In this modern age, attention spans are becoming more limited and it is the responsibility of UX designers to design user experiences that acknowledge and work with this phenomenon. As a result, they must create solutions that funnel users through the customer journey while effectively managing the distractions that arise.

On a personal level, I am cognizant of the effects that the digital age is having on our daily lives. From the moment we wake up till the time we go to sleep, we act as users in our environment. We are exposed to ads, we tap on banners, and we are constantly providing data to marketing agencies. Our phones and other devices provide us with a consistent flow of (mostly) inconsequential information, including in our most private moments. This has resulted in a cacophony of mental noise.

Through a greater understanding of mindfulness and Buddhist teachings, I have been able to gain insight into the detriments of creating and living within our own limitations. This knowledge and wisdom has enabled me to pare down my design process to only the essentials and cultivate a more minimalist mindset.

At thirty-something, I experienced a transformative moment when I opened the pages of Meditations by the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. This compilation of personal reflections and musings struck a chord within me, introducing me to Stoic philosophy and the concept of accepting the circumstances beyond our control while focusing on our internal responses and emotions.

I will leave you with these words:

“Adopt a systematic study of the way all things change into one another: pay constant attention to this aspect of nature and train yourself in it. Nothing is so conducive to greatness of mind. One so trained has divested himself of his body: recognizing that in almost no time he will have to leave all this behind and depart from the world of men, he has devoted his entire self to justice in his own actions and to the nature of the Whole in all things external.”