{"id":897,"date":"2010-09-22T21:56:05","date_gmt":"2010-09-23T04:56:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dragonflyeffect.com\/blog\/?p=897"},"modified":"2024-11-27T17:26:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-28T00:26:00","slug":"designing-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dragonflyeffect.com\/blog\/designing-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DiagramHow do you design for happiness?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A first step in tackling this question is to understand what happiness means<\/strong>.\u00a0 But herein lies the problem.\u00a0 Our understanding of what happiness is (and how to get it) is often misaligned with what really drives happiness.\u00a0\u00a0 Indeed, research by\u00a0Dan Gilbert<\/a> and his colleagues show that we tend to go looking for happiness in a<\/strong> lot of the wrong places<\/strong>. If you disagree, you can check out the lead story on Entertainment Tonight<\/em> on any given day. \u00a0What people think will make them happy is not in fact what\u00a0actually\u00a0makes them happy.<\/p>\n

Money, a successful career<\/strong>, a house with a white picket fence in the best neighborhood in town: these are things we consider the hallmarks of\u00a0happiness. They are also the things we think will allow us to achieve happiness if only we could just acquire them. \u00a0Studies show however that beyond a certain threshold, how much you make is relatively unrelated to your level of happiness. \u00a0Becoming a multimillionare and having all the picket fences, fur sinks and electric dog polishers (thanks,\u00a0Steve Martin<\/span>) that money can buy isn\u2019t going to bring you the contentment you think it will. If you do become as materially wealthy as you dream, you are likely to confront the reality that those feelings of happiness you\u2019ve been chasing aren\u2019t any closer<\/strong> as a result of what\u2019s going on in your bank account.<\/p>\n

So we learn yet again that\u00a0money can\u2019t buy happiness.<\/p>\n

What does correlate with happiness? Meaning. <\/strong>For example, research shows you\u2019ll feel more fulfilled if you donate a couple of hours each week to a cause that is meaningful to you than if you donate a large chunk of your wages to a charity you know little about. \u00a0Further, donating your time instead of your money is associated with greater feelings of connection to the organization you\u2019re helping. \u00a0This in turn boosts otherwise elusive feelings of balance and purpose that so many of us seek.<\/p>\n

Consider the simple question: where are you spending your time? \u00a0It may sound counterintuitive, but research shows that answering this question might lead you to more clarity what is personally meaningful. \u00a0And harnessed with that insight, you may be better able to design for happiness.<\/p>\n

These insights are playing out in organizations<\/strong> (e.g.,\u00a0Zappos<\/a>), websites and blogs (e.g.,\u00a0We Feel Fine<\/a>), and how marketing campaigns are designed (e.g.,\u00a0Coke<\/a>).\u00a0 In\u00a0The Dragonfly Effect<\/em>, we discuss which companies have done a particularly good job of harnessing principles of happiness and applying them to their businesses.\u00a0 We observe how people use social technology to make changes in the world, but what we\u2019re really talking about is something more fundamental and human. \u00a0The\u00a0Dragonfly Effect<\/em> is about creating a single focused goal, based on meaning and happiness, and designing a campaign that allows the goal to spread. <\/span><\/em>It\u2019s about the people you\u00a0know\u00a0and the people they know coming together and helping one another and in turn, helping ourselves. Infectious action.\u00a0And with the social web, it\u2019s often not about donating those dollars: it can also be about donating yourself \u2013 your time, your connections, your commitment, and your talent<\/strong> \u2013 to spread passion and awareness and affect the outcomes of the things you believe in. \u00a0Just as so many seemingly\u00a0pointless YouTube videos<\/a> go viral, so too can a\u00a0campaign for change<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Think Human<\/strong>
\nFocus on the person you are trying to help. Don\u2019t rush in with a solution to a problem, test alternatives and be prepared to return to square one several times. Also, focus on the person you need help from (AKA your audience). What are their goals and dreams? How can you help them achieve them? Who are you to them? Where are your leverage points in terms of causing them to act? Match your appeal to the medium (e.g. short bursts for Twitter, logical discourse for blogs, emotional envelopment on YouTube)
\n– From The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, Powerful Ways to use Social Media to Drive Social Change. Site:\u00a0The Dragonfly Effect \u2013 Design Principles<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Interested in more insight on how to design organizations, websites and even movements based on principles of happiness and emotional contagion? Check out\u00a0the\u00a0research stream<\/a> associated with\u00a0The Dragonfly Effect<\/em>, or the\u00a0research on time, money, and happiness (e.g.,\u00a0Sanford DeVoe<\/a>,\u00a0Jeff Pfeffer<\/a>,\u00a0Cassie Mogilner Holmes<\/span>,\u00a0Wendy Liu<\/span>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How do you design for happiness? A first step in tackling this question is to understand what happiness means.\u00a0 But herein lies the problem.\u00a0 Our understanding of what happiness is (and how to get it) is often misaligned with what really drives happiness.\u00a0\u00a0 Indeed, research by\u00a0Dan Gilbert and his colleagues show that we tend to … <\/p>\n

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