Noise · Typographic editorial

A typographic editorial on digital distraction and overstimulation

Notifications, pop-ups, ads and endless scrolling are always competing for attention. What does that feel like if you put it on paper?

Three Noise posters on black: “Still online?” repeated down the page, “You are not the product.” and “Read this now. Now.”

Role: Visual designer
Team: Solo project
Tools: Figma, Photoshop, Canva, Illustrator
Timeline: December 2025–April 2026

TL;DR

A typographic editorial that puts the feeling of digital distraction and overstimulation on paper.
I pushed three things screens say to us (“Still online?”, “You are not the product.”, “Read this now.”) from plain type to something louder.
Bold type, repetition and crowded layouts make it feel anxious, while hierarchy, spacing and pacing keep it readable.

Problem

Noise started when I noticed I couldn’t read anything online without being interrupted. Notifications, short videos, unread messages, pop-ups and ads all compete for the same attention, and after a while it’s draining.

Most apps are built to keep you on them as long as possible. In the moment it’s fun, but afterwards you’re tired and not sure why.

I didn’t want to design another app about it. I wanted to make the feeling itself, in print, with type, repetition, contrast, crowded layouts and pacing.

Inspiration and observations

I didn’t realise how often I get interrupted until I started screenshotting every time it happened.

A phone Screen Time summary showing last week's average of 6 hours 15 minutes, with Instagram, Messages and TikTok as most used. — Seeing the screen time report was kind of uncomfortable.

A phone lock screen stacked with notifications, including an emergency alert. — Everything online starts feeling equally urgent.

A phone home screen with a pop-up asking “Allow widgets from Google Maps to use your location?” with Don't Allow and Allow buttons.

App icons for Messages, FaceTime, Phone and Spotify, with red unread badges showing 175 and 18. — Unread counts feel stressful before you even open anything.

A “Low Battery, 10% battery remaining” alert with Low Power Mode and Close buttons. — Even low battery warnings feel stressful.

A streaming prompt: “Are you still watching “The Office (U.S.)”?” with Continue watching and Back buttons. — I kept thinking about how weird it feels when a screen checks if you're still there.

I worked through three phrases, each pulled from the kind of thing screens say to us, and pushed each one from plain type to something louder.

“Still online?”

“STILL ONLINE?” repeated down the page in heavy type, fading from black to grey, with one line in red. — Repetition.

“You are not the product.”

Poster on cream: “You are not the product.” in heavy black type with “product.” in red, above a “Cost per second of attention” list for Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube. — Poster with a cost-per-second-of-attention list.

“Read this now.”

“Read this now. Now.” in heavy white and red type on black, with a blurred echo. — Dark, with a blurred echo.

Visual direction

The editorial switches between quiet reading and loud interruption, the way a screen pulls you back and forth without you noticing.

Two typefaces do that job. Archivo Black is the interruption: heavy, urgent, repeated. Bodoni Moda is the slow reading voice. Some pages are meant to be uncomfortable, but hierarchy and spacing still tell you where to look first, so you can always find your way through.

White #FFFFFF
Ink #0A0A0A
Red #FF3B16
Lime #D4FF3A
Indigo #1C1066
Magenta #FF2BD6
Amber #FFB700
Grey #8B8B8B

Visual direction board on black: the words “Noise. Stop scrolling.” in heavy type with “ing.” in red, above a palette of white, ink, red, lime, indigo, magenta, amber and grey, and two type samples. — The visual direction board: type, palette and tone.

The editorial

The posters became spreads, where the interruptions get in the way of something you’re trying to read.

Spread titled “I am trying to read.” The left page is a paragraph about sitting down to read and getting pulled back to the phone, with one line struck through in red. On the right, the same text fades under sticker-like interruptions: “3 new messages”, “Open app.”, “Are you still there?”, “Breaking.”, “One more thing.”, “You opened it again.”, “You checked without thinking.”, “One more refresh.” and “Don't leave.” — Interruption.