Play, Flow and Wonder – Reassessing the Notion of Optimal Experience

Jesper Falck Legaard

doi:10.20944/preprints202212.0251.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 13 December 2022 / Approved: 14 December 2022 / Online: 14 December 2022 (06:57:08 CET)

Since its introduction almost 50 years ago, the concept of ‘flow’ has been descriptive of optimal experiences, also in relation to play. However, the explorative nature of play leads to some discrepancies between flow and the optimal experience of play. In this paper the differences between flow and play are explored, leading to proposing the state of ‘wonder’ (directed at exploration) as an alternative to ‘flow’. From this perspective, the study further explores how we may design toys that enable meaningful experiences of play, identifying opportunities in designing for toys as the enablers of immersed experiences of wonder.

Play; Flow; Design; Wonder; Toys

Arts and Humanities, Humanities

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Play, Flow and Wonder – Reassessing the Notion of Optimal Experience

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