The desire for “productivity” is omnipresent in our lives. Whether it is at work, in schools or merely running the weekly errands, there seems to be a need to maximise the work done each day - some may measure that down to the minute.
While there is no definite source, the notion of “productivity” seems to be a result of economic development stemming from the 1770s, first coined by Adam Smith in Wealth of Nations (1776). He used it to dichotomise labour - productive versus unproductive, and how they could add value to a product itself.
Today, productivity is no longer just a measurement of output in a macroeconomic analysis, but also closely tied to an individual’s selfworth - one would imagine that they are only valued for what they themselves perceive they have accomplished.
These “accomplishments” are often extrinsically measured through quantifiable statistics - for example, the number of tasks completed in a to-do list, the number of calories burnt after a workout, the number of sections done for a report, the number of words written for an essay assignment, and so on.
Within the context of higher education, the definition of “productivity” varies widely. This is because learning methodologies and content are unique to the subjects themselves.
Contrast the way learning and teaching is done in business school versus architecture school.
Primarily visual-audio learning style Lectures and seminars as common modes of learning
Developing proficiency in management practices, business technology, applications and strategies, and financial concepts and calculations.
Productivity could mean:
Completing case study analyses
Finishing up predictive calculations
Finalising a research report
Work itself often completed in an office, cubicle-based, technologically-driven environment
Materials include:
Laptop and other smart devices
Pen and paper
Online learning management systems (LMS)
Internet
Discipline and resilience
Visual-audio and kinaesthetic learning style
Research-based and studio-based learning
Developing proficiency in digital modelling software (e.g. AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit etc)
Site visits and user interviews
Productivity could mean:
Generating insights from both secondary and primary research
Getting breakthroughs during an ideation process, particularly after discussions with mentors and peers
Based on personal estimates of 'good'measure of 'productivity is even more subjective
Work itself often completed in a crafty and tool-based environment
Materials include:
Laptop and other smart devices
Drawing materials
Modelling materials (both physical and digital software)
Openness and adaptability
*Note: these are typical patterns of learning, although they may differ between institutions or methodologies of learning
Indeed, there are still overlaps in critical thinking skills across any field, and the measures of ‘productivity’ may start to converge during these points - for example, in both cases, when students gain greater understanding of a concept through thorough reading.
However, like the approaches to education, there may be no right and universal definition of ‘productivity’. Henceforth, without a standardised definition of productivity, the essential question, for us designers, when designing around productivity, is to question:
“What are the fundamental, dynamic and impactful systems around an individual that encourages productivity, independent of what they may define ‘productivity’ to be?”
Do productivity methods and tools work?
When we look at productivity from the economic perspective, there are always numbers involved. Terminologies such as “output”, “value” and “supply” are common vocabulary. This gave rise to a strong relationship between ‘productivity’ and ‘quantity’, especially during the Industrial Age.
Till today, it is still almost impossible to isolate one from the other. Productivity is still linked to a quantifiable measure. As mentioned earlier, one assumes themselves to be productive when they complete a number of tasks in a to-do list, check off a number of lectures watched, write out a number of sections for a report or an essay assignment, and so on.
Productivity methods and tools leverage that. Technology, especially, leverages that.
Popular productivity methods, such as Pomodoro, listing and prioritising, make use of a number crunch
Students are expected to be in focus for a 20 minute time block (Pomodoro), although ignorant of the type of assignment involved;
Students are expected to list down all the tasks they ought to do, without feeling overwhelmed, even though they are already stressed;
Students are expected to know what they should prioritise first, even though time management and balance among subjects may already be a struggle.
All these methods approach productivity from the mind - that is, logic. A common cry would be, “I should be doing this because this is what works for others too. Logically, in my mind, it should work for me too.”
Additionally, it is common for students to make use of productivity tools such as Notion, Google Drive, Evernote, and Trello to manage their notes and progress. However, these tools could be redundant if they did not have a workflow management system to begin with (Thomas, 2016; Hall, 2022).
Even with these tools, if they are unaware of how they fit into the overall processes of how they effectively complete work, they are meaningless. Productivity tools should be used as the grease used to smoothen the work of the productivity wheel, not as the engine that drives it.
On the technological front, the future of technology - particularly artificial intelligence (AI) - seems to strive for even more efficiency, and for the eradication of human flaws.
The term “artificial intelligence” itself seems to suggest a life form that is greater than human populations - in perceiving, synthesising, inferring and retaining information - which has already started to strike fear.
As we look forward to these systems becoming more advanced, the conversations around the boon and bane of technology are circulating, and they are signals to anyone to reflect on how technology is no longer a choice but a necessity They are signals for the need to pursue efficiency and even perfection, and to keep up with the advancements that we once imagined were impossible.
Amidst these developments, the question that now stands, which will be key to our co-design workshops, is
"How do we look outside of technology for ‘productivity’, and retain our ‘humanity’ in its inevitable pervasiveness in our lives?"
Running alongside technology, the pandemic has challenged productivity because it has changed some aspects of one’s workflow management system - especially because of remote work. The cross between a home space and a workspace changed one’s ‘productive’ processes and environment - and hence, affecting the timeline and setting for productivity.
The relationship between one’s “setting” (see Section 2) and productivity is not a new concept. It’s the reason why individuals separate where they work (office) from where they rest (home), why they move to different or familiar environments - based on their personal preferences - to maintain their productivity, and why they have specific items by their side or a table set-up to be productive.
An individual’s “setting” could be assessed using their five basic senses, and it is the combination of these senses that has its psychological effects. These psychological effects regulate one’s emotions, and hence one’s mindset, as they approach the tasks and the environment.
The idea of “setting” and the five senses will core to this workshop, which will be articulated later on (Section 2).
Building on psychology, I believe a big factor missing from the productivity equation is the emotional aspect of work.
Self-Worth
Unfortunately, hustle culture has deeply intertwined self-worth with productivity (William, 2022; Carnegie, 2023; Oswald, 2023).
Hustle culture is the idea that human beings are made to work strenuously and extensively, because there is always more to strive for - more money, a better title, and more achievements to attain.
Similarly, while there is no precise timeline, it is hypothesised that its ideas may have originated from the impacts of a dwindling economy in the 1970s, and again in 2008. Therefore, hustle culture positions one’s output as their self-worth - the more productive one is, the more worthy he perceives himself to be.
From a student’s perspective, there is pressure to both be productive, and to trust that the productivity reflects on their grades. It seems to be yet another numbers game - “the more productive I am, the higher my mark will be”. The relationship between productivity, grades and self-worth are mutually reinforcing.
It begs the question of the outcomes of learning - is it merely about quantifiable measures yet again?
How can we break out of the cycle of using quantities?
As mentioned previously, it is likely that students rely on their logic systems to deduce the workflow management systems that will determine their productivity. It could be reflected in expressions such as,
“I know what I have to do and how much needs to be done, but I can’t bring myself to start.”, or
“I have the knowledge and the material required to complete my work, but I keep getting distracted by other things to do.”
The point here is that students assume that they begin their ‘productivity’ journey through conscious awareness and cognition, but I believe that this journey starts way before they start the tasks at hand.
Productivity begins with the controllable, fundamental, dynamic and impactful set-ups that clarify and uplift the mind and body - and hence, one’s “setting”. The right setting, including the right materials, create a sensory experience that brings a student’s awareness outside of themselves.
An awareness outside of oneself is a trait of a “flow” state. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi expresses the flow state with eight traits, one of them being that one’s actions and awareness are merged, causing one to lose self-conscious rumination.
Ciskszentmihalyi’s flow theory has been addressed in several aspects of learning:
"Measuring students’ flow state when they are performing computerbased learning activities (Payne et al. 2011, Seifert et al. 2011 and Sinnamon et al. 2012], Designing learning activities that aid students to achieve the flow state (Kiili et al. 2012),
Correlation studies between flow state and an increase in students’ learning (Pavlas et al. 2010 and Eisenberger et al. 2005)".
Application of flow state in workplace environments (Eisenberger et. al. 2005).
Csikszentmihalyi describes eight characteristics of flow:
Complete concentration on the task
Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback
Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down)
The experience is intrinsically rewarding
Balance between challenge and skills
Actions and awareness are merged, losing selfconscious rumination
Effortlessness and ease
Feeling of control over task
Hence, with a greater consideration in what is the flow state, we can start to see its relationship to productivity - its traits are what describes productivity. The flow state is also a state of happiness (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). If we look even closer, nowhere in these are there quantifiable measures involved.
There have been many tips given to create a flow state environment (Kotler, 2014; Nash, 2019 Roomer, 2019), but these actions are mostly on an individual level. We hope to investigate and also create an environment (i.e. “setting”) that can potentially be applied to a social and more macro level.
The above subjects are defined here:
In our case, we are speaking about personal productivity, which is about achieving personal goals, and more specifically, the completion of tasks that lead up to those bigger goals. Comparing the majors of students, the definition varies, but it can be boiled down to:
Figuring out what is capable of completion in an optimal environment
Following through on creating an optimal environment and completing the necessary tasks to achieve goals
As Csikszentmihalyi explained it, flow is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” It is the state when individuals are most productive, creative and happy.
This is the most common way of measuring productivity. Numerical associations offer individuals a sense of security to information that is otherwise uncertain. For example, time in itself is a construct for human beings to operate on a universal numerical system, therefore allowing us to measure our quality of life on a scale.
Self-esteem is one of the oldest concepts in psychology, first coined by William James in 1890. Self-esteem's importance is often seen in relation to such crucial areas as human motivation, development, performance, coping ability, relationship formation, psychopathology, and mental health or overall well-being. For students, it has huge impacts on self-efficacy and self-concept, which are crucial to one’s learning and identity.
Overlaps in the diagram articulate how these concepts are mutually reinforcing - impacts on one another are cyclical.
In our co-design workshop, we intend to design solutions that focus on the overlapping relationship between flow state, productivity and selfworth, independent of technology and quantifiable measures.
In the previous sections, through secondary research, we concluded that current productivity tools (technology and quantifiable measures) are lacking because they:
Focus on the logic systems of students, instead of the emotional systems that affect them before they begin their tasks
Assumes that every student already has a dependable and consistent workflow management system, which may not be true and hence negates the utility of productivity tools
Assigns productivity as numbers (e.g. number of lectures completed, number of homework done, hours spent on an assignment) and the result of productivity as numbers (e.g. marks and grades), which may dismiss the true objectives of education
Our co-design workshops aim to create solutions that emphasises the importance of a designed and intentional 'setting' that promotes a flow state, which heightens productivity and sustains a state of joy and promotes self-worth in the long term (shaded in red).
In our workshops, I refer to 'setting' as such:
'Setting':
1 2
Unchangeable external conditions
visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory factors in environment Conscious set-ups created by users themselves explicit choices made to alter those existing environments
Research has been done to evaluate the relationships between specific environmental factors and an individual’s focus (Yang et al, 2021; Taylor et. al, 2015) and even how the totality of the environment affects concentration (Burmeister, Moskaliuk & Cress, 2018)
B u r m e i s t e r , M o s k a l i u k a n d C r e s s w r i t e s ,
"
C o g n i t i v e s c h e m a s o r g a n i z e k n o w l e d g e i n t o n e t w o r k s o f i n f o r m a t i o n . T h e y g u i d e h o w n e w i n f o r m a t i o n i s p r o c e s s e d a n d c a n t r i g g e r r e l a t e d a c t i o n s , a n d a c t i o n s c a n i n t u r n f o r m n e w s c h e m a s ( F i s k e & L i n v i l l e , 1 9 8 0 ) , f o r e x a m p l e i n t e r m s o f b e h a v i o r s c r i p t s ( e g , A b e l s o n , 1 9 7 6 , A b e l s o n , 1 9 8 1 ; B a r s a l o u & S e w e l l , 1 9 8 5 ) . "
B u r m e i s t e r , M o s k a l i u k a n d C r e s s c o n t i n u e s ,
" B a r s a l o u s t a t e s t h a t c o n c e p t s a b o u t e n t i t i e s i n t h e w o r l d a r e n o t o n l y c o l l e c t i o n s o f c o g n i t i v e k n o w l e d g e b u t a r e f o r m e d w i t h i n a n d s t o r e d t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e i r b a c k g r o u n d s i t u a t i o n s ( B a r s a l o u , 1 9 9 9 , B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 2 , B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 3 , Y e h a n d B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 6 ) . T h i s a s s u m p t i o n i s i n l i n e w i t h t h e w i d e f i e l d o f e m b o d i m e n t o r g r o u n d e d c o g n i t i o n r e s e a r c h , w h i c h p r o p o s e s t h a t b o d y , b r a i n , a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t i n t e r a c t t o e n a b l e i n t e l l i g e n t b e h a v i o r ( e g , B a r s a l o u , 2 0 1 0 , N i e d e n t h a l e t a l , 2 0 0 5 , P r i n z a n d B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 0 ) I n l i f e , s o m e s i t u a t i o n s a r e e x p e r i e n c e d r e p e a t e d l y i n c o m b i n a t i o n w i t h c e r t a i n a r t e f a c t s , p e o p l e o r a c t i o n s a n d o c c u r w i t h i n c e r t a i n e n v i r o n m e n t s . A f t e r s o m e t i m e , t h i s k n o w l e d g e b e c o m e s e n t r e n c h e d a n d s u p p o r t s t h e s e l e c t i o n o f a d e q u a t e b e h a v i o r a s r e l a t e d a s s o c i a t i o n s c o m e t o m i n d a u t o m a t i c a l l y w h e n s i t u a t i o n s a r i s e ( e g , B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 5 , B a r s a l o u , 2 0 1 6 , Y e h a n d B a r s a l o u , 2 0 0 6 ) "
selection of behaviour from associated knowledge and envirionment
storage of schemas
trigger situation
concepts & cognitive knowledge
background situations
results in
concepts & cognitive knowledge
background situations
H e n c e , i n b o t h a p p r o a c h e s , i t s e e m s t h a t a n i n d i v i d u a l w o u l d h a v e l e a r n e d t h e a p p r o p r i a t e w o r k p l a c e a c t i o n s f r o m c o n s i s t e n t e x p o s u r e t o a w o r k i n g e n v i r o n m e n t W h e n t h e y a r e i n a w o r k p l a c e e n v i r o n m e n t , i t i s f o l l o w e d u p b y a s t a t e o f m i n d a n d b e h a v i o u r t h a t p u t s t h e m i n t o c o n c e n t r a t i o n - l i k e a s w i t c h t h e n t u r n s o n
T h u s , o n e ’ s s e t t i n g w i l l t h u s b e c o n s i s t e n t l y e v a l u a t e d u s i n g t h e f i v e s e n s e s , a n d o u r w o r k s h o p s a i m t o a s s e s s a n d d e t e r m i n e t h e c o m b i n a t i o n o f f a c t o r s t h a t w o u l d i d e a l l y p r o m o t e p r o d u c t i v i t y s u s t a i n a b l y f o r s t u d e n t s o n a m a s s s c a l e
H e n c e f o r t h , o u r d e s i g n s t a t e m e n t s t a n d s :
How Might We encourage productivity in university students' learning journey?
using the lens of the five senses
The Design of Settings to Promote and Sustain Productivity
6 or 8 people per group of Designers, Educators (Higher Education) and Students (Higher Education) separately After school or work in a closed environment (e.g. classroom)
The workshop will require a short slideshow as well as the instructions and any templates, tools and prototyping materials that are necessary. It will be conducted in the presence of design facilitators using a slide-deck (Section 7).
The process will be based on ethical conduct (Section 7).
A sensitising activity is a cultural probe that is part of the research process. Its objective is to foreground the topic in conversation, thus raising its awareness consciously in participants
It also aims to create a shared understanding of the specificity of the topic itself, without influencing participants’ initial experiences and expectations for the co-design workshops later on.
O u r s e n s i t i s i n g a c t i v i t y i s a s h o r t a n d d i g i t a l d i a r y e n t r y t h a t e n c o u r a g e s p a r t i c i p a n t s t o m o r e c l o s e l y o b s e r v e t h e s e t t i n g s t h a t a f f e c t t h e i r p r o d u c t i v i t y F o r e v e r y g r o u p , w e w i l l b e u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h r e e f r a m e s o f p r o d u c t i v e s e t t i n g s f o r p a r t i c i p a n t s :
1 2 . 3
m o s t p r o d u c t i v e , a n e n v i r o n m e n t t h a t s u r p r i s e d t h e m , a n d a c h a n g e d e n v i r o n m e n t
I t r e q u e s t s t h e m t o l o g i n f o r m a t i o n a n d t a k e p h o t o s o f t h e i r e n v i r o n m e n t , w h i c h i s c r u c i a l a n d e f f i c i e n t f o r u s t o c o n d u c t r e m o t e r e s e a r c h a n d i n c o r p o r a t e t h e s e d a t a i n t o t h e c o - d e s i g n w o r k s h o p s ( d e t a i l s i n S e c t i o n 7 ) .
I t i s a l s o a m i n d f u l n e s s p r a c t i c e f o r p a r t i c i p a n t s , s o a s t o e v a l u a t e t h e i r m i n db o d y e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e s e s e t t i n g s
T h e d a t a t h a t w i l l b e c a p t u r e d i n c l u d e s :
activity that participant was doing state of mind before the task location while doing activity
descriptions of settings using the five senses
T o o l s R e q u i r e d :
I n t e r n e t
A l a p t o p
S e l f - a w a r e n e s s
G o o d C o m m a n d o f E n g l i s h
C a m e r a o r S m a r t p h o n e ( O p t i o n a l )
Vocabulary used to describe the factors within the environment may be factual, rather than descriptive. This would require designers to go through an encoding and data analysis process.
Repeated data may limit the variety of data we are able to collect. While we have encouraged the three frames as a way to widen the situations and conditions within the environment, some participants may have repeated information.
Hindsight bias and false memories are natural phenomena in humans. Relying on memory is assuming that the recounts of individuals are accurate. If they are not in the stated environment at that point in time, it will be difficult to record the most specific descriptions of the place. The schemas that were formed of a “productive” environment may also create expectations of what it should be, thus affecting the accuracy of descriptions.
There is an assumption that participants are selfaware and is mindful of their settings to be able to conduct a self-reporting exercise, but this may not be true for all participants.
Co-design is the process in which direct stakeholders of a product or service are involved in the designing process - from research, ideation, prototyping to even refinement
The key aspect of co-design is that, ideally, there is an equal and reciprocal relationship among all stakeholders, particularly in the planning and ideation processes This gives more leadership and responsibility to the users themselves
Users of the product and service should be at the centre of co-design workshops The term “codesign” is often interchangeable with “cocreation”, although the latter encompasses the possibility of stakeholders being involved in the production processes too, not just the planning and ideation processes For our workshops, we will be focusing on the former
O u r c o - d e s i g n w o r k s h o p s w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d i n a s p r i n t f o r m a t - w h e r e t i m e i s c o n s t r a i n e d a n d p a r t i c i p a n t s u n d e r g o p a r t o f t h e d e s i g n t h i n k i n g p r o c e s s t o i d e a t e s o l u t i o n s f o r a d e s i g n b r i e f ( d e t a i l s i n S e c t i o n 7 ) .
A n e n t i r e d e s i g n t h i n k i n g p r o c e s s o f t e n i n v o l v e s t h e s t a g e s o f r e s e a r c h , d e f i n e , i d e a t e , p r o t o t y p e a n d t e s t . F o r o u r c o - d e s i g n w o r k s h o p s , w e w i l l b e f o c u s i n g o n t h e l a t t e r t h r e e
O u r d e s i g n b r i e f , d e f i n e d b y t h e d e s i g n e r s o f t h i s w o r k s h o p , i s :
“
H o w M i g h t W e e n c o u r a g e p r o d u c t i v i t y i n u n i v e r s i t y s t u d e n t s ' l e a r n i n g j o u r n e y ? ”
I t s f o c u s i s p r i m a r i l y o n d e s i g n i n g a s e t t i n g t h a t a i d s p r o d u c t i v i t y
T h e a g e n d a f o l l o w i n g t h e w o r k s h o p i s :
introduction (10 minutes)
forced associations (5 minutes)
brainwriting 6-3-5 (30 minutes)
prototyping in pairs (20 minutes)
presentation & feedback (20 minutes)
refining using a new lens (15 minutes)
final presentation (15 minutes)
T h e o u t c o m e o f e a c h c o - d e s i g n w o r k s h o p i s t o p r o d u c e l o w - f i d e l i t y p r o t o t y p e s a n d s o l u t i o n s t o t h e g i v e n p r o m p t . I t i s i m p o r t a n t f o r t h e s e w o r k s h o p s t o h a v e a d i v e r s i t y o f i n d i v i d u a l s i n t h e m - f o r e x a m p l e , s t u d e n t s w h o a r e s t u d y i n g d i f f e r e n t m a j o r s ; e d u c a t o r s w h o a r e t e a c h i n g d i f f e r e n t s u b j e c t s a n d d e s i g n e r s w h o w o r k i n v a r i o u s f i e l d s , i f p o s s i b l e T h i s w o u l d l o w e r t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r b i a s o r s w e e p i n g g e n e r a l i s a t i o n s .
Lack of familiarity to design methods and tools may hinder the design process, which could impact the quality of solutions. For example, participants may utiilise current schemas to automatically place limitations on their designs (e.g. “it is not practical so it may not be possible.) The expression of ideas in prototypes may also not be frequently exercised.
E v a l u a t i o n :
T h e r o l e o f d e s i g n f a c i l i t a t o r s w o u l d b e t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e d e s i g n b r i e f
i s e m p h a s i s e d , a n d t h a t p a r t i c i p a n t s a r e c o n s i s t e n t l y r e m i n d e d o f t h e
b i g p i c t u r e o f t h i s c o - d e s i g n w o r k s h o p . F a c i l i t a t o r s a r e a l s o p r e s e n t t o
a r t i c u l a t e t h e o b j e c t i v e s o f e a c h s t a g e o f t h e w o r k s h o p , h e n c e
c l a r i f y i n g a n y q u e s t i o n s t h a t p a r t i c i p a n t s m a y h a v e o v e r t h e
a c t i v i t i e s
A s i g n i f i c a n t o b j e c t i v e o f a w o r k s h o p a l s o i n c l u d e s e n c o u r a g i n g
p a r t i c i p a n t s a c q u i r i n g n e w w a y s o f t h i n k i n g a n d i n n o v a t i o n
M o r e p o t e n t i a l i s s u e s m a y o n l y b e i d e n t i f i a b l e d u r i n g t h e w o r k s h o p s
t h e m s e l v e s , h e n c e , r e q u i r i n g t h e a d a p t a b i l i t y o f f a c i l i t a t o r s .
Our Co-Design Workshops aim to answer, "How Might We encourage productivity in university students' learning journey?"
We will be prioritising mindfulness, bringing awareness to the five senses to create a productive 'setting'.
By doing so, we hope to encourage students to access their flow state, thereby increasing and maintaining their productivity that is independent of quantifiable measures, and to reiterate alternative learning outcomes other than their grades
In the long term, we hope that greater enthusiasm will be restored in a better environment, methodology and management of learning, and to protect students' self-esteem and joy while they learn
While we acknowledge that there is value in the data and solutions that will be generated, we are careful not to extrapolate them into a 'general population'. Its validity is also dependent on available resources
We understand that our target audience is based in a higher education setting, and that many of us are privileged in many aspects.
However, we hope that there is still significance in the insights that we can gain upon deep reflection of this process, and ideally apply them to other areas of education.
Ethics Document: https://tinyurl.com/yu6s3zsv
Sensitising Activity: https://tinyurl.com/pmm7s7dm
Co-Design Workshop Slide Deck: https://tinyurl.com/4r7fysm9
Ethics Document: https://tinyurl.com/yu6s3zsv
Sensitising Activity: https://tinyurl.com/pmm7s7dm
'Student' Sample
Co-Design Workshop Slide Deck: https://tinyurl.com/4r7fysm9
A l v a r a d o , O s c a r , e t a l . “ F o r e g r o u n d i n g A l g o r i t h m s : P r e p a r i n g U s e r s f o r C o -
D e s i g n w i t h S e n s i t i z i n g A c t i v i t i e s ” P r o c e e d i n g s o f t h e 1 1 t h N o r d i c C o n f e r e n c e o n H u m a n - C o m p u t e r I n t e r a c t i o n : S h a p i n g E x p e r i e n c e s , S h a p i n g S o c i e t y , 2 0 2 0 , w w w s e m a n t i c s c h o l a r o r g / p a p e r / F o r e g r o u n d i n g - A l g o r i t h m s % 3 A - P r e p a r i n g -
U s e r s - f o r - w i t h - A l v a r a d o -
S t o r m s / 0 0 4 7 1 7 9 c 4 4 d e f d d 7 3 3 a 1 6 d c 3 c d a 6 f d e 4 2 3 c 9 2 4 7 4 . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e
2 0 2 3
A r r u d a , W i l l i a m . “ H o w H u s t l e C u l t u r e M a y H u r t Y o u r C a r e e r . ” F o r b e s , 7 A u g .
2 0 2 2 , w w w f o r b e s c o m / s i t e s / w i l l i a m a r r u d a / 2 0 2 2 / 0 8 / 0 7 / h o w - h u s t l e - c u l t u r em a y - h u r t - y o u r - c a r e e r / ? s h = 4 e 9 3 a d d 0 3 e e 8 . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 . C a r n e g i e , M e g a n “ H u s t l e C u l t u r e : I s T h i s t h e E n d o f R i s e - A n d - G r i n d ? ” B b c c o m ,
B B C , 2 0 A p r 2 0 2 3 , w w w b b c c o m / w o r k l i f e / a r t i c l e / 2 0 2 3 0 4 1 7 - h u s t l e - c u l t u r e - i st h i s - t h e - e n d - o f - r i s e - a n dg r i n d # : ~ : t e x t = T h e % 2 0 h u s t l e % 2 D c u l t u r e % 2 0 n a r r a t i v e % 2 0 p r o m o t e s , a % 2 0 h i g h e r % 2 0 c e i l i n g % 2 0 t o % 2 0 s m a s h . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 . “ D i a r y S t u d y | S e r v i c e D e s i g n T o o l s ” S e r v i c e d e s i g n t o o l s o r g , 2 0 1 5 , s e r v i c e d e s i g n t o o l s . o r g / t o o l s / d i a r y - s t u d y . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 .
G ó m e z - J o r g e , F a b i o l a , a n d E l o í s a D í a z - G a r r i d o T h e R e l a t i o n b e t w e e n S e l f -
E s t e e m a n d P r o d u c t i v i t y : A n A n a l y s i s i n H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n I n s t i t u t i o n s V o l 1 3 ,
1 1 J a n . 2 0 2 3 , w w w . n c b i . n l m . n i h . g o v / p m c / a r t i c l e s / P M C 9 8 7 5 0 8 0 / , h t t p s : / / d o i o r g / 1 0 3 3 8 9 / f p s y g 2 0 2 2 1 1 1 2 4 3 7 A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
H a l l , J o h n . “ W h a t I f Y o u r P r o d u c t i v i t y T o o l s A r e M a k i n g Y o u L e s s P r o d u c t i v e ? ”
E n t r e p r e n e u r , E n t r e p r e n e u r , 9 A u g 2 0 2 2 , w w w e n t r e p r e n e u r c o m / g r o w t hs t r a t e g i e s / w h a t - i f - y o u r - p r o d u c t i v i t y - t o o l s - a r e - m a k i n g - y o u - l e s s / 4 3 3 0 9 8 .
A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
J a r i R o o m e r “ H o w t o R e a c h F l o w S t a t e ( U s i n g 1 0 F l o w S t a t e “ T r i g g e r s ” ) ”
M e d i u m , P e r s o n a l G r o w t h L a b , 1 2 F e b . 2 0 1 9 , m e d i u m . c o m / p e r s o n a l - g r o w t h -
l a b / h o w - t o - r e a c h - f l o w - s t a t e - u s i n g - 1 0 - f l o w - s t a t e - t r i g g e r s - 4 7 3 a a 2 8 d c 3 e 5
A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 .
K o t l e r , S t e v e n “ C r e a t e a W o r k E n v i r o n m e n t T h a t F o s t e r s F l o w ” H a r v a r d
B u s i n e s s R e v i e w , 6 M a y 2 0 1 4 , h b r . o r g / 2 0 1 4 / 0 5 / c r e a t e - a - w o r k - e n v i r o n m e n tt h a t - f o s t e r s - f l o w A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
L i a o , L i - F e n “ A F l o w T h e o r y P e r s p e c t i v e o n L e a r n e r M o t i v a t i o n a n d B e h a v i o r i n
D i s t a n c e E d u c a t i o n . ” D i s t a n c e E d u c a t i o n , 2 0 2 3 , w w w t a n d f o n l i n e c o m / d o i / a b s / 1 0 1 0 8 0 / 0 1 5 8 7 9 1 0 6 0 0 6 5 3 2 1 5 A c c e s s e d 1 3
J u n e 2 0 2 3 .
Riley Leong 2023
“ M i h a l y C s i k s z e n t m i h a l y i , P i o n e e r i n g P s y c h o l o g i s t a n d “ F a t h e r o f F l o w , ” 1 9 3 4 –
2 0 2 1 ” U n i v e r s i t y o f C h i c a g o N e w s , 2 8 O c t 2 0 2 1 ,
n e w s . u c h i c a g o . e d u / s t o r y / m i h a l y - c s i k s z e n t m i h a l y i - p i o n e e r i n g - p s y c h o l o g i s t -
a n d - f a t h e r - f l o w - 1 9 3 4 -
2 0 2 1 # : ~ : t e x t = A s % 2 0 C s i k s z e n t m i h a l y i % 2 0 e x p l a i n e d % 2 0 i t % 2 C % 2 0 f l o w , s h e e r % 2
0 s a k e % 2 0 o f % 2 0 d o i n g % 2 0 i t . % E 2 % 8 0 % 9 D . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 .
N a s h , J o “ 6 F l o w A c t i v i t i e s & T r a i n i n g : H o w t o A c h i e v e a F l o w S t a t e ”
P o s i t i v e P s y c h o l o g y . c o m , 1 1 A p r . 2 0 1 9 , p o s i t i v e p s y c h o l o g y . c o m / f l o w -
a c t i v i t i e s / A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
O s w a l d , J o h n . “ H o w D i t c h i n g H u s t l e C u l t u r e f o r R a d i c a l S e l f - C a r e M a d e M e a
B e t t e r L e a d e r ” F a s t C o m p a n y , F a s t C o m p a n y , 6 A p r 2 0 2 3 , w w w f a s t c o m p a n y c o m / 9 0 8 6 6 4 3 8 / h o w - d i t c h i n g - h u s t l e - c u l t u r e - f o r - r a d i c a ls e l f - c a r e - m a d e - m e - a - b e t t e rl e a d e r # : ~ : t e x t = A % 2 0 c e n t r a l % 2 0 t e n e t % 2 0 o f % 2 0 h u s t l e , i s % 2 0 a % 2 0 s i g n % 2 0 o f % 2 0 w e a k n e s s . A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3 .
“ P r o b e s f o r C o n t e x t M a p p i n g – H o w t o D e s i g n a n d U s e T h e m ” T h e I n t e r a c t i o n D e s i g n F o u n d a t i o n , I n t e r a c t i o n D e s i g n F o u n d a t i o n , S e p t . 2 0 1 6 ,
w w w i n t e r a c t i o n - d e s i g n o r g / l i t e r a t u r e / a r t i c l e / p r o b e s - f o r - c o n t e x t - m a p p i n g -
h o w - t o - d e s i g n - a n d - u s e - t h e m A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
T a y l o r , L e e , e t a l . T h e I m p a c t o f D i f f e r e n t E n v i r o n m e n t a l C o n d i t i o n s o n
C o g n i t i v e F u n c t i o n : A F o c u s e d R e v i e w V o l 6 , 6 J a n 2 0 1 6 , w w w . n c b i . n l m . n i h . g o v / p m c / a r t i c l e s / P M C 4 7 0 1 9 2 0 / ,
h t t p s : / / d o i o r g / 1 0 3 3 8 9 / f p h y s 2 0 1 5 0 0 3 7 2 A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
T h o m a s , M a u r a . “ U n t i l Y o u H a v e P r o d u c t i v i t y S k i l l s , P r o d u c t i v i t y T o o l s A r e
U s e l e s s ” H a r v a r d B u s i n e s s R e v i e w , A u g 2 0 1 6 , h b r o r g / 2 0 1 6 / 0 8 / u n t i l - y o u -
h a v e - p r o d u c t i v i t y - s k i l l s - p r o d u c t i v i t y - t o o l s - a r e - u s e l e s s A c c e s s e d 1 4 J u n e
2 0 2 3 .
Y a n g , X i a n m i n , e t a l “ E f f e c t s o f E n v i r o n m e n t a n d P o s t u r e o n t h e
C o n c e n t r a t i o n a n d A c h i e v e m e n t o f S t u d e n t s i n M o b i l e L e a r n i n g . ” I n t e r a c t i v e
L e a r n i n g E n v i r o n m e n t s , 2 0 2 1 , w w w . t a n d f o n l i n e . c o m / d o i / a b s / 1 0 . 1 0 8 0 / 1 0 4 9 4 8 2 0 . 2 0 1 9 . 1 7 0 7 6 9 2 ? j o u r n a l C o d e = n i l e 2 0 # : ~ : t e x t = L e a r n e r s % 2 0 i n % 2 0 a % 2 0 q u i e t % 2 0 e n v i r o n m e n t , c o n c e n t r a t i o n % 2 0 i n % 2 0 a l l % 2 0 t h r e e % 2 0 p o s t u r e s A c c e s s e d 1 3 J u n e 2 0 2 3
I w o u l d l i k e t o t h a n k m y t u t o r a n d f r i e n d , B r i t t a n y K l a a s s e n s f o r h e r g u i d a n c e i n m y d e s i g n j o u r n e y s o f a r
T h i s p r o j e c t i s a l s o m a d e p o s s i b l e w i t h m y p r o j e c t p a r t n e r , S h i r a z C e n t r e .
L a s t l y , I w o u l d a l s o l i k e t o e x t e n d m y g r a t i t u d e t o m y f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y f o r t h e i r s u p p o r t - a l w a y s - b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s
The workshop will require a short slideshow as well as the instructions and any templates, tools and prototyping materials that are necessary.
Introduce students to the workshops through two slides outlining the following:
- Slide One: purpose of workshop and introduction to workshop facilitators.
- Slide Two: a slide that re-outlines the topic and content of this workshop, and that were introduced in the previous Sensitising Activity, if participated. Presenting the option for withdrawal from the workshop, we need to make it clear to participants that:
1. there will be no negative consequences to withdrawing, and if they choose to withdraw, their data from that point forward will not be recorded for the study, but it may be difficult to remove their comments from group discussions,
2. their participation is voluntary, and not associated with assessment in any course in which they are enrolled (for participating students),
3. participants can contact the lead researcher on this workshop series, Brittany Klaassens, via email (bkla6281@uni.sydney.edu.au) if they have any questions or concerns about the study
In another slide, an outline of the workshop agenda with time allocations will be included. Dedicated time will be given to field any questions from participants.
A series of slides detailing the design method (Forced Association) that the workshop is based on. Detailed information could include:
- Visual representation of the method process,
- The type of method,
- Information on when and in what circumstance the method will be used (in this case, more specifically for ideation),
- Specific techniques that may be used in the method, such as sketching, storyboarding, prototyping etc.
- Articulate what sort of data could be gathered.
Dedicated time will be given after the above presentation to field any questions from participants.
Design facilitators will introduce and run through the design method with participants, presenting a scenario if necessary Participants will then apply the design method for ideation (as an objective of this workshop). During the workshop, participants would be:
- Completing the activities in groups
- Providing feedback to one another
- Expecting to produce low-fidelity solutions around the topic
As some phases of the method require extended time to complete, consider how you may quickly facilitate some stages, so that participants can complete the core tasks of the activity that need development.
For this segment, participants will be put into pairs to create prototypes from their ideas in Brainwriting 6-3-5. Design facilitators may provide guidance and examples for the prototyping methods - specifically, stor yboarding and low-fidelity prototyping.
The purpose of prototyping should be made clear to participants so that they can create their prototypes with the intention in mind.
Materials and templates will be provided to participants to facilitate prototyping.
A structured and open discussion will follow the ideation process. Discussion will centre around the strengths of generated ideas, and areas that can be improved, or redesigned through a new lens:
- How the method helped with innovation
- Originality and key features of ideas
- Points of evaluation that may be overlooked by the group
- Opportunities for the ideas to be further expanded
- Pushing boundaries and breaking from traditional technological ideas
Based on the ‘strengths and areas of improvement’ discussion, participants will collaboratively refine their ideas. They will also be instructed to produce a final solution in a presentable format. Techniques for presentation could include sketching, storyboarding or prototyping. Verbal discussion will also be strongly encouraged.
Participants will then pitch their final ideas. They will also be encouraged to briefly present their ideation process (i.e. what their initial idea was, what they learnt from the feedback session, what they refined, and why their final solution was the most ideal).
Conclude the workshop by thanking participants and gathering feedback about the session.
In this simple exercise, the objective is to answer one of the two main questions. Don't worry, you will be provided prompts to help guide you! You can choose to write, draw or upload photos to answer.
Main Question(s)
1.
2.
To the best of your abilities, using your 5 senses, describe the typical environment that you are the most productive, while completing tasks for your learning. If there is no one specific place or environment, think of the features of the environment that will make you productive. Be as specific as possible!
What were you doing?
What was your state of mind before the task? (e.g. stressed, calm etc)
Where were you situated?
What was your setup? What was your view?
Were there any specific smells in your environment?
What were the sounds around you? Or did you have your headphones on?
What was the temperature? Were there any objects that you were playing with?
What did you eat in the day/before? Were you eating during the session?
In this simple exercise, the objective is to answer one of the two main questions. Don't worry, you will be provided prompts to help guide you! You can choose to write, draw or upload photos to answer.
1.
2.
To the best of your abilities, using your 5 senses, describe the changed environment that helped your productivity while completing tasks for your learning. In other words, if you changed your environment from your typical to help with your productivity, describe this changed environment. If you did not change your environment this past 2 weeks, describe another typical environment that you were productive in. Be as specific as possible!
What were you doing?
What was your state of mind before the task? (e.g. stressed, calm etc)
Where were you situated?
What was your setup? What was your view?
Were there any specific smells in your environment?
What were the sounds around you? Or did you have your headphones on?
What was the temperature? Were there any objects that you were playing with?
What did you eat in the day/before? Were you eating during the session?
In this simple exercise, the objective is to answer one of the two main questions. Don't worry, you will be provided prompts to help guide you! You can choose to write, draw or upload photos to answer.
Main Question(s)
1.
2.
To the best of your abilities, using your 5 senses, describe an environment where you were productive, while completing tasks for your learning, and that surprised you If there wasn’t a ‘surprising’ place that you thought you were productive in, describe an environment that you were not productive. Be as specific as possible!
What were you doing?
What was your state of mind before the task? (e.g. stressed, calm etc)
Where were you situated?
What was your setup? What was your view?
Were there any specific smells in your environment?
What were the sounds around you? Or did you have your headphones on?
What was the temperature? Were there any objects that you were playing with?
What did you eat in the day/before? Were you eating during the session?
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, who are the traditional custodians of the land we meet on today.
We would also like to pay our respects to all Elders past and present, and to the children of today who are the Elders of the future.
- Your participation is voluntary! It is not associated with assessment in any course or grading system.
- You can withdraw from this workshop, and if so:
- No negative consequences to withdrawing
- Data from that point onward will not be recorded for the study, although it may be difficult to remove comments entirely from the group discussions
- Feel free to contact the lead researcher, Brittany Klaassens, via email (bkla6281@uni.sydney.edu.au) if you have any questions or concerns regarding this study.
Brittany Klaassens x Riley LeongThis is a co-design workshop.
- Bringing users, customers, stakeholders and designers together to critique and iterate on design concepts
- Collective creativity and collaboration of designers and individuals who are new to design, working together in the design development process.
- End-users and their needs at the centre of the design process
Topic: Productivity & Learning
Problem Statement of the Day: How might we encourage productivity in university students' learning journey?
Perspective: Creating an environment using our senses
It is an ideation generation method, combining disparate concepts in new ideas formed based around them.
How it works:
In this workshop, we will be doing a version of Forced Associations before we go into brainstorming ideas.
Each person is to draw these cards from the decks:
- 2 cards x “The Senses” deck (two different senses)
- 1 card x “The Activity” deck
- 1 card x “The Location”deck
Let’s rock and roll!
It is a form of ideation that was developed as a way of facilitating ideation within a group, pushing past the boundaries of conventional ideas.
How it works:
1. Each person is to grab a piece of “Brainwriting 6-3-5” template provided.
2. Write down the 4 cards that you have drawn on the paper.
3. Within a 5 minute timeframe, based on the card prompts, you will generate 3 different ideas. Write or draw them in the boxes!
4. After 5 minutes, you will pass the paper to the person to the right. You will be given another 5 minutes to contribute to the existing idea or start a new one
5. After 6-8 rounds, over 100 ideas will be generated in 30 minutes. The next step would be deleting duplicates, clustering or choosing the top solution.
Prototyping is way of early exploration into ideas. The core purpose is to explore how users would interact with the product or service. At a low-fidelity stage, it is a low-cost method to validate designs and eliminate assumptions.
In this workshop, we will be using storyboarding and low-fidelity prototyping exploring and presenting your designs.
● Storyboarding: hand-drawn or digitally composed drawings that are used to visually explore the interactions between people and products or services.
● Low-fidelity Prototyping: allows the quick exploration of ideas early in a design process, by creating a simple representation of an envisioned product
How it works:
1. Pair up. Within your pairs, decide on one of the two ‘Brainwriting 6-3-5’ prompts that both of you will be prototyping.
2. Choose the top idea from the ‘Brainwriting 6-3-5’ worksheet that you have just done.
3. Within your pairs, feel free to discuss and refine the top idea that you have both agreed on. Don’t be afraid to choose another idea or makes changes if necessary!
4. Decide who will be leading the storyboarding and who will be leading the prototype.
5. You will be given 20 minutes to write, draw and create the storyboards and low-fidelity prototypes. This is the time to get your hands dirty!
Present your awesome ideas and get feedback from your peers! Things that you may consider while listening to ideas:
- Does it fulfill the problem statement?
- What was done well and was well thought-out?
- What areas may have been overlooked and improved?
Alongside the feedback you got from your peers, if it was not mentioned, we would like you to consider the following:
- How can we improve on the idea, such that it is not based around technology?
Modify, add on, eliminate or even create a new prototype if need be!
Thank you for participating in our co-design workshop! We hope that you’ve learnt a little something about the design process, and had fun too!
