Simplified Reality

Image: Simplified Reality slide from Engaging New Technologies: Productivity

Last March I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Meghan Musolff on current productivity technologies and possible future applications.

I thought about what the opposite of augmented reality would be. Due to the increasing levels of information complexity, simplicity has been a catchword for some time. Instead of increasing the layers of complexity with reality and the digital realm, what if we could eliminate some of the noise that Adbusters calls mental pollution?

Hence, a technology that simplifies our reality and allows us to focus on what is important to us during a particular time period. A simplified reality.

Well, when I read about the project between PublicAdCampaign, The Heavy Projects, and Junaio in the Fast Company article "Augmented Reality Kills The QR Code Star," I literally jumped from my chair. Currently in beta, the project removes advertising from billboards and subverts it. Of course, the app could be set to show a field of nothing but flowers, and it is the first step to a simplified reality.


Image: Junaio AR app created in conjunction with PublicAdCampaign and The Heavy Projects