Designing for flow
Dave Cronin : February 10, 2008

What is flow?

Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

Full immersion
Focused attention
Intent and action merge
Sense of control
Lack of self-
consciousness
Transformation of time
Sense of intrinsic
reward
Positive state of mind
Productivity

Uh, ok… so how do we do this?

Support natural decision-making

Satisfy people’s goals & mental models

Facilitate simulation

Provide fewer capabilities with less interface

Provide fewer capabilities with less interface

Provide multivariate context

“I found that if a painter relates to objects only through
vision, his work is much less original than a painter who
walks up to the object, smells it, throws it in the air,
and manipulates it.
The variety of sensory inputs allows you to create a
visual image that has all kinds of dimensions bubbling up
inside it. We are still a multimedia organism. If we want
to push the envelope of complexity further, we have to
use all of our devices for accessing information - not all
of which are rational.”
- Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
Provide multivariate context

Provide multivariate feedback

Provide multivariate feedback

Provide multivariate feedback

Provide multivariate feedback

Provide multivariate feedback

Allow for dense, nuanced input

Allow for dense, nuanced input

Involve the physical

Keep tools close at hand

Keep tools close at hand

Optimize for fluency

Consider friction

Consider rhythm

Thanks!