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The symbolic meaning of a product can contribute to people's well-being. Previous research (Casais et al., 2016) has identified six distinct well-being enhancing symbolic meanings in products (based on Ryff, 1989): positive relations with others, personal growth, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. To support design activities with a focus on symbolic meaning, the current paper introduces 16 design directions that can be used for ideation and conceptualisation. These directions were developed in a two-stage process. First, 50 product examples were selected for their ability to encourage one or more of the six symbolic meanings. Second, these examples were used as stimuli in individual sessions with seven designers and design researchers. Participants analysed the product examples to infer the underlying design intentions, which were used to formulate the 16 symbolic meaning-focused 'design for subjective well-being' strategies.

The symbolic meaning of a product can contribute to people's well-being. Previous research (Casais et al., 2016) has identified six distinct well-being enhancing symbolic meanings in products (based on Ryff, 1989): positive relations with others, personal growth, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and self-acceptance. To support design activities with a focus on symbolic meaning, the current paper introduces 16 design directions that can be used for ideation and conceptualisation. These directions were developed in a two-stage process. First, 50 product examples were selected for their ability to encourage one or more of the six symbolic meanings. Second, these examples were used as stimuli in individual sessions with seven designers and design researchers. Participants analysed the product examples to infer the underlying design intentions, which were used to formulate the 16 symbolic meaning-focused 'design for subjective well-being' strategies.

For a positive global future, it is fundamental to tackle the existing web of psychological, economic, sociological, and cultural processes reflected in current education systems. Confronted with complex issues that are essential to the stability of civilizations, we need more voices addressing a critical analysis of education in its key role. This can result in more people participating as happy, informed, and engaged citizens. This paper introduces the argument for education to promote public happiness (Felicitas Publica) and support global peace, addressing the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #3, #4, and #16. It begins by mapping the landscape of promising education-related practices supporting these SDGs and provides recommendations for research and actions. In addition, it presents the work of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Global Peace Sustainability, based at the Universidade de Lisboa, in Portugal, as an illustrative example. With this paper, we hope to convey the input of different branches of psychology that have the common good as their aim and address the positive transformation of our current educational processes.

Hope is a timeless phenomenon that has witnessed a re-emergence in recent times and has been conceptualized and measured in many different ways. The Perceived Hope Scale (PHS) intends to measure hope in an unbiased way, asking people directly about their experienced levels of hope. This paper presents the validation and psychometric evaluation of the PHS in the Portuguese context. It evaluates the reliability and the factorial structure via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as convergent validity and predictive/incremental utility using two samples of 452 adult individuals and 266 university students. Results suggest that the Portuguese version of the PHS exhibits robust psychometric properties: a one-dimensional structure with high internal consistency, as well as convincing convergent validity and predictive power. The PHS was found to relate highly to other psychological dimensions, such as harmony in life, vitality, and flourishing (positively), and negatively with depression and anxiety, adding to their prediction beyond dispositional hope and optimism. Overall, the scale presented here proved to be a useful instrument for assessing perceived hope in the Portuguese context. This study is part of a yearly cross-cultural and crosssectional internet survey entitled Hope Barometer.

Mood trackers are very prevalent nowadays; however, most of them are designed for the general public, without much concern for mental health issues or targeting people in therapy. The aim of this paper is to report an introductory analysis of what mood tracker applications in the present look like, pointing out strong points and some negative sides. Also, it aims to define what can be useful for future improvement by detecting patterns within these applications. Our research methodology comprises an analysis of a selection of applications found in the Google App Store and Apple Store, through a series of different criteria taken from the relevant literature. Our results suggest that the incorporation of guidelines, co-design methods with mental health specialists, and new interaction styles used, could potentially change the mood tracker market for the better. Further studies are necessary to demonstrate the impact of images in improving mood trackers and their use in the context of therapy.

Using design to improve the lives of people towards a positive flourishing state is the main premise of Positive Design. Our contribution to this growing field focuses on making use of the symbolic meaning that design can have to bolster human happiness. This paper presents the development of a card set for designers aiming to inspire design for happiness. The card set is explored in three sessions with groups of design educators, design students and design professionals respectively to collect diversified recommendations to improve its format and use. The resulting SIM toolkit for designers ('Design with symbolic meaning for user happiness'), composed of a card set and a website, is disclosed and a workshop on how to use it is discussed.

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