ICAT Playdate — CalmAR: Envisioning calm and intelligent near-future AR experiences

Wearable AR smart glasses are often described as the next paradigm of personal computing, but poorly designed experiences can overwhelm, distract, and create real-world safety risks. For this reason, AR systems need to be smarter about what information they present and when, where, and how it is presented. CalmAR interfaces aim to reduce these risks while supporting productivity, accuracy, and effective decision-making through unobtrusive, safe, and context-aware design. This playdate explores our ongoing work in the CalmAR design space, highlighting guiding design principles, outcomes from collaboration with Advanced Visual Communication Design students, and insights from our current design work.