An investigation into the concept of motivation within design

Abstract

This thesis argues that there is a need for design practitioners and design researchers to more clearly articulate and understand the role of design in motivating and engaging human behaviour. Reflecting upon a multifaceted design process adopted in the course of the development of a Public Engagement with Science Exhibition; Ergonomics Real Design hosted at the Design Museum, London in late 2009 and early 2010, this thesis profiles research exploring the concept of human motivational engagement as part of the design and utilisation of a museum exhibition. The role of design and designers in motivating humans is discussed and a number of factors that impact upon the motivational engagement of humans in the museum environment are identified. These factors are synthesised in this thesis in the form of a Motivational Design Framework. The thesis builds upon its definition of factors regulating the motivation of users within the design of multi-touchpoint sociotechnical systems, specifically within the museum environment, through documentation and case-based reflection upon an applied design process that sought to adopt a philosophy of motivational design and elicit the motivational engagement of its participants. Finally this thesis presents an approach to evaluating the motivational engagement of users following their interaction with a designed, multi-touchpoint user experience. The results of these research objectives are recorded and discussed in terms of their implication for design practitioners interested in consciously motivating and engaging user behaviour. This thesis synthesises some key concepts, methods and tools of interest to designers and design researchers who wish to support the motivational energisation, engagement and generative behavioural potential of their users. This thesis advocates for, and contributes to, the formalisation of motivation as a tractable and syntactic concept within the field of exhibition design specifically, and within the broader field of design research more generally.