Activity theory as a framework for considering human affect in the design

An approach based on the cultural-historical theory of human activity (activity theory) to consider human affect in the analysis and the design of complex systems is put forward. The influence and importance of emotions in human behaviour is emphasised. The proposed approach tries to complement current system design approaches, which focus on the cognitive aspects of human behaviour. The application of the proposed approach to describe and analyse affect in human behaviour in complex systems is presented