Event Announcement – How We Listen…Archive Reveal: Anti‑Social Design in a Hyper‑Connected Society
Date: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET
Location: Online (Zoom link will be emailed to registrants)
The Oral History Archives at Columbia is thrilled to unveil a groundbreaking addition to our holdings—the MINUTIAE app archival collection. This is the first time Columbia University Libraries have documented the complete lifecycle of a mobile application, preserving an entire digital artifact for future scholarship.
About MINUTIAE
- Created in 2017 by artists Martin Adolfsson and Daniel Wilson.
- Marketed as an “anti‑social app,” it asks users to snap one photo during a single‑minute window each day.
- The app’s minimalist design deliberately omits profiles, likes, and comments, encouraging a shared, intentional record of everyday life across the globe.
What the Collection Includes
| Component | Description |
| The User Experience | A custom‑built version of MINUTIAE installed on an iPhone, displaying the full 1,440‑day photo cycles of eleven participants. A printed book presents one participant’s complete visual journey. |
| Oral Histories with the Artists | In‑depth interviews with Adolfsson and Wilson exploring the app’s origins, design philosophy, and development process. |
| Preserving the Code | The app’s source code is stored in a restricted repository, safeguarding its technical architecture for long‑term study. |
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️Why It Matters
Born out of conversations at the New Museum’s New INC incubator, MINUTIAE pushes back against the curated, algorithm‑driven nature of mainstream social media. By limiting daily capture to a single minute and removing social feedback loops, it offers a minimalist, intentional approach to documenting daily life—an invaluable case study for scholars of digital culture, media studies, and personal archiving.
Access & Research
- Research by appointment: The collection is available by appointment in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library reading room.
- Public oral histories: The Wilson and Adolfsson interviews are freely accessible online—no Columbia login required.
How to Join
Who Should Attend?
- Students and faculty in Media Studies, Digital Humanities, Art History, and Computer Science.
- Librarians, archivists, and preservation specialists interested in mobile app stewardship.
- Anyone curious about alternative social media models and the future of personal digital archives.
Don’t miss this chance to hear directly from the creators, explore a unique digital collection, and discuss the implications of “anti‑social” design in today’s hyper‑connected world.
We look forward to seeing you online on September 23rd!
For questions, contact the Oral History Archives at oralhist@library.columbia.edu