Material attunement in minimal media: designing tactility for information engagement

ABSTRACT:

Digital news interfaces often prioritise speed and visual intensity, overlooking the material conditions through which information is experienced. This paper investigates how a text-only news device influences perceptual clarity, attention, and emotional tone in everyday use. Using a research-through-design approach with a deployed design probe, findings reveal material and formal qualities shape news engagement, introducing the concept of “minimal media” and informing the design of calmer information devices.