Designing for invisible experiences

The future of transactions and embracing ubiquitous computing

Shirin Khara
7 min readAug 7, 2019
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

In 1988, Mark Weiser coined the term ubiquitous computing. Also called pervasive computing, it states that the most profound technology is one that seamlessly blends in with your daily life. Changing user habits of being ‘on the go’ and fast-paced have given rise to new trends and changes to keep up with market demands in an effort to move towards a non-interactive experience. Enabling everyday objects to perform tasks in a manner that reduces the user’s computer interaction need is a growing trend. This would ultimately contribute to an increased service adoption and usage, as well as accelerated growth for retail and commerce businesses.

“The best user experience removes as many pain points as possible no matter the location of the user or the brand they’re interacting with.”

- Chris Francis, VP at WorldPaysuggests

Invisible design is rapidly becoming a reality and being embraced as a design principle for building products. For example, Uber app payments are automated and provide convenience by saving time and thereby improving the commute experience. A visible impact can be created if…

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