Narrative Ergonomics – Products, Services and Self-Identity

Pat JORDAN, Middlesex University London

We are our stories – so says the discipline of Narrative Psychology. Whether or not that claim is overblown, there is much evidence that the narratives that we have about ourselves significantly affect our wellbeing.

Narratives are themes that we identify in our collection of life stories.  If those that we have about ourselves are close to our ideal self-narratives, we will likely have a higher sense of wellbeing than if they are far from them. The older we get, the more stories we have and the deeper the narratives.

This presentation reports an auto-ethnographic approach to using products, services and experiences, both to understand the narratives that are important to us and to enable stories that reinforce these narratives.
 

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Pat JORDAN
Pat Jordan is a researcher at Middlesex University London with an interest in narrative and wellbeing. He is a cross-departmental advisor to the UK government and strategy advisor to a number of international businesses.