Co-designing Magic Machines for Everyday Mindfulness with Practitioners
Jingjin Li, Nayeon Kwon, Huong Pham, Ryun Shim, Gilly Leshed
Conference on Designing Interactive Systems July 10, 2023 DOI: 10.1145/3563657.3595976 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Mindfulness practitioners with varying levels of experience |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Participants conceptualized six categories of designs to support everyday mindfulness: everyday objects, physical spaces, wearables, metaphorical art, companions, and toys. |
Abstract
Many digital technologies have been invented to support mindfulness, the practice of bringing attention to the present moment without judgment. While most technologies focus on mindfulness meditation training for novices, in this paper, we explore designing technology to support everyday mindfulness activities for people with varying levels of experience. Through 9 magic machine workshops, 30 mindfulness practitioners explored and reflected on their personal experiences of everyday mindfulness, and generated designs that support their daily practice. Our findings identified six categories of designs conceptualized by our participants: everyday objects, physical spaces, wearables, metaphorical art, companions, and toys. We further analyze the practitioners’ thought processes and considerations for designs that support everyday mindfulness, such as eliciting and regulating emotion and associating mindfulness with routine daily activities. Finally, we discuss the implications of designing individualized mindfulness products and the potential of using co-design magic machine workshops to explore a practical design space.