Design for Wellbeing – Samenvatting
Introduction positive design
Happiness
All people want to be happy and a life with great quality.
Products and services need to give them a pleasurable user experience, enjoyment.
In recent decades there has been more attention for positive psychology instead of the negative
emotions
Post-materialistic value patters after the war. Materialistic changed into more desire:
- To belong
- To be meaningful
- Achieve goals
- Help others
- Social activities
Material well-being can assist people in their search for happiness, without being the direct source of
that happiness. It’s what people DO with their material means that can make them happy.
Why design for happiness?
1. Happy people contribute to society in a positive way
More productive, creative, healthier, better to deal with stress..
They are better leaders and negotiators
Have more friends (= wider social safety net) and more helpful
2. Happiness plays an important role in human development
Happiness is included as fundamental human goal in Millennium Development Goals
3. Encouraging people to engage in activities that make them happy the focus can shift from
materialistic pleasure to lifelong happiness
This lead to fewer products and a more ecological world
= design for long-term happiness
Positive design
Deze moet je niet vanbuiten kennen voor het examen
1. Creates possibilities
It realizes optimistic futures. It not only reduces people’s problems, but it offers them
opportunities to improve their wellbeing
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
, 2. Supports human growth
Enables and inspires people to develop their talents, deepen their relationships, increase
their freedom and contribute to their communities.
3. Enables meaningful activities
Stimulates people to engage in meaningful activities
4. Embraces rich experiences
Effects the complete pallet of human experiences
It focuses on lasting experiences involve both positive and negative emotions instead of
short-term pleasures
5. Accepts responsibility
It takes responsibility for its short- and long-term impact on individuals as well as on
communities and society
Positive psychology
= movement within psychology
Deals with 3 subjects:
- Positive experiences (happiness, hope, love)
- Positive qualities (levenskracht, veerkracht, wijsheid)
- Positive institutions (institutions that can make a positive difference within society)
Happiness is the experience of joy, contentment, or positive wellbeing, combined with a sense that
one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile.
The father of positive psychology = Seligman
He says that happiness is not one specific state. He calls it well-being that is divided in 5 different
elements that people can define and measure independently and contribute to well-being:
- Positive emotion
- Engagement
- Positive relationships
- Meaning
- Accomplishment
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
, Part 1: Psychology
Determinants of happiness
Especially the activities someone undertakes affect our feeling of happiness (40%) and only 10% of
our happiness is determined by our living conditions.
50% of our happiness level can be explained by our genetic set point. Some people are "born"
happier than others and determines to a large extent how happy we will be during our lifetime.
Life circumstances such as: age, income, gender, status, location… account only for 10% of the
happiness level. Not only is it difficult (even impossible) to increase happiness via circumstantial
changes. → limited impact due to the phenomenon hedonic adaptation1
Especially the intentional activities and thoughts someone undertakes affect our feeling of
happiness (40%). Activities have lasting benefits for our well-being, even when they become habitual.
Happiness-enhancing activities
Moet je niet alle 12 vanbuiten leren
- Dankbaarheid uiten
- Optimisme bevorderen
- Over-thinking en sociale vergelijking
vermijden
- Daden van vriendelijkheid uitvoeren
- Sociale relaties onderhouden
- Strategieën ontwikkelen voor omgaan
met stress of tegenslagen
- Leren vergeven
- Flow experiences verhogen
- Genieten van het leven
- Je doelen nastreven
- Beoefenen van geloof en spiritualiteit
- Zorgen voor je lichaam
What exactly are the deliberate activities that make us happy?
➔ 12 activities about gratitude, optimism, enjoying good things and learning to accept mistakes
1
Wennen aan een nieuwe situatie (na positieve of negatieve levensgebeurtenis), waarbij het geluksniveau
terugkeert naar het basisniveau.
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
Introduction positive design
Happiness
All people want to be happy and a life with great quality.
Products and services need to give them a pleasurable user experience, enjoyment.
In recent decades there has been more attention for positive psychology instead of the negative
emotions
Post-materialistic value patters after the war. Materialistic changed into more desire:
- To belong
- To be meaningful
- Achieve goals
- Help others
- Social activities
Material well-being can assist people in their search for happiness, without being the direct source of
that happiness. It’s what people DO with their material means that can make them happy.
Why design for happiness?
1. Happy people contribute to society in a positive way
More productive, creative, healthier, better to deal with stress..
They are better leaders and negotiators
Have more friends (= wider social safety net) and more helpful
2. Happiness plays an important role in human development
Happiness is included as fundamental human goal in Millennium Development Goals
3. Encouraging people to engage in activities that make them happy the focus can shift from
materialistic pleasure to lifelong happiness
This lead to fewer products and a more ecological world
= design for long-term happiness
Positive design
Deze moet je niet vanbuiten kennen voor het examen
1. Creates possibilities
It realizes optimistic futures. It not only reduces people’s problems, but it offers them
opportunities to improve their wellbeing
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
, 2. Supports human growth
Enables and inspires people to develop their talents, deepen their relationships, increase
their freedom and contribute to their communities.
3. Enables meaningful activities
Stimulates people to engage in meaningful activities
4. Embraces rich experiences
Effects the complete pallet of human experiences
It focuses on lasting experiences involve both positive and negative emotions instead of
short-term pleasures
5. Accepts responsibility
It takes responsibility for its short- and long-term impact on individuals as well as on
communities and society
Positive psychology
= movement within psychology
Deals with 3 subjects:
- Positive experiences (happiness, hope, love)
- Positive qualities (levenskracht, veerkracht, wijsheid)
- Positive institutions (institutions that can make a positive difference within society)
Happiness is the experience of joy, contentment, or positive wellbeing, combined with a sense that
one’s life is good, meaningful and worthwhile.
The father of positive psychology = Seligman
He says that happiness is not one specific state. He calls it well-being that is divided in 5 different
elements that people can define and measure independently and contribute to well-being:
- Positive emotion
- Engagement
- Positive relationships
- Meaning
- Accomplishment
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
, Part 1: Psychology
Determinants of happiness
Especially the activities someone undertakes affect our feeling of happiness (40%) and only 10% of
our happiness is determined by our living conditions.
50% of our happiness level can be explained by our genetic set point. Some people are "born"
happier than others and determines to a large extent how happy we will be during our lifetime.
Life circumstances such as: age, income, gender, status, location… account only for 10% of the
happiness level. Not only is it difficult (even impossible) to increase happiness via circumstantial
changes. → limited impact due to the phenomenon hedonic adaptation1
Especially the intentional activities and thoughts someone undertakes affect our feeling of
happiness (40%). Activities have lasting benefits for our well-being, even when they become habitual.
Happiness-enhancing activities
Moet je niet alle 12 vanbuiten leren
- Dankbaarheid uiten
- Optimisme bevorderen
- Over-thinking en sociale vergelijking
vermijden
- Daden van vriendelijkheid uitvoeren
- Sociale relaties onderhouden
- Strategieën ontwikkelen voor omgaan
met stress of tegenslagen
- Leren vergeven
- Flow experiences verhogen
- Genieten van het leven
- Je doelen nastreven
- Beoefenen van geloof en spiritualiteit
- Zorgen voor je lichaam
What exactly are the deliberate activities that make us happy?
➔ 12 activities about gratitude, optimism, enjoying good things and learning to accept mistakes
1
Wennen aan een nieuwe situatie (na positieve of negatieve levensgebeurtenis), waarbij het geluksniveau
terugkeert naar het basisniveau.
Ellen Loeys
Samenvatting Design for Interaction 1st Master Product Development
Design for Wellbeing 2023-2024
