When was the last time that you encountered something awesome that made you shout out, “God! How could someone come up with that?!” It’s a brilliant idea that makes you want to reward the creator and share it with the world. That was me when I discovered this “modern digital artifact to recreate the atmosphere of your favorite bar” and a few other similar creations.
Before you have any questions, head on over to I Miss My Bar and turn the thing on with your headphones in, so you know what I’m talking about.
What are they?
Besides the I Miss My Bar page, there are also I Miss My Cafe and I Miss the Office. These are one-page websites that let you listen to the ambient atmosphere of a bar, cafe, or office as if you are actually at those places at the very moment. The highlight? You can customize the sounds (bartender working, people talking, street ambient, rain on window, etc.) and songs on Spotify to your preference, or just use the default setting.
Who created them?
With the severe effects of the pandemic, Maverick, a bar in Mexico initiated I Miss My Bar, hoping to send out a message that it misses the customers. It’s made by a startup design studio, Lagom and designers, Tandem. Kids Creative Agency developed I Miss the Office. I Miss My Cafe was created by software engineer Reagan Henke with inspiration from I Miss My Bar, I Miss the Office and Coffitivity. These websites are free to use and accept financial support from the users.
How to use them?
You can turn on audio atmospheres as background sounds to accompany you during work or daily routines. When you’re having dinner at home and want a bustling atmosphere, turn on I Miss My Bar. Or, while doing homework and you need a deep focus, turn on the I Miss My Cafe by choosing only the Machinery, Rainy Day and Sunny Day atmospheres. During a break, leave the I Miss the Office page on as background sound.
Why do I think they’re brilliant?
- The websites are very user-centric. With beige, pale gray background, minimal illustration, the perfect amount of customization, and simple navigation, this is, in my opinion, a blissful user experience. You can have a fun interaction on I Miss the Office by pressing on icons to activate the sounds. On I Miss My Cafe, you can switch to dark mode, which will turn the background to a dark grey color. Every website is (thankfully) free from ads and pop-ups.
- They ignite creativity. As a Programming student who loves to design things, I’m fascinated by the integration behind the websites. It’s such a perfect blend of art, technology, music, and perhaps marketing, with the least amount of distractions. They spark creativity and joy and leave me imagining further about what else I can create that will make a positive impression in some way just like they do.
- They trigger you just right – Consider the purpose of the artifacts, which is to make users feel like they’re at their favorite bar/cafe/office by simply hitting the play buttons. The artifacts do the job successfully. There we are closing our eyes and absorbing the virtual vibe that represents the places we miss so badly. If you like to customize, choose the sounds you want to hear and the volume level. Otherwise, the default setting is fine.
Even though these virtual atmosphere generators can not replace your favorite bar, cafe, or the office in reality, they keep your heart warm and filled with hope. These beautiful ideas improve our moods, make us close our eyes and imagine and motivate us to keep moving on and keep creating cool things. Try them, share your thoughts, or support a local bar or cafe when given a chance and it’s safe to do so.
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