Positive Design: An Introduction to Design for Subjective Well Being
Please read the article thoroughly for next Thursday’s article discussion. I encourage you to print this out, write your notes on the side and bring it to class so that each of us can reference the article during the discussion.
Choose only 1 of the two prompts to complete your blog post. Submit your responses by Sunday evening, 11:59 PM.
1) Think about how the material you’ve learned so far (e.g. Positive Design) might relate to the  material learned in your own discipline? Be sure to describe the some aspect of the article such as the authors’ framework, assumptions, and/or the projects they introduced in the paper, etc. What in particular was the interesting knowledge gained in the article?
OR,
2)  Describe how this knowledge you’ve learned from the article led to the kinds of conversations or way of thinking that has occurred outside of the school. For example, has any of this new knowledge creep its way into your everyday conversations at work, with a friend/family, while in your thoughts on the subway, or another class. If this has not already happened, find a place or person, or space  to engage in this conversation with and report back on this blog.
For Friday, Sept. 25th:Â Read Focus Groups_Anita Gibbs and answer any two of the following questions on the Blog posts.
Please read the article on focus groups for the Friday, Sept. 25th class session (Tuesday schedule). You are encouraged to print the article and note your responses to the following two questions. Your responses should also be posted to the course Blog site by Wed. evening, Sept. 23. We will discuss the article prior to the planned focus group project in class.
1. What are the benefits and potential limitations of focus groups according to the author?
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
3. Are there any ways that focus groups could be used effectively for a project within your discipline? Thin about an application of this research strategy within your discipline or in the context of the semester research project you are thinking of doing.
The material I’ve learned in this article definitely relates to the material learned in my own discipline. Last semester in my Graphic Principle 2 course, my professor always emphasized how important a design should be. Our designs should be important to us but also to the people we are designing for. Designers need to be able to spark inspiration in others. What I have learned from this article, is that products that us designers make can make people feel happy and also empower people. Products can contribute through happiness. Design can intentionally contribute to peoples quality of life. All that I have just mentioned can be classified as “positive design.” Positive design includes three main components of subjective well being; pleasure, personal significance, and virtue. But, positive design does not necessarily address all ingredients to the same degree, there can be one ingredient used more than the other. In order to design for pleasure, you need to be relaxed and having a good time. Ones personal goal and inspiration needs to be met in order to design for personal significance. In order to design for virtue, you need to behave honorably. And, in order to flourish, there needs to be a sense of purpose and meaning of life. One project that I thought could really empower and impact a persons life is the “Echo” app. Reflecting on past events can benefit peoples well being. The study participants had higher level of happiness and life satisfaction rating after just using the app for just one month. This to me was a great positive design. It stimulated peoples flourishing and it also had a positive affect on others.
Biomedical Informatics is a field that studies the effective uses of data, information, and knowledge to create quantitative and computational methods to solve challenging problems, to partake in decision making, and for scientific inquiry across many disciplines, mainly focusing on computer science, biology, medicine, and health care.
As a Biomedical Informatics major, I can definitely say that the three main components of the framework for positive design can apply to my discipline. Most come into this field because it is what they truly enjoy doing. This can correspond to the first component, design for pleasure. Not only do they enjoy what they do, they are in it for the long run. They have long term goals and aspirations of discovering new solutions to problems and overall, new information to improve biological and medicinal knowledge because there is so much more about living organisms that we do not know about or understand. This corresponds to the second component, design for personal significance. As for the third component of design for virtue, when it comes to research and experiments, ethics plays an important role. Ethics helps promote the true aim of research, discovering knowledge without any fabrication or misrepresentation of data to avoid error in any form. Since collaborative work can be essential in research, ethics plays a role in accountability and fairness as well. All 3 components of the framework are necessary for balance to ensure successful research in the field of Biomedical Informatics.
Before reading this paper, I did not think that the three ingredients of positive design would correlate so well with my discipline. I honestly would have never compared science to subjective well-being. This new knowledge allowed me to see that the framework for positive design is actually a foundation for research in many different areas.
In my discipline of learning I usually learn because I am enjoying what I am learning or the significant it may have later on or just the general accomplishment you receive after you learn. ” design for pleasure, design for personal significance,and design for virtue. ” this statement here that I got from positive design relate to my own major discipline. when you are programming a code you are usually programming because of the ” happiness that comes from enjoying the moment,”(design for pleasure). Design for personal significance comes from the good grade you receive from your code and design for virtue comes from what people think of your work. One important thing I got from this article is that ” Money generates happiness because it provides you with the means to pursue meaningful goals and to help your loved ones to do the same.” This statement above raps design for pleasure , design for personal significance and design for virtue together because it shows when you are able to pursue meaningful goals that provides happiness you are able to generate money. But money that has good meaning.
Before reading this article I have never thought of integrate positive design into my projects whether it is in school or outside of the school. I had only followed my instinct, and standing on my own side to suggest if this piece of work is my favorite or professor will like it. After reading the article, I have been discussed with my family and thinking about the idea of integrate the positive design into my projects, and they had given me some very good advice.
Since I am major in Graphic Design, dealing with clients or customers are a very big deal for me. Before every projects we need to research our clients first, research their target audience and what is their product about. I realized how my works effect on clients or how clients and/or customers will think after seeing my works are very important as well. Now, I learned that other than your own research on clients, mixing the idea of positive design into my research is important as well. I think if next time I try to integrate the idea of positive design into my project, the result will definitely turn out good!
The article “Positive Design” was extremely informative. It dealt on the idea that design’s should be used to add to a persons happiness, and the positive emotions receive get from it. Pleasure, personal significance, and virtue are shown to be the most important factors when it comes to creating a positive design. The author defines positive design as something that enables and/or stimulates human flourishing. My major is Communication Design and I believe this article has allowed me to think further into the designs I create. After reading this it made me think more about the consumer/viewer and what type of feeling that they could possibly generate from having a certain design available to them. Designs should give some purpose to whoever its intended for. The designs that I’m interested in should be able to make people think and form an opinion on the specific matter. In the article numerous design products were mentioned and each was very different from the other. One of the examples the article mentions is the “Jazz Shower”. This is example was used in the part of the article which speaks about design for personal experience. Two designers created a “Jazz Shower” a jazz DJ so that he could express his love/passion for jazz. From this example I was able to understand that design products are even better when as a designer the product has a special meaning to you. You can’t always design a product that interest you at first but through research you may be able to find something of interest that can encourage you as a designer to make the product as possible. This was a real great article that made me rethink how I create designs and there impact on an individual’s happiness.
This article remind me in the Graphic Design intro course, I’ve been told the essence of design, people oriented. As the author mentions that a framework for positive design is introduced that includes three main components of subjective well-being: pleasure, personal significance and virtue. before I read this article, for me design is create something new and original. I really been inspired products should be designed for subjective well-being. You should know what is your clients really want. The appearance of a product is because people need it or it can make people’s live better. Like author says musical instruments enable musicians to develop their talent, while running shoes support the development of an athlete’s individual running technique. I was always thinking about design a original product be able to catch people’s attention instead of what will make their live easier or better. Designers can focus on not only increasing the subjective well-being of the user, but also reducing threats to well-being. Creat a comfortable society, people can feel relax and enjoy their lives.
Name: Azarias Lucho
Question 1
The paper Positive Design is about how aspects of human behavior can have positive and negative outcomes when is relate in terms of Design. My major is Graphic Design and, we as designer see the world in forms, shapes, colors and space. All these aspects can relate to a designer. A designer minds always has to work with other people. We chose what is best for the them around and we make them see reality in a different way. In order to achieve a positive reaction of a community, designers have to dig deep. People reactions, patterns, colors, shapes and and of course the right amount of information. We call it simplicity, this way we can assure people’s attention. The Paper mentions ways of how good design can bring people a positive reaction. in other words happiness, but this happiness can not be for ever. We as designer have to make this happiness last for as much as it can, that’s the job we are supposed to be doing, we are artist, we gives smiles and bring hope to the ones that dream big. The satisfaction of having someone happy is a satisfaction for all designers.
Piter M. A. Desmet and Anna E. Pohlmeyer wrote three possible ways of achieving happiness with design.Design for Virtue, Design for Personal significance and Design for pleasure. They are Engineers who see the world far different form designers that take the world in 2D, We see simplicity, we are not illustrator but we learn the way of art in simple shapes and forms. we see negative space, we see positive space, we add the right amount of color. Human beings are complicated , but sometimes they need the simple things to be happy. A true artist see this important aspects before putting his/her pen down. Even thought, this paper may relate to a different type of design, we also use this principals when it comes to design, We try to look for the best solution when it comes to human reactions, to find new memories and to assure their personals aspirations and desires. For example if we get a campaign of cookies, we look at shapes, colors, typography, sizes, texture and the most important feelings. All just to make sure the product being sell is memorable, appalling and good looking for the audience.
Something really interesting about this paper was the incorporate of significance. People always have objects that has certain value to them. This paper describes this aspect of human behavior in a surprising way. Memory is a powerful connection when is implemented it correctly. but giving sometime with meaning to someone else, has more value, that’s what gives memories.
After I have read the article on a Positive Design I thought of how great the theory is on itself, as well as how it could be incorporated in the hospitality industry. As I work in the restaurant industry, I have done research on how ambiance/environment of the place influences consumers and this article just adds up to it – the environment influences us a lot! And the better the environment – the better we feel. As simple as it sounds, it is still hard to achieve. But as article is talking about the well-being, self actualization and flourishing through a positive design it actually opens up a great opportunities for the restaurant and hotel industry to help consumers to feel empowered and happy, while getting professional services (staying a night in the hotel room, which remembers your TV programs, your light and temperature preferences, pillow choices, automatic WiFi log in etc.; having a dinner in a restaurant, where part of the bill goes to charity, china is eco-friendly, etc.).
I believe that this article gives a great ground to actually any industry to retrofit business not to only serve customers but to help them grow, feel better and help community.
To go to specific matter, I loved the “Design and Image by Nest” company, which creates a learning technology to serve consumers’ needs better and save up the energy. This short article led me to my research on “This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good” exhibition held in Museum of Modern Art, where you could find eco-friendly tools that serve us in our every day life. This particular exhibition requires a special attention not only because it gathered the history of past and future together but because it aimed at several aspects of the progress, achievements of the humanity and a sustainable living.
Several pieces gathered attention, including three-dimensional crafted objects, such as the sustainable clothing outfit customized by every body’s feature individually, the biowall; hy-fi mycelium brick which grows itself and many other interesting and innovative exponents. The exhibit gives an opportunity to enjoy the little treasures it has to offer, but truly overwhelms in the sense of how much human creativity can offer to the world.
Altogether, I want to say that the positive design theory definitely has a promising future and I am truly excited to learn more about it.
Trend of design varies by trend of people’s life style. Many years ago, designers think about eco-friendly design and now we are talking about positive design.
When I read this article it reminds me a phrase from mother teresa.
“I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations. I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace rally, I’ll be there.”
This implies how positive thinking is important. In this quotation, even though anti-war and pro-peace seem indicating same meaning, way of process of thinking is different. When I was reading this article, I was thinking about the impression which the positive design gives. According to the article, positive design can increase happiness of people. Moreover, it is meaningful design, and it contributes to people’s quality of life and reduce the destructive side effects of unsustainable consumption.
I strongly maintain that positive design has that strong power that it even changes people’s behavior. Furthermore, it is able to enlighten people leading to positive and successful approach. Looking at my friends, people who have positive mind and who doesn’t have different attitude and when I have a conversation with these people, I feel differently. This means that when I have a conversation with people who have positive thoughts, the conversation is more pleasurable.
I like this idea of positive design and I strongly believe that positive thoughts are highly contagious. So when we design something, we should think our design affects positively or negatively.
According to the author, one of the main benefits of focus groups is the ability to see how different individuals perceive the world in their everyday lives, whether it be in terms of the language they use, or their values and beliefs. One of the most important parts of focus groups is the interaction between the participants. With this interaction, you will be able to gather insight on how they are influenced by others when they are in a group. Another benefit of focus groups is the ability to gather information that allows researchers to figure out why a certain issue is important. Since the focus group comprises of multiple individuals that may each have a different understanding and viewpoint on that specific issue, this provides multiple explanations that allows the issue to be better understood overall. Finally, the author states that focus groups can become “a forum for change”. By having the participants each provide their own views and potential ideas, this may prompt higher management levels to take action for improvements as a result of their input.
However, the author also states that focus groups has its limitations. Not every participant may speak out due to shyness or other social anxieties. Therefore, the author states that focus groups are not empowering and beneficial to all participants. Another limiting aspect of focus groups is that the researcher or moderator has less control over the data that is produced and sometimes, it may be hard for the researcher to clearly identify a definitive message or answer. Focus groups can also be difficult to assemble. Compared to individual one-on-one interviews, the focus group’s method of discussion as a whole is not fully confidential or anonymous.
When conducting focus groups, there are some ethical considerations that have to be made. Like any other forms of research, complete information about the overall purpose of the research and how they are going to use their information must be told to the participants. The researchers or moderators need to clarify that their contribution will be shared with others in the group and that confidentiality should be given.
According to the author, some benefits you get from using focus group research is being able to get people’s attitudes, feelings, beliefs and reactions that you cannot get from other methods. Focus group also helps bring certain people together that have something in common. Another benefits of being in a focus group you are able to a lot of information in a short amount of time because there is just more than one person gathering information and usually it’s an organized event. Also being in a focus group you can listen to people’s response and being able to think about their response. Although there are benefits of focus groups there are limitations. A limitation is that focus groups is not easy to assemble. Also focus groups are open ended. .
Some ethical issues conducting focus groups is that participants needs to be honest and not pressuring other participants to speak. Another important issue considered in conducting focus groups that participants needs to be encourage to keep confidential on what they are hearing.
Yes, there are ways focus groups could be used effectively for a project within my discipline. For example having an idea and needing to hear people’s opinion.
Based on the article some of the benefits of focus groups are interaction between participants, when interaction takes place it highlights peoples’ view of the world, the language that they use about an issue and their values and beliefs about a situations. Some of the other benefits of focus groups that the author list in the article are that focus groups elicit information that allow researchers to find out why an issue is important and what is the importance of that issue, giving participants the chance to be involved in important decisions making, to be valued as experts, to work directly with researchers and to become a forum of change even after the research is concluded.
On the other hand the Author did list some limitations of focus groups, namely, they can be difficult to put together, they may discourage certain people to participate and they are not fully confidential or anonymous.
Some of the ethical issues that must be taken into consideration when it comes to focus groups are researchers must ensure that full information about the purpose and uses of participants’ contributions is given, being honest and keeping participants informed about the expectations of the group and topic, and not pressurising participants to speak is good practice.
After reading the article I feel like I learned a little bit more about why focus groups are important. I realize that being in the Communication Design department, we tend to have to do a lot of research. The focus groups are a great way to help designers get feedback for future and ongoing projects. I remember in one of my design classes we had to do research amongst each other like a large focus group and it helped us all to create great projects.
Some benefits of focus groups are that you gain a larger amount of information in a shorter period of time and you will be “gaining insights into people’s shared understandings of everyday life and the ways in which individuals are influenced by others in a group situation.”
Some limitations would be ethical issues or shyness or even social anxiety. Another bigger issue would be that focus groups are “limited in terms of their ability to generalise findings to a whole population…”
After reading the article I feel like I learned a little bit more about why focus groups are important. I realize that being in the Communication Design department, we tend to have to do a lot of research. The focus groups are a great way to help designers get feedback for future and ongoing projects. I remember in one of my design classes we had to do research amongst each other like a large focus group and it helped us all to create great projects.
Some benefits of focus groups are that you gain a larger amount of information in a shorter period of time and you will be “gaining insights into people’s shared understandings of everyday life and the ways in which individuals are influenced by others in a group situation.”
Some limitations would be ethical issues or shyness or even social anxiety. Another bigger issue would be that focus groups are “limited in terms of their ability to generalise findings to a whole population…”
question 1
The limitations of focus groups is the diversity of the people that are being experimented on. According to the article the differences between individuals can be unpredictable. They do not have the same thoughts or same quality of reason. Some people are more knowledgeable than others. All this samples can led to responses that are not accurate for the experiment. all though it can be difficult to make experiments in such conditions, there are also benefits for this experiments. For example, the responses and different patter of how people react to environments or changes that are in everyday life.
Question 2
Some of the ethical issues that need to be address before the experiment are the researchers. They need to able to work in circumstances with people that don not have anything in common. no relationship. They are not permitted to favorite any of the assets, it could led to responses that are not real.
Question 1:
one potential limitation of focus groups is the participation of the participants. According to the article, some participants may not be so open to to communicating with a certain number of people around. This is something i have personally seen throughout my years in college. It’s not that the participant cannot speak but, they’re just not comfortable speaking in a large group. That is where focus groups may fall short because they’re not getting the full potential from some of their participants.
Question 2: Keeping people’s private life private is a big ethical issue for focus groups. Some people just won’t feel comfortable knowing that some stranger knows whats going on in their life. If possible, I think its best to keep sensitive information anonymous. That way participants won’t feel like they’re being “exposed” to strangers.
1. What are the benefits and potential limitations of focus groups according to the author?
The benefits of focus groups is having information that was made by experiences and based off of the discussion with one another so the interaction between the group allows for people to answer more in detail or be able to discuss and agree on things as a group being that they actually had an experience on the specific topic. Limitations is that the moderator has no control over the amount of information that was given as well as no control over how the information is produced like in an interview where you would be asking specific questions to gather the information you want in this case the group comes up with the information based on their interaction with one another.
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
The fact that all the information is confidential and should not be shared with anyone outside of the group as well as fully letting the group know what the purpose of their information is used for and making them feel comfortable and want to share information.
3. Are there any ways that focus groups could be used effectively for a project within your discipline? Think about an application of this research strategy within your discipline or in the context of the semester research project you are thinking of doing.
Yes, in my field of graphic design we were taught to get an understanding of the consumer that we are advertising for so we would have a group tell us about their experience with a product or brand and use that to come up with a marketing campaign. Also, even as a design firm a focus group is actively used to over come a problem or come up with ideas for a client or for the firm itself its a much more effective way then working separately and much easier to come up with a conclusion as a group that can be agreed upon.
1. What are the benefits and potential limitations of focus groups according to the author?
Some benefits are that you get to learn what other people are thinking and also get different opinions on a certain situation, One limitation would be when a person is shy and doesn’t like to speak out in a large group. I sometimes feel this way but try my best to participate.
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
Sharing personal information with others can be difficult for people, even though it is a focus group some people still decide to share others personal information, when they are not supposed to. A focus group may discourage people to participate because the information they are giving are not fully confidential or anonymous.
3. Are there any ways that focus groups could be used effectively for a project within your discipline?
Yes. In the field of advertising or graphic design you will need to be able to hear different opinions. For these fields you would also need different type of ideas, this is where a focus group will be useful.
1. What are the benefits and potential limitations of focus groups according to the author?
According to the author, the benefits of focus groups are participants can ask questions of each other, they would have better own understandings of their specific experiences; another benefit is that researches can elicit salient part of information. As a result, the gap between what people say and what they do can be better understood and use the focus groups can also become a forum for change, both during the focus group meeting itself and afterwards. The limitations of focus groups are the researches would have less control over the data produced than in either quantitative studies or one-to-one interviewing. Like he said before the participants can communicate with each other, it may be difficult for the researcher to clearly identify an individual message.
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
When selecting and involving participants, researchers must ensure that full information about the purpose and uses of participants’ contributions is given. Being honest and keeping participants informed about the expectations of the group and topic, and not pressurizing participants to speak is good practice.
3. Are there any ways that focus groups could be used effectively for a project within your discipline? Think about an application of this research strategy within your discipline or in the context of the semester research project you are thinking of doing.
If I am going to do the research about environmental pollution, the focus groups would be a great method for correcting dates. Because the environmental pollution is not a small thing and personal mental issue, it should think outside the boxes. In the focus group, the participants can talk to each other is good for idea expression and exploitation.
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
The information between research and participants should be clear. Participants should have fully understanding of the goal for that particular research and to be honest and clear while they are speaking about their opinion. There should be no pressure on any of the participants who are speaking.
3. Are there any ways that focus groups could be used effectively for a project within your discipline? Think about an application of this research strategy within your discipline or in the context of the semester research project you are thinking of doing.
Yes, definitely! We need to do a lot of research on graphic design project, and therefore sometimes a focusing group can let us the designers understand more about the project and hear various opinions on the project.
1. What are the benefits and potential limitations of focus groups according to the author?
Benefits.
Interaction enables to talk, think and deliver better ideas or new ideas. Focus group gives benefit of hearing other opinions and possibility to re-consider own experience. Multiple explanations give more benefits to participants. Focus group is an opportunity to be valued as an expert and to explore problems and solutions. Focus group can help build rapport between participants.
Limitations.
Some participants can be intimidated by group and will not be able to speak at all. Some people have difficulty to express their thoughts clearly, so it might be interpreted wrong way. Focus group can be difficult to assemble according to a specific research area.
2. What are some of the ethical issues that need to be considered in conducting focus groups?
Ethical issues will include confidentiality, encourage by the participants and moderators to express opinion clearly, honesty and objectivity. Ethical issues might also include sensitivity of the topic and gender/age/race of the participants and their respect to each other. Language barrier and ways to respect different articulation and patience are also one of the many issues within a focus group.