ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an introduction to mindful design and its potential to promote responsible behaviour change. While it is recognized that design changes users’ behaviour, design often has inadvertent consequences which are not considered at the point of designing, and which can cause significant social, environmental or other issues later. In this chapter, it is argued that mindfulness – as an attitude of awareness and attentiveness – can be embedded in design and as such can help users to make more responsible decisions through the use of mindful design. The argument proceeds through the analysis of the concepts of mindfulness and mindful design, and is supported by a number of examples to explain the role and position of mindful design as a useful approach to designing for behaviour change.
