move faster than we normally would — but, ultimately, it's the user who decides the pace
by Daniele Dodaro
Image credit: Rod Long
To set the stage for analyzing this dichotomy, let’s rewind to late 2021. Covid had disrupted our lives and radically digitized how we shop. A popular quick-service restaurant chain was knocking on our doors with a new digital interface, hosted on its app, to help us order food for pickup, table service, or even curbside delivery. The technology platform was there, but the key ingredient — compelling reasons to use it — was missing. This situation is common in my field: sometimes, I feel like I’m hunting for meaning.
Research showed that while the new interface made shopping easier and faster, it also encouraged a slower shopping experience. Freed from the pressure of waiting in line, people spent more time exploring the menu and playfully mixing things up.
While digital interfaces are often stereotyped as tools to do things faster, the reality is more nuanced.
Indeed, Booking.com is a good example of speedy booking. However, some tools take the opposite approach, encouraging a slower pace. One such example is VoiceMap, a GPS-guided audio tour application narrated by authors and guides, that helps tourists explore cities around the world at their own relaxed pace.
Surprisingly, even “fast shopping” digital interfaces can become realms of leisurely digital strolling. In 2001, I studied an Italian digital platform designed for assisted quick fashion shopping. Although the system was marketed as a speedy compass for finding the right items, users surprised us by exploring a broader range of styles and seeking inspiration.
Illustration: Francesca Ragazzi
These examples clearly illustrate how a technological tool can be used in vastly different, even opposite ways, depending on the individual user. Specifically, when it comes to interacting with digital interfaces, I see two distinct types of users: on the one hand, there are the “rushed” individuals, who are always looking for an efficient experience in the fast lane, and on the other hand, there are the “laid-back” individuals, who prioritize a leisurely and enjoyable experience, taking their time and savoring the process.
While interfaces are often designed with specific types of users in mind, such as those who are “rushed” or “laid-back,” it is crucial to recognize that users can (and often do) use them in ways that deviate from the intended use. A deterministic view of technology — where technology alone dictates our experience — is misleading. At the heart of it all is the individual, who holds the power to reshape the meaning of interfaces. Ultimately, we’re all hunting for meaning, not just me.
