Lesley Humphreys Presentation at World IA Day, DC – February 21, 2015 The science of happiness has come a long way in recent decades: prominent scholars such as Martin Seligman, Tal Ben-Shahar, and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi have studied and written about the impact that positive psychology can have in our lives. Csikszentmihalyi’s research on the concept of flow, in particular, is relevant to our work as information architects. Can we find the right mix of skills and challenges to bring our clients, our end users, and ourselves into the “flow” state of optimal experience? If we can achieve the right balance (in the stretch zone, as opposed to the panic zone!) happiness is found in the sense of accomplishment at what we’ve achieved.

1. Lesley
Humphreys
IA / Interac5on Designer
lesley@designforcontext.com
@leslo @design4context
Posi%ve
Psychology
&
the
Architecture
of
Informa%on
Happiness
WORLD
INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURE
DAY
Washington,
DC,
21
February
2015

2. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
2
INFORMATION
ARCHITECT
&
INTERACTION
DESIGNER
Lesley specializes in the user-­‐centered design of
rich informa5on sites and applica5ons.
Lesley
Humphreys
Design for Context

3. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
3

4. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
4
PosiNve
Psychology
● Can
we
promote
posiNve
development
by
examining
well-­‐being?
● Abraham
Maslow,
1954
● MarNn
Seligman,
U.
of
Pennsylvania
● Tal
Ben-­‐Shahar,
Harvard
● Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi,
Claremont
Graduate
University

5. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
5
When
do
people
feel
most
happy?
“…not
the
passive,
recepNve,
relaxing
Nmes.”
“…but
when
a
person’s
body
or
mind
is
stretched
to
its
limits
to
accomplish
something
difficult
and
worthwhile.”

6. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
6
Differen*a*on:
is
movement
towards
uniqueness,
a
separaNon
of
the
self,
by
developing
your
skills.
6
Integra*on:
is
the
opposite,
when
you
combine
those
skills
with
ideas
and
enNNes
beyond
the
self.

7. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
“There’s
no
place
that
more
draws
the
best
from
human
beings
than
a
mountaineering
situa*on…People
a>er
the
same
self-­‐discipline
as
yourself,
following
the
deeper
commitment…A
bond
like
that
with
other
people
is
in
itself
an
ecstasy.”
7

8. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
Anxiety
Boredom
Challenges(high)
0
(low)
Skills
0 (high)(low)
Flow
Channel
A1
A4
A3
A2
8
Credit: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: the Psychology of Op2mal Experience

9. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
Anxiety
Challenges(high)
0
(low)
Boredom
Skills
0 (high)(low)
Flow
Channel
A1
A4
A3
A2
9
A5
A8
A7
A6

10. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
Flow
Channel
A1
A2
A4
• As
pracNNoners,
we’re
part
of
a
community
that
does
this
organically
• We
come
together,
collaborate,
&
build
our
skills
• We
need
new
project
challenges
to
exercise
these
skills
10
Skills

11. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
Flow
Channel
A1
A3
A4
• Our
clients
come
to
us
with
the
challenges
• We
bring
the
skills
we’ve
been
building
• Our
role
is
to
design
together
for
the
end
user
to
also
have
this
flow
experience
11
Challenges

12. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
12
Credit: Jim Seida / NBC News
Happiness
is
a
growth
experience

13. @design4context
@leslo
@WIAD_DC
Posi5ve Psychology & Informa5on Happiness WIAD DC 2015
13
Please Contact:
Lesley Humphreys
Information Architect, Interaction Designer
lesley@designforcontext.com
Thank
you.