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Caitlin Krause, a globally recognized experience designer and who bridges timeless wisdom with modern technology, will present the keynote session “Empowered Connection in a Digitally Layered Landscape” (sponsored by Visit Anaheim) during MPI’s Smart Monday in Las Vegas on Oct. 12, the day before IMEX America begins.

We spoke with Krause—who founded the interactive consultancy MindWise in 2015 and teaches about digital wellbeing and mindful technology practices at Stanford University and the University of Oregon—about forging human-centered relationships with technology and how wonder can open us up to the power possibility.

Learn more about Krause and MPI activities at IMEX America—from education to connecting with peers at the MPI member meet-ups and networking events and how you can support the MPI Foundation at Rendezvous.

What does a human-centered relationship with technology look like in practice?

Relationships are a bridge, and I often approach tech looking at how it empowers a human-human connection mediated by tech, and how humans feel in an emotional sense about their digital devices.

It all starts with agency. We begin with the human-centered experiences we want to create, then we consider how technology can support that intention.

One of my core principles in digital wellbeing is that “intention meets attention.” Where we direct our attention shapes the quality of our experience. A simple question like, “What am I here for?” can completely change the way we enter a digital space. Am I here to create, connect, learn, explore, organize, play or rest?

I also think about whether technology is supporting our lives and relationships. Does it help us return to our daily routines with greater energy, curiosity, connection or understanding? Can it open up some new understandings for us, externally or internally? What’s most surprising and where are the opportunities for growth? That kind of reflection gives us a tremendous amount of agency.

Human-centered technology keeps dignity, creativity, wellbeing and meaningful connection at the center. It’s not compulsive—the technology should be in service to meaningful qualities and values, and in that sense, we remain active participants in shaping a relationship that’s evolving, just like us.

You write about awe and wonder as powerful forces for well-being and connection. Why are these emotions especially important in today’s always-on digital environment?

Awe and wonder expand our attention and appreciation, taking us “beyond ourselves” in a sense, opening us up right away to the power of possibility.

When I feel awe, it’s often coupled with gratitude and a heightened awareness, without feeling the stress that a more analytical approach might invite. It’s like a sensory massage!

To be able to flex that “wonder muscle” is an asset, and it feels especially valuable in today’s environments, where so many systems are competing for our focus. Wonder creates spaciousness. It invites curiosity. Awe can give us a sense of connection to something larger than the individual self, whether that comes through nature, art, music, another person, an idea or a beautifully designed digital experience.

I think of wonder as a human capacity that we can practice. We can become more available to surprise, beauty, discovery and possibility. This is where great ideas come from. This is where “flow state” arrives.

There is also something deeply relational about awe. Think about the feeling of lying on the grass, under a wide night sky, with someone else beside you. That experience often draws us closer. It reminds us that wellbeing includes our sense of belonging to each other and to the living world that can astonish us with its beauty.

For me, this is one of the great opportunities in experience design. We can create conditions that help people become more present, curious, open and connected.

What common challenges do leaders face when it comes to attention, presence and digital well-being?

Leaders are navigating an enormous amount of input. Messages, alerts, meetings, dashboards, AI tools, social platforms and constant decision-making all make claims on attention. And there are expectations that we are in high-performance mode all the time. Always available, always “on.” What does that do to our internal system?

Over time, that can create a feeling of perpetual responsiveness. People begin reacting to whatever arrives next. Their attention becomes externally directed and the space for reflection gets very small.

I’m interested in helping leaders reclaim that space, staying open, curious and resilient in the midst of it all.

Presence is a leadership capacity. Discernment is a leadership capacity. Joy and play can also thrive here. The ability to give another person your full attention is a leadership capacity.

Our bodies also give us valuable information. We can notice our energy, tension, breathing, anxiety, curiosity, openness and sense of connection. Digital wellbeing becomes much more practical when we include those signals.

Leaders set cultural norms through their own behavior, too. I have a framework called the Digital Wellbeing Culture Cornerstones that serves as a guide for our choices. How to use technology in meetings, how available they expect people to be and how they protect focused or reflective time sends a powerful message about what the organization values.