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Reese_VCD_Thesis_S2017.pdf (1.03 MB)

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Breath in Motion: Breath Awareness Design Research Study

Reese, Cassandra L
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1493048215472907

Abstract Details

2017, MFA, Kent State University, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design.
The rising crescendo of the digital lifestyle has profoundly affected the human capacity for sustained focus. Since 2000, the human attention span has dropped from 12 to 8 seconds, with decreased long-term focus as users increase digital consumption. With users not getting off their devices anytime soon, and technostress on the rise, the question arises how designers might better meet users where they are by designing more mindful interactions. Research in the field of mindfulness shows its potential to reduce stress, increase productivity, and improve overall wellbeing. Mindfulness-based design, or mindful design, focuses on creating opportunities for users to become more attentive to their present state of awareness. The opportunity for this design research is in response to what Linda Stone, technology consultant, calls “screen apnea,” or the experience of shallow breathing or breath holding while doing email, or while working or playing in front of a screen. According to Stone, 80% of people do not breathe properly when using screen devices and the implications are increased stress levels, diminished emotional well-being and attitude, as well as reduced productivity. Using the breath as the primary focus, the goal of this design research is to understand the relationship between the visual components of rhythmic visualizations—direction, hue, brightness, temperature, saturation, contrast, and imagery—and the factors that affect mindfulness through breath awareness for long-term desktop users. The extended goals of this research are to integrate the findings into the development of a web-based tool—potentially a browser extension—to enhance mindfulness and minimize digital stressors.
Gretchen Rinnert (Advisor)
Jessica Barness (Committee Member)
Jillian Corey (Committee Member)
138 p.
Communication; Design
mindful design, technostress, motion design, breath awareness, rhythmic visualizations, screen apnea, device-mediated breathing, long-term screen users

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Reese, C. L. (2017). Breath in Motion: Breath Awareness Design Research Study [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1493048215472907

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Reese, Cassandra. Breath in Motion: Breath Awareness Design Research Study. 2017. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1493048215472907.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Reese, Cassandra. "Breath in Motion: Breath Awareness Design Research Study." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1493048215472907

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1493048215472907
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.