put a small face on a page and have its eyes follow the cursor. people notice in a way they cannot quite name. the thing feels awake. it feels like it knows you are there.
a phatic gesture
none of this carries information. the eyes do not tell you anything. it is the interface equivalent of a nod across a room, a small signal that says someone is home. that is the whole point, and also the whole danger.
used once, in one corner, it lifts trust. the product reads as cared for. used everywhere, on every element, with a face that stares, it becomes a gimmick and then a nuisance.
the rules we kept
- one watcher per page, never a crowd
- the eyes drift, they do not lock on and stare
- they blink on their own staggered timers, so it never reads as a single dead gaze
- it respects reduced motion and goes still when asked
a small alive thing, used with restraint, is warmth. the same thing overused is the uncanny valley with a logo on it.