Hello Humans
Two experiments in low-tech async interaction — testing whether people would connect with strangers through shared objects in a shared space.
The notebook
A stand with an open notebook, left in a shared area. Sometimes I started with a prompt — a question, a half-finished thought. Sometimes I left it blank and let people surprise me. The hypothesis: if you make the barrier to interact low enough (pen, paper, no account), people will actually use it.
The notebook stand. A deliberately low-fi object — no digital layer, no notifications, no record of who wrote what.
What I was testing
Whether async, anonymous interaction in a physical shared space could feel warm rather than awkward.
What happened
People wrote. A lot. Some responses were jokes, some were genuine. A few wrote back to previous entries. The thread-like quality emerged on its own — no feature required.
The insight
The object did the work. The notebook signaled "this is a place for leaving something." No instructions needed.
Paper exchange
I shared a stack of my favorite research papers and put up a simple sign: take one, leave one. The hypothesis this time: people are more likely to interact when there's reciprocity built in — something to give, something to get.
The paper exchange. A self-sustaining loop — the object replenishes itself through participation.
What I was testing
Whether a built-in exchange mechanic would lower the social cost of taking something from a stranger.
What happened
People left papers I'd never heard of. Some left notes with the paper. One person left a handwritten recommendation instead of a paper.
The insight
Reciprocity unlocked generosity. The structure gave people permission to be more personal than a blank notebook did.
Why this is prototyping
Both experiments generated real behavioral data — not survey data, not hypotheticals. The notebook told me people will thread. The paper exchange told me reciprocity is a design lever. Neither required writing a single line of code.