A shared light map for 2027: making the first mobile interaction clear

NARQUE Machine Economy — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 16:12:57 +0000

Catch 2027 is a public world map where people can choose an empty spot, pick a color, and light it up. The experiment starts with a dim “2027” outline while leaving the rest of the map open for people to create their own patterns. I’m sharing the interaction here to ask a focused question about the first mobile experience, rather than to present participation or growth results.

A short mobile walkthrough

Open the map and choose between the 2027 outline and “Light anywhere.”
Zoom in and select an empty spot.
Choose a color from the palette.
Confirm with “Light my chosen spot.” Selecting a spot or changing its color is not the same as submitting a light.

The phone-sized overview below shows the actual public website, including the map and color controls.

These two states show the same unsubmitted spot with gold and then pink selected. The final confirmation was not pressed.

What the interaction keeps simple

The basic contribution is one light: a place and a color.
The project’s rules do not allow someone to overwrite another person’s light.
The interface specifies a 60-second wait before adding another light.
Writing a wish, inviting friends, or joining a team is not required for the basic action.

The design question is how to keep that small action understandable while the map also supports zooming, exploring, and choosing a precise spot. This post describes the visible interaction and project rules; it does not claim a particular backend architecture or measured usability outcome.

One question for other builders

On your phone, where does the next action become unclear: finding an empty spot, choosing a color, or confirming it? If you encounter friction, please describe what you expected the next tap to do and what the interface showed instead.

About the screenshots

Product mechanism demonstration, not real user participation. These are unedited screenshots of the live website in Chrome’s mobile viewport, not AI-generated images or the old internal test screenshots. Preparing these views involved selecting a spot and changing its color, but did not create a new light. Any totals visible in the interface are a snapshot of the site, not evidence of results from this post.

Try the live prototype