User Experience and the Human Spirit Design to facilitate spiritual and numinous experiencesElizabeth Buie@ebuie

Northumbria UniversityDepartment of Media and Communication Designelizabeth.buie@northumbria.ac.uk

Supervisors: Mark Blythe, Gilbert Cockton

Background Master’s degrees in Mathematics (NC State) and Human Development (Maryland)

In CHI for many years as a practitioner

Consultant in interaction design, usability and UX, mostly in government systems

Background Master’s degrees in Mathematics and Human Development

In CHI for many years as a practitioner

Consultant in interaction design, usability and UX, mostly in government systems

Co-editor of book on UX in government

Eton Choirbook score

Donaldson score

Beltway

Collegium Cantorum

“Spiritual experience”An experience in which one feels a deep connection with something larger than oneself

(Seligman’s view, part of “meaning making” in his PERMA framework of well-being)

“Something” could be a deity or something else: the bounty of naturethe grandeur of the universethe compassion of a humanitarian cause the richness of a research programme

Research Questions1.What characterizes techno-spiritual experiences and supporting technologies?

2.Can technology be designed to facilitate such experiences without being tied to a specific faith tradition?

3.What value might such ICTs have beyond experience & spirituality per se? (e.g., creativity, well-being)

The answers should inform the design of techno-spiritual ICT

Research Goal 1 & MethodsExplore qualities of techno-spiritual experiences & ICTs:

1.Review literature about historical use of means such as architecture & music to evoke spiritual experiences

2.Analyse purposes and qualities of a variety of existing techno-spiritual ICTs

3.Interview people from a wide variety of spiritual perspectives to elicit descriptions of spiritual experiences that they have had

4.Analyse descriptions from the interview data using a grounded theory approach

Research Goal 1: Progress (1)1. Review literature about use of means such as architecture & music to evoke spiritual experiences: 1.Literature on the nature of spirituality and spiritual experience turned out to be much richer

2.Most from healthcare and psychology/psychiatry/neuroscience

3.Spirituality: spirituality vs. religion, assessing spirituality

4.Spiritual experience: phenomenology, triggers, common characteristics

5.Nature of awe, wonder, numinosity

6.Terminology: [ spiritual / numinous / transcendent / sacred / mystical / religious / peak ] experience

Research Goal 1: Progress (2)2. Analyse purposes and qualities of a variety of existing techno-spiritual ICTs:

1.Inventory of iTunes App Store(and comparison with coverage of ACM-DL; alt.chi 2013)

Research Goal 1: Progress (2)2. Analyse purposes and qualities of a variety of existing techno-spiritual ICTs:

1.Inventory of iTunes App Store(and comparison with coverage of ACM-DL; alt.chi 2013)

2.Analysis of viewer comments on top-viewed YouTube videos for meditation (and some features of videos; presented at DPPI 2013)

3.A recent (April 2014) search of YouTube for “meditation” found 9.4 million videos

Research Goal 1: Progress (3&4)3. Interview people from a wide variety of spiritual perspectives to elicit descriptions of spiritual experiences that they have had:

1.Began pilot interviews to obtain data on spiritual and religious backgrounds and experiences

2.Have conducted four pilot interviews so far

4. Analyse interview data (not started)

I would like to discuss some considerations regarding techniques for data collection and approaches to analysis, design, and evaluation.

Research Goal 2Develop a conceptual framework that relates the qualities of techno-spiritual experiences and ICTs.

1.Analyze the qualities of the ICTs that supported and facilitated the interviewees’ experiences, and add them to the qualities found by Goal 1

2.Identify and analyze relationships between the qualities of techno-spiritual experiences and those of ICTs that facilitate them, and document them in a conceptual framework

(not started)

Research Goal 3Explore in more depth the design space of techno-spiritual experiences.

1.Follow the qualitative study with research through design. Develop a prototype and explore the space of techno-spirituality in more depth with participants

2.Refine and revise the design as appropriate, to incorporate findings from evaluative studies

3.Refine the conceptual framework as appropriate

(not started)

I would like to discuss some considerations regarding techniques for data collection and approaches to analysis, design, and evaluation.

ExplorationsImaginary abstracts: “a summary of a paper that has not been written about a prototype that does not exist” (Mark Blythe, CHI 2014 paper)

Science fiction and its treatment of techno-spirituality

Contribution to KnowledgeGreater knowledge of how people are using technology to enhance their spiritual lives

A better understanding of the relationship of design to the quality and qualities of techno-spiritual experiences

Potential value of techno-spiritual design to other aspects of life

Thank youElizabeth BuieNorthumbria UniversityNewcastle upon Tyne, UK

elizabeth.buie@northumbria.ac.uk@ebuie

uxandhumanspirit.wordpress.com (research)leisurelyseekingdoctorate.wordpress.com (blog)