What I learned in helping people smile through group texting. I use the Chen Viral Method to create fun and intimate conversations. Learn 3 keys for behavior change.

1. CHEN VIRAL METHOD:
Spread Smiles and
Change Behavior
Frank Chen
Human-Computer Interaction Group
Computer Science Dept. Stanford University

2. Smiles!
 Who smiles?
• Those in yearbooks were happier & more successful 30 years later! 2
• Those in baseball cards were found to live longer! 3
• Decreases frowns! You can’t frown at
someone smiling!4
 Adults: 30% smile more than 20 times a day.
Adults: 14 % less than 5 times a day.
Children: ~ 400 smiles per day 1
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

3. How to Spread Smiles!
Trigger: Get a goofy picture & caption 6. Conversation : Send a similarly goofy smile later
Get 8:06 AM
Send goofy
smiles through
this group. :)
Smiling as I make
some chili! Then, throughout the day…
Send 8:45 AM
Smiling while working?
It's kind of like smiling
with food, just without
the food!
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

4. How to Spread Smiles!
Trigger: Get a goofy picture & caption 6. Conversation : Send a similarly goofy smile later
Get 8:06 AM
Send goofy
smiles through Get 8:47 AM Send 11:47 AM
this group. :) Just drank a I'm about to
Smiling as I make lot of coffee. eat a smile for
some chili! :-) lunch!
Send 8:45 AM
Smiling while working? Get 8:55 AM
It's kind of like smiling I need
with food, just without breakfast
the food! smiling
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

5. Resulting Smiles!
Gross Smiling Product *
205 smiles created!
Triggered 4+ smiles / day
~ 5 day prototype trial.
Created smiles & intimacy in 4 small
connected groups. For a large group,
this intervention did not take!
Conversations transformed to fit
personalities of those involved!
* Approximate!!!
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

6. Design: Fun
Make images personal, fun & frisky 7! Photo = 1000 words.
Create playful conversation & insight into others’ lives.
Why is smiling Look at that,
and sneezing son!
at the same
time so darn
hard???
Driving to Smiling first thing in
work! the morning,
which is really
sleep smiling.:-)
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

7. Design: Conversational
Pick right technology medium to start conversations that
otherwise would not have happened!
Touche. Terrier
Smiling at my last dachshund mix.
class of the
quarter!
Finally out of the
office after 10 hours. When I send a
TGIF and great smile, send one
weekend! back!
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

8. Design: Intimate
In designing for intimacy, pick small connected groups. Not Twitter 7!
Make conversations personal and shareable.
"On my way to play
music in Monterey"
smiling
About to go camping,
smile. :-)
Smile! Smiling at my last
Then… class of the
Btw, that quarter!
counts as
my pic too
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

9. How might you APPLY the
Chen Viral Method?
Spread smiles & decrease stress in your
company!
Create healthy eating habits in motivated
groups through fun images with food!
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

10. Thanks!
 Smiling is contagious 
[Chen Viral Method]
Spread smiles and change behavior
Fun | Conversational | Intimate.
 T | @frankc
 E | fxchen @ stanford.edu
 More? http://designmindfulness.com
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations

11. References
1. Carey, Benedict. NY Times. Feb 2008.
2. Keltner et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2001
3. Keltner et al. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology April 2010.
4. Dimberg et al. Cognition and Emotion 2002. Dimberg et al. Journal of
Nonverbal Behavior 2011.
5. Ron Gutman. Power of smiling. TED 2011.
6. Sean Rose. Text2Calm. http://slidesha.re/jWnWU1
7. Frank Chen. Txt2Smile: Lessons Learned. http://bit.ly/lEmo9x
@frankc. Chen Viral Method: Intimate and Fun Conversations