Most of us will admit we need a digital detox, but our fast-moving lives don't always allow for that. We still need to answer calls and respond to our boss' emails, so being completely unplugged can be difficult. Because of this, a research and design house in London believes we should adapt to our digital lifestyle instead of cut off our devices completely.
Vinaya, formerly known as Kovert, builds products and tools to help us manage that. On Nov. 1, the company opened a new lab in London to research the relationship between humans and technology. The company's three-story building houses a lab and studio, which will develop products based on the lab's research.
The company sees itself as a "modern science hub that encourages cross-pollination of a range of expertise in order to better understand the human psyche." Eventually, it'll open its third-floor doors as a sort of forum for experts and intellectuals to spend time and hold activities like science lectures and experiments.
" We wanted to create a modern-day version of the Lyceum in ancient Greece, where Aristotle and Socrates used to hang out and learn from each other," founder and CEO Kate Unsworth told Fast Company. "We want people who come here to really begin to dig into each other's area of study, because experts in different disciplines don't typically have many opportunities to interact."
The lab's research focuses on areas such as hyperconnectivity, stress, human connection, happiness, tranquility, depression and productivity. The team currently consists of six neuroscientists, an anthropologist, a philosopher, and a psychologist, according to Fast Company. They'll also have access to a "Brain Board," experts from local universities who study areas such as sleep, ADHD and artificial intelligence. The lab also contains monitoring systems to track brain activity, heart rate, cortisol levels and technology-addiction loops.
Vinaya has already been in research mode, doing small studies prior to bigger ones in the lab. One looked at how people and businesses interact with email as a medium in order to find a remedy for the "email epidemic." Their report explores how digital communication affects our productivity, habits and happiness, and also encourages us to think differently about our email etiquette.
The team also conducted a social experiment on eye contact in an effort to "shed light on a culture starved of presence." In the video shown below, "I See You," the team gathered 10 strangers to make eye contact and silently acknowledge each other for five minutes — though those five minutes might be nothing compared to a sitting with Marina Abramovic.
While the lab will provide its research to the design studio, the company has already introduced a a new tech product. Altrius is a Bluetooth-enabled piece of jewelry, like Ringly, that pairs with an app to notify you of calls, text messages and emails. It vibrates when a specific person contacts you or when a keyword is used in a message.
IMAGE: VINAYA
Unsworth said the design team is in the midst of developing other products, though the next one won't be a wearable but another device that will promote a healthy relationship with technology.
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