Part 1: True Happiness this Way Lies – Technology, Interaction Design and Wellbeing

Almost all human activity is technology-mediated. Technology enables us to perceive things, we normally could not see or hear (think computed tomography, radar, radio) and to do things, we could not do otherwise (e.g., to fly ;-). Thus, being human is inextricably entangled with technology. These technologies are not just neutral instruments. If anything, they shape our daily lives, the way we work and play. Given this, the way we design technology is surprising. Instead of focusing on the overall wellbeing of users, most technologies quite narrowly increase efficiency only. In this Webinar Prof. Hassenzahl will present a simple model and many examples to better understand how technology shapes our everyday happiness and how it can be deliberately designed “for wellbeing”.