We’re all looking for the 60 second explainer. Quick recaps of important headlines and big ideas summed for coffee breaks are normal parts of our media consumption. The near indecipherable chirp of a podcast at 2x speed is now normal. We get it, there just isn’t time. With all due respect for the current emphasis on quick bursts of learning, we think occasional moments need to be purposefully slow.
Which is why the Imaginarium at The National Gallery in London caught our eye this week. For its 200th birthday, the museum launched a digital room that encourages viewers to sit with a single painting and do nothing but look. No wall of text. No facts to retain. Viewers are invited to imagine the world behind the frame and sit with it: answering a series of prompts to interact with the art. Then see how other visitors imagined the very same thing. It’s a delightfully slow, interactive experience. A guided daydream, in a world engineered to speed everything up.
The gallery’s director of digital innovation, John Stack, put words to why: slow looking builds a kind of insight and emotional connection that skimming just can’t reach. It’s not just a design flourish, but integral to the experience.
The same can be true for ideas. Some only give up their good stuff when you sit with them, turn them over, and examine them a little. Speed is great for getting information, but understanding requires time. The next time something’s worth learning, try resisting the summary. Sit with the important ideas a little longer than feels efficient.
Also, go explore the Imaginarium. It’ll take longer than 60 seconds, but you won’t regret it.