The Art of Expectations
http://www.uiandus.com/2008/08/24/announcements/the-art-of-expectations-and-attention-control/

Lang, Keith
UI and Us
2008

Abstract:

I’d personally love a computer experience which emphasized ‘flow’ and gradual, constant change. No longer would every little change pull your attention away from an important task. Instead, those Mail notifications, system messages and the like could gently change without you noticing, until you decided you wanted to actually look.