5. A Model of Calming Technology
Remove stressful components of existing environment Therapeutic methods: music, progressive relaxation, etc.
Reduce the sympathetic response Strengthen the parasympathetic response
Removing stressors Calmers
Calming
mechanisms
User-
Nature of
centered
stress
design
The body’s
Stressors Interaction design User research
response
Acute vs. Chronic Distress vs. eustress7, Inverted u-shape curve Modeling stressful or calming behavior Age-appropriate design: pre-natal, infancy,
Absolute (objective) vs. Implied (subjective)2 Physiological and neurological effects Persuasive design1: trigger, ability, motivation adolescence, adulthood, and old age
Self-shaping5 to mitigate subjective stress Understanding the user’s task environment
Determinants3: Causes of allostatic load4: Biofeedback and training Existing stressful or desired calming habits
(1) interpreted as novel, (1) frequent activation of stress response, Physiological and behavioral sensors Appropriate modality: auditory, visual, tactile,
(2) unpredictable, (2) failure to shut off response appropriately, Calm-augmented or Purpose-built social, etc.
(3) does not have control, (3) Inadequate reaction of the response.
(4) social evaluative threat
Phases7: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
1- (Fogg, 2002) 2- (Lazarus, 1966)) 3- (Mason, 1968), (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2002) 4- (McEwen, 1998) 5- (Moraveji, et al, 2011) 6- (Moraveji, et al, 2011) 7- (Selye, 1975)
6.
7.
8. Fill in the mad-lib:
“Today I look
forward to (food
dish) at (place) with
(person).”
LookFwd
19. Build Self- Sustain Create New
Tame Anger, Shift
Awareness Attention Meaning
Name Fears Perspective
Reducing distractions Associate or invent
Self-awareness Articulating Building the muscle of
or revealing facets of a desired meaning for
disrupts streams of boundaries around cognitive flexibility
stimuli facilitates focus neutral or stressful
thought and brings emotions uncovers enables one to
and calm. events, objects, or
one into the present. their ephemerality, reframe stressful
actions.
E.g. Fullscreenify,
reducing attachment. experiences.
E.g. Mirror tactics,
Take inventory. Tough love. E.g. Secret beauty, Remap
the mundane. E.g. Beyond thoughts, E.g. Multiple
Name that feeling. inroads, Snapshots.
Calming Technology Design Cards
calmingtech.stanford.edu
Reinforce Simplify
Support Humanize Create
Mind-Body Success
Socially Interactions Commitments
Connection
Small achievements
Interaction with
Reveal the real- Uncover and offer Creative commitments can be used to
technology itself
time, bi-directional social ties, making reduce mental noise increase awareness of
triggers an affective
bond, exemplified in affective exchanges surrounding an one’s strengths,
response; let users intention to make it
the state of the salient and visceral. intention, and
feel the designer.
breath. concrete. contribution.
E.g. Public displays of
affection, Critical mass. E.g. Enjoyable
E.g. Peripheral paced E.g. Fresh start, Homebase. E.g. Baby domino,
errors, Easter eggs.
respiration, Relaxation. Tiny party.
Rough draft of “Design Strategies and Patterns for Calming Technology” by the Calming Technology Lab at Stanford University, August 2011.
20. Thank you for your time.
Calming Technology Design Symposium
Friday, Dec. 9
Stanford University
http://bit.ly/PreCalmingTech2011
Neema Moraveji - www.moraveji.org
Twitter: @moraveji
Calming Technology Lab - calmingtech.stanford.edu
Twitter: @calmingtech, #calmingtech
There is no “calming” counterpart for the word “stressors”.
Talk about sensing- We investigating a lot of methodsTalk about pacingWe tried dimming, different animation, menubar dim, etc.20% below their respective baselineActivated for 60% of the session
The reason this is important is that we will design systems that are empathetic – that fulfill real needs, not just get what we want out of users.
Trend: not productivity, but calm.Assumption: calm leads to sustainable productivity.Goal is INSIGHT, not “productivity”.
What IF we have perfect self-awareness? “I would (a) know how to optimize my life and (b) not be victim of bad mental habits.”