finding flow

My big stack of books doesn't seem to be getting any smaller, but I did manage to polish off two more books recently, following up on the enjoyable reads of Emotional Design and A Short History of Progress in the last few months.

The first book, consumed primarily on the bus on the way to work in the morning, was Finding Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I was introduced to MC (as he will be referred to throughout this post from here on in) by Paul Hibbitts at a VanUE meeting we had back in October. MC's concept of Flow, as described by Paul in the context of designing an appropriate user experience on a small screen, stood out as an interesting nugget of "things I should look into" -- so I bought the book.

But not before I tried to buy the other book. The one titled simply "Flow" -- but let's say that the Chapters inventory system (SAP, in case you're interested) and the Chapters/Indigo website don't quite match up. At least, the two employees at the Robson location in downtown Vancouver couldn't manage to find me at least one copy of the 12 they claimed to have in store. But I digress. Chapters/Indigo is another post, some other time.

When we did find where the book should live (and was not there), I found Finding Flow sitting right next to it. It seemed like the next best thing, so I picked it up. I was a bit disturbed to discover that I was standing in the middle of the "Self-Help" section of Chapters. And yes, even on the back cover of the book, it claims "Psychology/Self-Help." So mark this up to the first self-help book I've ever read...

Not a very large book, Finding Flow clocks in around 150 pages or so and, as best I can guess, is a summary of some of the more well-described concepts in the larger book Flow. It's an easy read, as MC is very conversational and the topic is how we experience the "sensation of flow" or perceive "flow experiences" in everyday life activities.

So just what is Flow anyhow? Wikipedia's take on Flow is a good synopsis of the concept: "the feeling of complete and energized focus in an activity, with a high level of enjoyment and fulfillment." Athlete's have called this "being in the zone" -- it occurs when someone is fully engaged in an activity that provides them with enough challenge that they can apply their skill and be successful in that activity.

This passage from page 30 of the book is helpful

Flow tends to occur when a person's skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable. Optimal experiences usually involve a fine balance between one's ability to act, and the available opportunities for action. If challenges are too high one gets frustrated, then worried, and eventually anxious. If challenges are too low relative to one's skills one gets relaxed, then bored. If both challenges and skills are perceived to be low, one gets to feel apathetic. But when high challenges are matched with high skills, then the deep involvement that sets flow apart from ordinary life is likely to occur. The climber will feel it when the mountain demands all his strength, the singer when the song demands the full range of her vocal ability, the weaver when the design of the tapestry is more complex than anything attempted before, and the surgeon when the operation involves new procedures or requires an unexpected variation. A typical day is full of anxiety and boredom. Flow experiences provide the flashes of intense living against this dull background.

That quote sits across from a diagram (sweet! a matrix diagram!) that maps out this X/Y, Challenge/Skill relationship and where Flow fits in:


(image: Austega.com)

So in the context of designing software user experiences (back to where the idea was introduced for me), we often grapple with trying to come up with the "one size fits all" user interface, looking for the simplest, most effective version of things to fulfill the user's goals. But at the same time, we recognize that making the challenge as easy as possible may not address the issue that users have varying degrees of skill. Some users are more skillful than others. Does it not make sense to provide them with more "challenging" features? Perhaps challenging features isn't the right way to describe it, as it's hard to argue that you should make software difficult to use ("I know, let's hide the submit button!"). But the notion of a "power user" and the "power user features" is exactly that. You, as a software user, have to work a bit harder or have more skill than other users to benefit from that functionality, but result is more "skill-ful" use of the system. This may be increased efficiencies, greater productivity, whatever form it takes.

Does it really make sense that we should be talking about flow at all, when we consider the everday example of a computer worker, busy at work in front of their large web-based data collection and reporting application? Is this the same Flow (tm) that athletes and musicians experience, a far more "romantic" outlook on flow than doing data entry could ever be?

MC: You bet. And that's really what the book is about -- the experience of flow in everyday life. Regardless if one is seeking flow or not, it looks like it will find you. From washing dishes to doing timesheets at work to working out at the gym to reading a good weblog post, there are aspects of flow in everything we do.

He backs this up with some references to quantitative studies that ask people to rank how they feel when they're participating in certain activities (housework, eating, grooming, chores, hobbies, sports, talking, socializing, etc.). And they all get marks (some high, some low) for flow in one shape or another. The studies aren't there in full detail and I'm always a bit skeptical of the "So how do you feel now? What about now? How about now?" studies, especially when it's difficult for people to articulate exactly how they feel about anything at any given time (Lesson from user testing of software applications: don't ask the user what they think, watch their behaviour when interacting with the software), but his written scenarios are far more convincing anyhow.

With chapters named "the paradox of work" and the "risks and opportunities of leisure" it was an interesting read and one that was useful in understanding our motivation: Why do we do things? Why do we enjoy doing some things? When are we most content doing certain tasks? Which tasks are boring or tedious?

Going through the chapters and the inventory of flow activities in my life, it's pretty clear to me that I experience a high degree of flow at both work and through my leisure. In fact, at certain times of the year (May through July) I sound awfully similar to one MC's examples of people who "escape productive responsibilities altogether to pursue a life of flow in leisure." He goes onto describe "colonies of surfers on all the beaches with good waves who live hand to mouth so they can cram in as much flow as possible on their boards."

Cycling occupies that spot in my life. As my skills increase ("Like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills...." -- no, not those skills) in cycling, so too does the challenge. And unfortunately, for anyone who's ever improved in the sport and experienced progress in something as difficult as competitive road cycling, the challenge just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Next thing you know, you're riding the National Championships wondering to yourself, "Shit, if I'd just trained more (ie: improved my skills) would I have been able to tackle a larger challenge..."

Alas, I'll never ride the Tour de France, although I've raced against guys that have. And I'll have to be satisfied with the challenge that it's provided. Those moments are unforgettable: the flow experience of cruising around in a 100 rider peloton at 50kmh, on a hot day in July, when your skills seem up to the task is sublime. It's the 3 hours every year you spend the other 12,000km in the rain training for...

So, all in all, a good read. Interesting concept, good to think about how we personally or people we work with (employees, software users, friends, athletic competitors, etc.) feel when they encounter a challenge that is beyond their skills.

Thanks to Eddy, who prompted this post. Hope you found the review interesting.

Next book review: More self help? A productive system for managing the minutiae of everyday life? Why are we so obsessed with juggling 800 things all at once anyhow? I tackle the personal productivity hit, David Allen's Getting Things Done. Merlin Mann, watch out.