1.
Designing for flow
Dave Cronin : February 10, 2008

2.
What is flow?

3.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi

4.
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

5.
Uh, ok… so how do we do this?

6.
Support natural decision-making

7.
Satisfy people’s goals & mental models

8.
Facilitate simulation

9.
Provide fewer capabilities with less interface

10.
Provide fewer capabilities with less interface

11.
Provide multivariate context

12.
“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

13.
Provide multivariate feedback

14.
Provide multivariate feedback

15.
Provide multivariate feedback

16.
Provide multivariate feedback

17.
Provide multivariate feedback

18.
Allow for dense, nuanced input

19.
Allow for dense, nuanced input

20.
Involve the physical

21.
Keep tools close at hand

22.
Keep tools close at hand

23.
Optimize for fluency

24.
Consider friction

25.
Consider rhythm

26.
Thanks!