Hacking Happiness - sustainability from inside out

Hacking Happiness
Writer:
Perus Saranurak
Sustainability from inside out
Volume 1 - Futures of Sustainability
MA Design Futures and Metadesign, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Volume 1 (2014)
Futures of Sustainability
MA Design Futures and Metadesign, Goldsmiths, university of London, UK
Cover image:
Happiness is here: only you can make it happen
by Perus Saranurak
“Happiness happens when you stop waiting and start doing now.”

Hacking Happiness
Sustainability from inside out
Designers → Happiness Hacker
Create an alternative paradigm
of your own happiness
Writer:
Perus Saranurak
MA Design Futures student
[Product designer and Metadesigner]
Reader:
Sustainable design students
Anti-consumerist activists
Design activists
Life hackers
MA Design Futures
Goldsmiths, university of London
2nd
edition

MA Design Futures and Metadesign, Department of Design, Goldsmiths,
University of London, United Kingdom
http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-design-futures/
Perus Saranurak, 2014
First edition printed on 21st
November 2013
Revised and updated edition printed on 17th
July 2014
Design by Perus Saranurak
Printed and bound in London by Perus Saranurak

To Hannah Jones, Mathilda Tham and John Wood,
who extend my perspective of futures and design possibilities
To my family,
who give me the freedom to think, and always support
To you,
who think life can be re-designed.

Content
Preface ..................................................................................................................... viii
Glossary................................................................................................................. xii
Introduction of Hacking Happiness.......................................................................1
Sustainability ..............................................................................................................5
Consumerism............................................................................................................. 8
Economy for sustainability.................................................................................11
Tools for conviviality...........................................................................................12
Buddhist economics ............................................................................................13
Sufficiency economy .......................................................................................... 14
Design activism.....................................................................................................15
Happiness..................................................................................................................17
Happiness as a tool..............................................................................................17
Money and happiness......................................................................................... 18
Assumption: Meet the needs without pay..................................................... 20
Lifestyle: actions with meanings......................................................................... 22
Conclusion.................................................................................................................25
Hacking Happiness’ Guidebook........................................................................ 26
Self-reflection..........................................................................................................27
Appendix................................................................................................................... 28
Collective storytelling workshop..................................................................... 29
Reference ..................................................................................................................31
Bibliography............................................................................................................. 32
Image reference...................................................................................................... 33

viii
Preface
Postgraduate project work in MA Design Futures and Metadesign
at Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.
The key topic of this essay is Futures of Sustainability. This essay will
focus on bringing design thinking and activities to be a part of daily
lifestyle. And design the accessibility of happiness which can be the
motivation for the sustainable lifestyle. This could be a conceptual
principle of an alternative lifestyle, which can sustain itself and against
the consumerist paradigm.
Keyword: Anti-consumption, Buddish, Happiness, Metadesign, Prosumer,
Sustainability
Are you happy?
Happiness can reflect to a good quality of life, but it seems to be more
difficult to get it in these days and in the future, because the required
conditions of living are increasing also they are harder to get happiness.
The restriction of resource affects individuals to be more competitive and
stressful. Furthermore, this endless progress would be more tightened
through time and it hardly leads us to a sustainable future.
Why we need an entertainment? Why we love shopping even we can
survive with the thing we already have? Is our happiness a
commodity? Is it because we over-depend our happiness on others,
or we currently lose the capabilities to sustain our lives and our
happiness by ourselves?
For this essay “Hacking Happiness”, I would like to ask you (especially, a
sustainable designer) a question: “How we live sustainably under the
paradigm that happiness is fulfilled by contributors easier than oneself?”
There is no absolute solution to this question, but this essay would like to
introduce some relevant ideas of sustainable living and alternative

ix
courage lifestyles. Hopefully, this essay can stretch the approach of
sustainability which could emerge from a tangibly self-sustainable life.
Hello, my name is Pesus Saranurak.
Lets me briefly introduce myself before. I was born in a Buddhist family
and I have learnt many Buddhist philosophies of living since I was young.
Most of Buddhist philosophies tend to make folks realize everything will
not stay forever for reducing a senses of an ownership which could lead
to a sorrow.
Before I came to Goldsmiths, I was suffering from the design role because
there is the significant conflict between Buddhist philosophies and the
mechanic of consumption, which have to keep allure consumers to buy
more and be endlessly unsatisfied. The identification of newness, lack and
status has been used to drag consumers far from sustainable happiness.
Whilst working as a product designer, my role has to support this
economy mechanic and it seems to be the basis of many unsustainable
issues, such as over-consumption and waste problem.
I have studied Buddhism and meditation for understanding its perspective
of life and happiness. In 2013-14 I was studying in MA Design Futures and
Metadesign at Goldsmiths. There is a tipping point of shifting my
perspective and thinking framework about design in to life designer
My working experiences, which stand between production and
consumption, help me to understand the system of consumption and
explore new alternative systems, which possibly lead to a sustainable
future. Further, I would like to develop my designer role to not only
support on consumerism. The sustainable designers can design a living
guideline and facilitate people to be able to access to happiness equality,
as a happiness hacker. Also, for myself this would be my future design
principle.

x
Nice to meet you, the future happiness hackers.
This writing is for one who believes that we can create better futures by
our actions. Congratulations If you are that person. This writing would be
your guidebook which introduces the foundations of the context for
reaching happiness based on individual actions. Moreover, it could helps
you to gain the potential in creating your challenged lifestyle.
On the other hand, if you do not believe that possibility, this writing
could extend your vision and it will reveal alternative lifestyle. Perhaps, it
could change your mind.
Designers are the main target of this writing. I write it to suit with
designer’s reading style which is not linear and long passage by using
discussion style with many diagrams and pictures. It could help designers
to see the connections between each context and keyword which could
be easier in designing or getting ideas
Even though you are not a designer, this book will help you to understand
the basis of being happy in life. Consequently, you could become a
designer because you will have a capacity to design own happiness in
lifestyle.
Hope you will enjoy this writing, while reading it, please try to reflect on
your own life and start design it, a future design activist.
: )

xi
I appreciate to exchange ideas, experiences and opinions with you about
this topic Hacking Happiness.
Contract:
Perus Saranurak
MA Design Futures + Metadesign (2013-2014)
http://designfutures2013.tumblr.com
Email: more.openmore@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/perus
https://goldsmiths.academia.edu/PerusSaranurak/
http://cargocollective.com/monkix

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Hacking Happiness: Sustainability from inside out
2
On the other hand, It could be mean to access the target through a
restricted system by individual skill and knowledge. Thus, I carry this word
in the context of the real world by joining the words together with
‘Happiness’. Then ‘‘Hacking Happiness’ could be understand as the action
(figure 2) against the system where we are living in and also makes a
shortcut way to reach a goal.
Propose
Since the concept of sustainability was created until now, this concept
still has been too radical in the individual scale because the effect is
shown in the global scale which is hard to recognize that it connects to
individual behaviours.
Hacking happiness bring the sustainability to engage with people life and
action by re-conceptualising the perception of happiness. This could be
easier to gain their awareness in ecology. Moreover, this concept aims to
integrate a personal benefit into sustainability and create an alternative
value in society.
Writing ingredients
While researching, the concept of ‘Hacking Happiness’ has many relations
with various intellects (in the figure 3).
FIGURE 3: THE ASPECTS OF ‘HACKING HAPPINESS’ IDEA

MA Design Futures, Goldsmiths, University of London
3
So in this writing, I try to combine varied aspects which Haidt (2006 cites
by Greve 2012: 17) states happiness involve in Psychology, Philosophy,
Economy and Sociology. Including sustainability concern, Ecology is also
the one of the key aspects for covering many perspectives in generating
design concept.
Direction of research
A grand tour question
“How to make an idea of sustainability become more tangible?”
Sub-question
1. “Why people still do what they know it damages the world?”
2. “What are the common problems in people’s life?”
3. “How to encourage people to have better behaviours?”
‘Hacking Happiness’ concept development
After researching different aspects (figure 4), I can generate the key
elements which relevant to this concept, such as sustainability,
consumerism, happiness and activist. These elements become a core of
Hacking Happiness concept.
For making the concept more tangible, I develop it into action, lifestyle
and individual system which has the benefit of both individual and
environment. Moreover, some relevant movement or lifestyle into reality
is revealed too.
FIGURE 4: PROCESS OF TANGIBLE SUSTAINABILITY

4
Design role
On a large scale like changing notion, it is hard to imagine how designers
can play in this game. Metadesign is the great tool for dealing with
complex problems because it delivers the wider perspective for designers
to think beyond the old paradigm to create the new opportunity, likewise
Wood (2007, cited by Jones, 2013) state “… think beyond the possible”.
Moreover, Fisher (cited by Fischer 2013) suggests that the complex
problem required more knowledge from collaboration (2000), and the
users should be owners of problems, not only passive consumers
restricted to consumption of the existing knowledge (2006).

5
Sustainability
Design for the next seven generations
Sustainability has been addressed in many aspects. In this essay will scope
to the dehierachical aspect, to create equality, in term of anti-
consumerism; to approach the method to straight access to happiness.
Hacking Happiness aims to create a good quality of life which is broadly
affordable, reducing consumption.
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is consideration of actions and system for futures of
humanity, our future generations. In the Design Futures class, the idea of
sustainability was defined by the World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED) states in 1987:
“Development that meets the needs of the present generation
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.”
However, it is not an easy way to become sustainable. On one hand,
Alastair Fuad-Luke (2009: 23) states “Sustainability is grounded in
ecological praxis and systems thinking. It challenges the capitalist system
of production and consumption that assumes unlimited growth.”
Because the capitalist system seems to be a grand-narrative and other
systems are developed in the same direction to support it. This makes the
system become dominant and hardly changeable. However, a
development of the production and the consumption creates a mechanic
for accelerating the economic progress with carelessness about ecology.
This draws us to an unsustainable problem.

6
FIGURE 5: AN ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
From an ecological footprint (figure 5), It is abundantly clear that current
rates of consumption of many resources are unsustainable. (Fuad-Luke,
2009: 67)
Question of sustainability
“People know to harm the world is not good, but they still do it. Why?”
As a reason, we live in this system which is highly competitive and
stressful, but we cannot avoid it because all infrastructure also relies on it
(figure 6). Consequently, economic system influence people to be less
awareness in sustainability than making money.
FIGURE 6: OUR LIFE WAS DRAWN

7
This is a wicked problem which seems impossible to solve, but metadesign
can be used for solving this problem by rethinking holistically.
“We can’t solve problems with the type of thinking we used to
create them.” states Albert Einstein (cited by John Wood’s lecture,
2013).
Designer in sustainability
According to a designer’s role, designers should be the easiest person to
understand and consider in sustainability. Also, the designer has the
capacities to design a creative solution for raising people’s awareness. For
example, reframing the scale of time into the longer view could help to
visualize a concept of sustainability (Thorpe 2007: 162)
Year-individual
Decades- family
Centuries- tribe or nation
Millennia- civilization
Tens of millennia- species
Eons- whole web of life on our planet

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sust
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whic
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uns
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egorized
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m, which k
uture. ‘Ha
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consumer
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erything w
uantitativ
(2011: 35)
into 4
s and ser
because t
onception
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his proces
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ng Happiness
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ump out o
eep consu
cking Hap
FIGURE 7: HA
ism
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which can
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groups,
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8
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ACKING ECON
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9
consumption is to foster a belief that anything "new" will be proven
"better" to devalue "old" models. It tends to generate demand by
hypnotizing consumers to feel a lack between what they had and what
they ought to get. As a result, the consumer would be happy in achieving
more than in the function of things. This process could be called
consumption mechanism.
Economic tools
Economic tools, such as advertising, have been developed for rising
demand in a market by creating consumer’s needs.
Regarding John Wood lectures in Design Future class, “There are
professions more harmful than industrial design, but only a very few of
them. And possibly only one profession is phonier. Advertising design, in
persuading people to buy things they do not need, with money they do
not have, in order to impress others who do not care, is probably the
phoniest field in existence today.” Viktor Papanek in Design for the Real
World (1971)
The mechanisms behind consumption (Shove and Warde, 1999)
Social comparison
Creation of self-identity
Mental stimulation – novelty
The Diderot effect/matching
Specialisation
Socio-technical systems
This process seems to draw market to consume beyond function and
material. It could be called Conspicuous consumption (Veblen, 1999 The
Theory of the Leisure Class):
Consumption beyond satisfaction of ‘needs’
Immediate gratification
Narcissistic behaviour
Displaying wealth

10
How it works?
This system educates us to meet our needs by consuming and for some
people they have no other way to fulfil their needs, as a metaphor of a
fish cannot realize it is living in the water because it never without water
while they alive.
FIGURE 8: MONEY MEETS HUMAN NEEDS
This figure 8 illustrates how the money system transfers into human
needs in different hierarchies.
Design in consumerism
For driving the capitalist system, designers are the important role
standing between production and consumption. Essentially, this role has
a potential to draw the consuming system to be more sustainable.
However, they do not have an authority to change it because almost
clients and investors usually hire them to gain their profit and they are
expert at using consumption mechanics for increasing demand.
Luckily, Victor Papanek also suggests a design responsibility that (cite by
Fuad-Luke, 2009 : 44)

11
“Designers needed to take responsible decisions, spend less time
designing ephemeral goods in the consumer economy, and spend
more creative time on generating solutions to the real needs of the
disadvantaged 80 per cent population of the planet.”
What is mean designers should concerning in sustainability and design a
solution for creating better futures. In terms of designer who want to
create sustainable futures, this writing tries to explore the ideas of
sustainable economy, which could be used for developing the ‘Hacking
Happiness’ concept. (These ideas would be explained in the next chapter)
FIGURE 9: CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
Economy for sustainability
The concept of sustainability has been developed for many decades ago.
In this writing, I will introduce 4 concepts which have divers directions
and areas (figure 9).

Too
Illich
whic
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5: 75)
Hackin
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pt: creatin
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ide tools
to determ
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ultaneousl
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ng Happiness
y
FIGURE 10: T
)
ng tools f
y industria
tion of ‘to
the proc
in indust
mine and
ces conviv
rs (figure
nment in
ly, people
ty would b
ch member
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s equal fre
l tools cou
of indust
and unlim
s: Sustainabi
12
TOOLS FOR C
for everyo
l tools.
ools’ as t
ess of de
trial tools
d manipu
vial tools
10). More
society
e have to
be the resu
r the most
nd limit th
edom.” (Ill
uld lead so
trial socie
mited grow
lity from insi
CONVIVIALITY
one which
he man-m
evelopmen
s and con
late indiv
to enhan
eover, the
to suit w
use tools
ult of socia
t ample and
his freedom
ich 1975: 12
ociety to
ety which
wth in th
de out
Y
free peop
made devi
nt and de
nvivial too
vidual ex
ce individ
ey can use
with their
s with reg
l arrangem
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m only in
2)
be more s
is a clea
e service
ple from
ice or sys
esign. Also
ols. Indus
xpectation
ual’s free
e the too
r visions
garding ot
ments that
ess to the
favour of
sustainabl
n and lim
sector. (
stem
o, he
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and
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mited
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) less.
the high
ter’ as a m
s known
taken its
2001: 36).
odern econ
mount of
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tain the
mption stat
gn Futures, G
FIGURE 11:
er (1973)
ist econom
hly compe
modern ec
as an un
place in
.
omist is us
consumpt
s that the m
maximum
tes Schuma
Goldsmiths,
13
: BUDDHIST
my aims to
etitive so
conomy. H
nsustaina
teaching.
sed to mea
tion as m
meaning o
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acher (2001
University of
ECONOMICS
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1: 42)
f London
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well-being
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Buddhist
should be
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H.M. K
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om Budd
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, Schuma
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King Bhum
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ly upon on
phy of self
iland and
t Board 20
ng Happiness
hist econ
hould con
ore impor
cher (200
work load’
r instance
th modes
lence are
(2001: 45
on, but de
se non-re
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y
FIGURE 12:
mibol Adul
nable econ
eself.
f-sufficien
d he (cite
007: 7)
s: Sustainabi
14
nomics (fi
nsider peo
rtant than
01: 39) ex
and consi
e, the eco
st use of
the main
5) introdu
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enewable
ich is less
: SUFFICIENC
lyadej (19
nomy start
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explains
lity from insi
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ople more
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xplains th
ider about
onomy sho
a resourc
n idea of B
ces that t
ecosystem
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CY ECONOMY
97)
ts at a sma
omy (figur
he Nation
s that
de out
Schumach
importan
ption.
e Buddhi
t a physic
ould supp
ce. It can
Buddhist
the syste
m and hol
essly only
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all scale w
re 12) is i
al Econom
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her (2001:
nt than go
st econo
al resourc
ort peopl
be seen
economy.
m should
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ustainabili
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16
Alastair Fuad-Luke (2009)
Concept: everyone can use design to have sustainable futures
Fuad-Luke (2009: xx) introduces that design has a great potential to make
a positive change in society and the environment. Therefore, he joins the
word ‘design’ with ‘activism’ to become ‘design activism’ which is a
creative way to create the policy or social movement for better futures
(figure 13).
Design activism is ‘design thinking, imagination and practice applied
knowingly or unknowingly create a counter-narrative aimed at
generating and balancing positive social, institutional,
environmental and/or economic change’. (Fuad-Luke, 2009 : 27).
In terms of concept, ‘Hacking Happiness’ could be the one of design
activism too, because it wishes to criticize on consumerism and facilitate
the new system more sustainable.

The
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appiness s
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FIGURE
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E 16: HAPPIN
Goldsmiths,
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ner’s
, It’s
often

20
In this writing, Diener’s concept of happiness has been used as the goal of
‘Hacking Happiness’ which tends to encourage people to create and
design their better life.
Social happiness
Even these days technology enables us to live more isolated. However,
the research by using the experience sampling method (Diener 2008, p.52)
with introverts and extroverts has an unsuspected result that both two
groups are happier with a social situation than being alone.
“[W]hat really makes us happy is not technology but people. It is not
more productivity we need, but social enfranchisement. Ultimately,
if ‘giving’ makes us feel good, maybe ‘sharing’ can make us feel
better” states John wood (2003, p.3) in Attainable Utopia.
Humans are developed to be social species. For a clearer idea, Try to
Imagine the world without others, how many years you want to live? It
can be seen that a relationship with others in social has a very strong
connection with happiness and they support each other.
Diener shows three different types of relationship (2008, p.58-59)
1. Infatuation is a feeling good and overlooking a partner’s flaws.
2. Companionate love is a readiness to acknowledge and accept some
flaws. It makes one feel happy while helping others, not because of
one’s need.
3. Deficiency-love is based on to satisfy our need. That is why the
easily bored person is attracted to an entertaining or exciting
person, sadly, until the needs fulfilled or changed.
Assumption: Meet the needs without pay
By understanding the ideas of happiness, It could help designer to review
design principle about human needs for sustainability. As in the previous

21
chapter, the economy provides many tools for serving different needs for
driving itself.
FIGURE 17: ACTIONS MEET NEEDS
This figure (18) shows the exploration how to meet human needs in
different hierarchies by action.
In this exploration, I question how to complete the Maslow’s hierarchy of
human needs without using money. So, I match these different needs
with actions, according to the Diener’s happiness which come from doing
rather than having. Surprisingly, these actions have interesting relations
with the other (figure 18).
FIGURE 18: FULFILLING ACTIONS FLOW

To
hap
lifes
obje
of d
dura
‘Hac
“Wh
Foll
to b
con
rath
as a
L
bring sus
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style, but
ects. As C
durable m
able produ
cking Hap
hy this con
owing the
be active
cept of h
her by hav
tool for r
Hackin
ifesty
stainable
uses the s
reveres t
hapman (2
eaning an
ucts.
ppiness’ o
ncept focu
e sustaina
not only
happiness,
ving. Furth
representi
ng Happiness
le: act
A set of
ideas clos
same tool
them for
2005) says
nd value t
n actions
uses on an
ble conce
stay pass
, it also m
hermore, f
ing one’s
FIGU
s: Sustainabi
22
ions w
f chosen a
se to peo
ls as cons
giving a
s In Durab
that produ
n individu
ept, this co
sive. More
mentions
for getting
attitude a
URE 19: LIFES
lity from insi
with me
activities
ople real
sumerism
meaning
ble Emotio
uct delive
al action?
oncept sh
eover, the
happiness
g accepta
and poten
STYLE
de out
eaning
life, tang
which te
into actio
onal Desig
er, not on
”
ould enco
e action i
s often co
nce, one c
tial.
gs
gible. ‘Hac
nds to cr
on instea
gn, the de
ly a desig
ourage pe
s free. In
ome by d
can use ac
cking
eate
d of
esign
gn of
ople
the
oing
ction

23
‘Hacking happiness’ go lifestyle
Lifestyle is a group of actions and has a specific interest and meaning. If
the concept becomes a lifestyle, it would be easy to communicate ideas.
Simultaneously, lifestyle can communicate more value to consumers
because activity is only one part in lifestyle (figure 19):
Meaning
Activities
Members
The idea of communicating meaning or story to consumers is used for
creating product’s value. According to Mark Poster (cited by Toffoletti,
2011: 78) “in modern society, consumer objects represented social status;
in postmodernity, they express one’s identity”. It thus can be used by
consumers in self-identification and communicate with others. This tool
could be called lifestyle. Likewise, Mathilda gave a lecture about the
lifestyle in Design Futures class on 16th
November 2013:
“Lifestyles refer to the way we live our lives that allows us to fulfil
our needs and aspirations. They serve as “social conversations”, in
which people signal their social position and psychological
aspirations to others. Since many of the signals are mediated by
goods, lifestyles are closely linked to material and resource flows in
the society.” (Backhaus, Breukers et al. 2011)
In Status Anxiety, Botton (2004) explains that this social mechanic affect
us to be unstable and unsatisfied. He calls it the hunger of status.
Sustainability movements in lifestyles
Around the world also has many activities and lifestyle which probably
match with ‘Hacking Happiness’ concept. This part will reveal some less-
consuming alternative lifestyles in different contexts for visualized
examples.

24
FIGURE 20 SUSTAINABILITY LIFESTYLES
Freegans (2003) New York:
A group of people who live in minimizing
consumption
http://freegan.info/
Time bank (1998) UK:
Using time of helping others as a currency
with a bank system.
http://www.timebanking.org/
Live without money (1996) Germany:
Life without money for 14 years
http://livingwithoutmoney.org/
Self-sufficiency (1998) Thailand:
Life in the middle path to self-producing
and rational consuming
http://www.sufficiencyeconomy.org/

The
In t
for
whic
and
The
prob
achi
acti
Mor
from
1
2
3
4
5
As a
e concept
erms of s
conveying
ch close t
know the
n this w
blem of
ieve their
on also ha
reover, th
m the rele
1. TTools f
makers
2. BBuddh
consum
3. SSufficie
4. DDesign
5. Diener
a result, th
MA Desi
of Hackin
sustainabi
g the idea
to people
e benefit f
riting sho
sustainab
r needs b
as a capac
is concep
evant conc
for conviv
s.
ist econo
mption
ency econ
activism
’s concep
he solutio
FI
gn Futures, G
Co
ng Happin
lity, the c
a of sustai
daily life.
from susta
ows an e
le develo
by spendi
ity for ful
pt has bee
cepts abou
viality – cr
omics – a
nomy –sys
– design
pt of happ
n ‘Hacking
GURE 21: AD
Goldsmiths,
25
onclusi
ess
concept o
inability t
. So it pro
ainable life
economic
opment b
ng mone
filling nee
en explore
ut futures
reating th
an attitud
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moves so
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g Happine
DDRESSING O
University of
on
f ‘Hacking
o be tang
obably rais
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system s
ecause it
y only. T
eds.
ed and dev
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e tools fo
de of we
elying on
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appiness i
ess’ is happ
OWN HAPPINE
f London
g Happine
ible and i
ses people
seems to
t persuad
This writin
veloped b
and happi
or consum
ell-being w
oneself
s a proces
piness gui
ESS
ess’ is cre
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be a wic
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ng introd
by researc
iness theo
mers to be
with less
ss.
idebook.
ated
ntext
ness
cked
e to
uces
ching
ory:

26
Hacking Happiness’ Guidebook
If you feel suffering from your life, now you should not blame others. You
just ask yourself “what do I need?” and ”what I will do?” because now you
know the shortcut to fulfil your needs without pay.
So, If you see happiness is easy to access, congratulation now you are the
hacker- a design activist in terms of ‘Hacking Happiness’
Let's start creating your life as you want it
This writing is the only guidebook which describes the area and reveal
same interests to you, the reader, for getting ideas to create own
happiness, similarly with a concept of sufficiency economy but the
product is happiness.
As you have read the happiness chapter, these actions (in figure 21) that
can complete human needs are rather easy and simple, but the key is you
realize the action what you are doing and understand how it benefit you
happiness; rethink about what make you happy; analyse them. Moreover,
these activities possibly push you out of the loop of consumerism.
Let start with any action you like.
To become a hacker you don’t have to change your whole lifestyles, your
behaviours or your beliefs. You might try to take the action sometime, in
leisure time or when you feel free- don’t be too serious - following an
idea of Buddhist economics.
Last but not least, Do just because you enjoy doing, don’t expect the
outcome – “Happiness is a Process. Not a Place.” (Diener 2008: 13)
“What will you do today, Hacker?”

27
Self-reflection
Sustainability is a very big issue which has many aspect to talk. Many
people know what is sustainable, but few people do it in practice. In my
opinion, it could be because the sense of sustainability does not motivate
individual enough to do it. In this essay I try to bring the sense of
sustainability to be closer to the individual scale, which I focus on human
need. It is a big issue to re-define the meaning of sustainability. I start
studying in many aspects and I found the happiness issue is related to
individual and sustainability. So I explore the concept of happiness and
re-interpreted in term of sustainability. Finally, I got the concept of
Hacking Happiness.
This project extends my vision in a design role from thinking that the
result of the design process should only be products or services. Now I
saw a new opportunity to design which is to facilitate people by designing
tools for designing and solving a problem by themselves.
Personally, I really like this idea. And I would like to develop this concept
further which this definition could be my future role in my sustainable
designer as Happiness designer.
Also, this essay still needs to be re-organize; cut some redundant parts;
and I should explain more about my key idea "to achieve needs by Action"
(figure 17).

28
Appendix
Working processes
FIGURE 22: VALUE MAPPING
Generating concept
The concept of sustainability has very broadened it could be called
as a ‘wicked problem’ which hard to solve. However, for generating a
concept, I have to use metadesign tools. For instance, brainstorming
in the class can broaden an idea boundary then I collect the ideas
from the class and mapping with my value and capacity (figure 22).
The concept seems to be clearer through the process.
I found the metadesign tools do not only support working with
many people. It also can be useful for individual thinking.

29
Collective storytelling workshop
On 18th
November 2013, I had a collective storytelling workshop in MA
Design Futures class. This workshop tent to represent the dynamic in
collaborative working by letting us to share stories, experiences and ideas
to re-conceptualize a library.
FIGURE 23: COLLECTIVE STORYTELLING WORKSHOP
In my group, we tough each individual life experience has a value in itself.
And this value is different from reading a book. In this workshop (figure
23), reframing the idea of libraries from the place of a stable information
to the place of many alive stories. My group co-design a new system
named ‘Story club’

30
Story club
The club provides a storytelling area which allows anyone to share the
individual life story and get a free access to the club’s facilities, such as
food, drink, or shower. Also, this activity could be interesting for
consumers. Moreover, the club can use the good story in sharing for a
podcast which seem to be a free advertising for the club (figure 24).
FIGURE 24: STORY CLUB

31
Referennce
Chapman, J. (2005) Emotionally durable design: Objects, experiences and empathy.
London: Earthscan.
De, B. A. (2004). Status anxiety. New York: Pantheon Books.
Diener, E and R. Biswas-Diener (2008) Happiness: unlocking the mysteries of
psychological wealth. Oxford: Blackwell.
Fischer, G. (2013). “Learning, Social Creativity, and Cultures of Participation” in A.
Sannino, & V. Ellis (Eds.),Learning and Collective Creativity: Activity-Theoretical and
Sociocultural Studies, Taylor & Francis/Routledge, New York, NY, p. (in press).
Fuad-Luke, A. (2009) Design activism: beautiful strangeness or a sustainable world.
London: Earthscan.
Greve, B. (2012) Happiness. New York: Routledge.
Illich, I. (1990) Tools for conviviality. London: Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd.
National Economic and Social Development Board (2007) Sufficiency Economy
Implications and Applications. Bangkok
Pahl, R. (1995) After Success: Fin-de-siècle Anxiety and Identity. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
Sanders, E. and P. J. Stoppers (2012) Convivial toolbox: Generative research for the
front end of design. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers.
Schumacher, E.F. (2011) Small is Beautiful: A study of Economics as if People Mattered.
London: Vintage.
Shove, E. and A. Warde (1999) Noticing inconspicuous consumption. Consumption,
Everyday Life and Sustainability. - http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/
fass/projects/esf/inconspicuous.htm [accessed 15/07/2014]

32
Tham, M. (2013) ‘Design, Lifestyles and Sustainability’. Metadesign and Futures of
Sustainability. Goldsmiths, London, 11 Nov 2013.
The happiness formula (2006) Presented by Mark Easton [Channel] London: BBC-2.
Thorpe, A. (2007) The designer’s atlas of sustainability. Washington: Island Press.
Bibliography
Ariely, D. (2012) What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?. TEDx, Rio de la Plata.
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_what_makes_us_feel_good_about_o
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Bourdieu, P. (1986) The Forms of Capital. http://www.marxists.org/reference/
subject/philosophy/works/fr/bourdieu-forms-capital.htm [accessed 05/01/14].
Fischer, G. (2003) Meta-Design: A Framework for the Future of End User Development
(EUD). http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/~gerhard/presentations/eud-meta-d-slides-final.pdf
[accessed 05/01/14].
Fry, T. (2011) Design as Politics. Oxford: Berg.
Meadows, D. H., & Club of Rome. (1972). The Limits to growth: A report for the Club of
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33
Image reference
Figure 1: tetrahedron mapping of this essay. by author
Figure 2: the concept of Hacking Happiness. by author
Figure 3: the aspects of ‘hacking happiness’ idea. by author
Figure 4: process of tangible sustainability. by author
Figure 5: an ecological footprint. by author
Figure 6: our life was drawn. by author
Figure 7: hacking economic system. by author
Figure 8: money meets human needs. by author
Figure 9: concepts of sustainable economy. by author
Figure 10: Tools for conviviality. by author
Figure 11: Buddhist economics. by author
Figure 12: Sufficiency economy. by author
Figure 13: Design activism. by author
Figure 14: encourage to do something. by author
Figure 15: what does happiness look like? . by author
Figure 16: Happiness is a Process. Not a Place. by author
Figure 17: actions meet needs. by author
Figure 18: fulfilling actions flow. by author
Figure 19: Lifestyle. by author
Figure 20 sustainability lifestyles. by author
Figure 21: Addressing own happiness. by author
Figure 22: value mapping. by author
Figure 23: Collective storytelling workshop. by author
Figure 24: Story club. by author

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