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What exactly is the „flow“, and how can any kind of exhibit benefit from it?
The flow experience was primarily examined by Csikszentmihalyi in the 1980s. Today the findings are firmly established in motivational science. “Flow” describes the condition of joyful experiencing, a smooth activity in which the active person is fully immersed. Csikszentmihalyi defined six components which characterize „flow“.
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All requests for acting and all feedback is perceived as clear – no interpretation needed; subjects always know without further thought what to do next.
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Subjects feel optimally occupied and secure; they feel perfectly in control of everything even if demands are high.
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The plot is perceived as perfectly smooth.
One step fluently leads to the next, as if the action
would follow an internal logic ( = flow).
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You don’t have to consciously concentrate. Instead, concentration happens almost automatically. All cognitions that are not directly related to the regulation of the actual task are faded out.
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The perception of time is heavily detracted – you forget how long you’ve been doing something. Hours will pass like minutes.
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You perceive yourself no longer as detached from an activity, rather you completely immerse yourself in your own activity
( = fusion of one’s self and activity).
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During recent years, the flow-experience has been thoroughly examined with regard to learning and working with computer-based communication. The research revealed that there is a definite relation between knowledge acquisition and flow-experience.
The alphadock flow-criteria
At alphadock, we evaluate our products and services by the degree of flow experienced by the user. Three major requirements ensure that our exhibits generate the flow:
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We take great care that there is a sound balance between the demands and the users’ intellectual capabilities.
The perfect match is achieved by employing target group-oriented planning and state-of-the-art technology.
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The user must always be able to clearly comprehend the objective. Therefore the system must be programmed to give vital feedback in order to avoid any distraction of the user’s attention.
A thoroughly reflected user navigation is obviously imperative for optimum „usability“.
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We create uninterrupted processes by selecting high-quality components only. Comprehensive quality management efficiently helps to avoid malfunctions or errors.
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