Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide health crisis with a major negative impact on the subjective well-being of large populations. Over time, people, including non-vulnerable groups such as healthy young adults, were found to enter a state of languishing: neither depressed nor flourishing, but ‘stuck in between’. The current manuscript describes a design case that aimed to contribute to young adults’ well-being within the limits of governmental measures with a well-being supporting design intervention. Informed by the humanistic perspective on flourishing, the design focused on the enjoyment experienced when fulfilling psychological needs. The resulting design, “Unravel”, is a toolkit that enables the user to rediscover how even simple daily activities (such as cooking) can serve as a platform for exploring and experimenting with one’s personal need fulfillment. The case can inform designers (and design researchers) with an example of a structured approach to design that focuses on the fulfilment of psychological needs.
Orcun, E., & Desmet, P. M. A. (2022). Positive design during a pandemic. Base, Diseño E Innovación, 7(6), 12-29. https://doi.org/10.52611/bdi.num6.2022.776
