Open AccessEnhancing wellbeing: designing to enable desired narratives
Author(s) -
Patrick W. Jordan,
Muskan Gupta,
Andy Bardill,
Kate Herd,
Silvia Grimaldi
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
actio journal of technology in design, film arts and visual communication
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2665-1890
DOI - 10.15446/actio.v5n2.100490
Subject(s) - narrative , set (abstract data type) , work (physics) , product (mathematics) , service (business) , computer science , exploratory research , selection (genetic algorithm) , sociology , engineering , business , marketing , artificial intelligence , social science , art , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , programming language , literature
Recent research has looked at how products and services can enable positive narratives about those who use them and at the beneficial impact that this has on wellbeing. To date this work has focused on how users’ desired life-narratives can be identified from the products and services they most cherish and which add the greatest value to their lives. This paper reports an exploratory study aimed at taking the work to the next stage - starting with a desired set of narratives and designing a product or service that enables them. A user (n = 1) worked with the research team, using an autoethnographic approach, to identify his desired life narratives. He then designed an experience – in this case a motorcycle rally – to enable a selection of these narratives. It was concluded that the outcomes suggest that it is possible to design for a set of desired narratives. However, challenges remain in terms of making the approach scalable. A multistage approach to meeting these is outlined.