Playground

Playing with Perception

Up to 95% of thought activity happens outside of conscious awareness, often filled with silent complaints, negative self-talk, or inner resistance — the wanting of things to be different. Such mental states cause stress, mental and physical tension, and energy loss.

Despite our neurodiverse differences in perception, everybody craves to be pulled into presence. Even if you aren’t aware of it.

The play with perception allows to balance draining mental states by Designing for Connectedness.

Glimmer Moments gently interrupt mental noise, and support grounding through j⦾yful awareness.

A leafy wall décor soothes the nervous system upon entering a space, or a sun catcher scatters rainbow light with a thought-silencing effect. Such playful, nature-inspired sensory cues don’t just decorate. It’s more than art and aesthetics. smART Transitions build bridges out of mental captivity into presence — one conscious design choice at a time.

  • 11 Million Sensory Impulses “touch” the body through the five senses each second. A massive overload. But what is important? The brain’s perception filter — the Reticular Activating System (RAS) selects and prioritizes up to 50 sensory impulses per second available to awareness.

    Pathways for impulses to get through the brain’s filter are:

    • novelty

    • surprise

    • multi-sensory experiences

    • changes

    • psychological & physical safety cues

    • curiosity

    • interaction triggers

    • personal relevance & meaning

    The understanding of the RAS’s functionality allows to invite perception out of autopilot into mindful and present awareness — by design.

    Learn more about Whakami’s approach of “Designing for Connectedness”: Free GPT course »

  • Unlike triggers, which signal danger or distress, Glimmers* are subtle, pleasant cues that transmit safety to the nervous system, ease tension, and restore balance.

    Glimmers can be very personal, like a familiar scent, a favorite song, or a meaningful object.

    Or they are induced by universal stimuli, due to human wiring—like nature, plants, nature-related visuals, natural materials, harmonic frequencies, playfulness of any kind, or formlessness in any form (e.g. play of light and shadow). With health benefits associated to various business objectives:

    • Reduce Stress – Activate the nervous system’s calming response, easing tension.

    • Support Physical Health – Lowered stress levels contribute to better sleep, and immune function.

    • Improve Mental Well-Being – Sustain emotional balance and lower anxiety.

    *Glimmers are coined by Deb Dana in context of Polyvagal Theory.

  • Attract Talent & Maintain Lasting Relationships. Gifted neurodivergent employees value environments with little sensory distractions. Safety signaling surroundings enable playful, creative and innovative work.

    Unique Customer Experiences start with employees who feel connected to be attentive, empathetic, and solution-oriented. Sensory cues for j⦾yful awareness sprinkled throughout the brand experience support loving relationships between employees & customers.

    smART Product Experiences that make customers smile by design add an extra intangible value. Product and packaging design details that pass the brain’s awareness filter gift moments of unexpected presence.

    smART Transitions combine the theory of “Designing for Connectedness” with the science around “Glimmers” to enrich brand, product, service, employee, and customer experiences with l⦿ve and del⋮ght.