This document presents a model for calming technology and strategies for its design. It discusses (1) removing stressors and including calming mechanisms, (2) understanding how stress affects the body and methods for reducing stress responses, and (3) user-centered design principles for calming technologies like building self-awareness, creating social support, and simplifying tasks. The goal is to design technologies that can help mitigate stress and promote relaxation.

1. 
Consumer-Centric Health
Models for Change ‘11

2. HealthMonth

4. Outside-in
Nike+
Persuasive tech
Clinic Lark
Build my app
Self-tracking
Text4Baby
Individual Heartrate monitor Society
Calming tech
Coaching
OhLife
Meditation
Inside-out

5. A Model of Calming Technology
Remove stressful components of existing environment Therapeutic methods: music, progressive relaxation, etc.
Reduce the sympathetic response Strengthen the parasympathetic response
Removing stressors Calmers
Calming
mechanisms
User-
Nature of
centered
stress
design
The body’s
Stressors Interaction design User research
response
Acute vs. Chronic Distress vs. eustress7, Inverted u-shape curve Modeling stressful or calming behavior Age-appropriate design: pre-natal, infancy,
Absolute (objective) vs. Implied (subjective)2 Physiological and neurological effects Persuasive design1: trigger, ability, motivation adolescence, adulthood, and old age
Self-shaping5 to mitigate subjective stress Understanding the user’s task environment
Determinants3: Causes of allostatic load4: Biofeedback and training Existing stressful or desired calming habits
(1) interpreted as novel, (1) frequent activation of stress response, Physiological and behavioral sensors Appropriate modality: auditory, visual, tactile,
(2) unpredictable, (2) failure to shut off response appropriately, Calm-augmented or Purpose-built social, etc.
(3) does not have control, (3) Inadequate reaction of the response.
(4) social evaluative threat
Phases7: alarm, resistance, exhaustion.
1- (Fogg, 2002) 2- (Lazarus, 1966)) 3- (Mason, 1968), (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2002) 4- (McEwen, 1998) 5- (Moraveji, et al, 2011) 6- (Moraveji, et al, 2011) 7- (Selye, 1975)

8. Fill in the mad-lib:
“Today I look
forward to (food
dish) at (place) with
(person).”
LookFwd

9. Breakfast
Buddies

15. Study 3: Breathaware

19. Build Self- Sustain Create New
Tame Anger, Shift
Awareness Attention Meaning
Name Fears Perspective
Reducing distractions Associate or invent
Self-awareness Articulating Building the muscle of
or revealing facets of a desired meaning for
disrupts streams of boundaries around cognitive flexibility
stimuli facilitates focus neutral or stressful
thought and brings emotions uncovers enables one to
and calm. events, objects, or
one into the present. their ephemerality, reframe stressful
actions.
E.g. Fullscreenify,
reducing attachment. experiences.
E.g. Mirror tactics,
Take inventory. Tough love. E.g. Secret beauty, Remap
the mundane. E.g. Beyond thoughts, E.g. Multiple
Name that feeling. inroads, Snapshots.
Calming Technology Design Cards
calmingtech.stanford.edu
Reinforce Simplify
Support Humanize Create
Mind-Body Success
Socially Interactions Commitments
Connection
Small achievements
Interaction with
Reveal the real- Uncover and offer Creative commitments can be used to
technology itself
time, bi-directional social ties, making reduce mental noise increase awareness of
triggers an affective
bond, exemplified in affective exchanges surrounding an one’s strengths,
response; let users intention to make it
the state of the salient and visceral. intention, and
feel the designer.
breath. concrete. contribution.
E.g. Public displays of
affection, Critical mass. E.g. Enjoyable
E.g. Peripheral paced E.g. Fresh start, Homebase. E.g. Baby domino,
errors, Easter eggs.
respiration, Relaxation. Tiny party.
Rough draft of “Design Strategies and Patterns for Calming Technology” by the Calming Technology Lab at Stanford University, August 2011.

20. Thank you for your time.
Calming Technology Design Symposium
Friday, Dec. 9
Stanford University
http://bit.ly/PreCalmingTech2011
Neema Moraveji - www.moraveji.org
Twitter: @moraveji
Calming Technology Lab - calmingtech.stanford.edu
Twitter: @calmingtech, #calmingtech

24. Calming User Delivery Modality
STRESSOR Mechanism Experience Method CALM
Introduce
Passive Push Cognitive
Calmers
Reduce Physio/Se
Active Pull
Stressors nsory
Affective

25. From maximizing ‘productivity’ and ‘learning opportunities’ to …