In 2013, former Google designer Tristan Harris wrote an internal memo titled "A Call to Minimize Distraction & Respect Users' Attention" — a 141-page document accusing his own company of intentionally designing addictive products. The memo was the beginning of the "humane technology" movement and led Harris to found the Center for Humane Technology in 2018.
The attention economy is the economic model dominating the web: services are free because the product is us — or rather, our attention. Every notification, every infinite scroll, every autoplay is designed to maximise the time we spend on the platform. It is not a side effect: it is the business model. And the costs — anxiety, addiction, attention fragmentation, polarisation — are paid by us.
Dark patterns are the most visible manifestation of this approach. They are interfaces designed to manipulate: the "accept all cookies" button, large and colourful, beside a "manage preferences" link, small and grey. The subscription easy to activate and impossible to cancel. The countdown timer creating false urgency. Norwegian designer Harry Brignull has catalogued dozens of these patterns — and the EU has begun regulating them through the Digital Services Act.
But criticism is not enough. An alternative vision is needed. "Humane technology" proposes designing technology that respects people's time, attention and well-being. It is not utopia: it is good business sense. Tools like Notion, Obsidian, Signal demonstrate that it is possible to create successful products without manipulation. The alternative model exists — what is missing is pressure from consumers and regulators to make it the norm.
At Relatronica, every design choice is guided by this principle. NextHuman has no push notifications, no infinite scroll, no engagement metrics. It has structured information, intuitive navigation and respect for users' time. We don't sell attention — we channel it towards what matters.