Today the public has become increasingly aware of the health impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. Sedentary behavior research continues to uncover the detrimental effects of sitting and has shown that the average American now sits during the day more than the time they spend sleeping. Activity trackers have reflected this shift in public awareness by beginning to track standing as well as the typical health metrics, like steps. The most prominent example of this is the Apple Watch with its Activity rings - the last ring is for stand hours. This project is to explore the best way to visually represent how much a user has stood and sat during the day. The design will be informed by both the intended user and by expert opinion.
Previous work on this project led to the creation of a simple activity tracker device that accurately determines when a user stands and sits. This project will take that device, connect it to an iPhone app, and explore the best visual representation of the data. Once a design has been created, it will be put in front of users in a usability test. The test will focus on exploring whether the design effectively communicates to the user if their current patterns of standing and sitting are healthy.
The Health Experience and Applications (Hx) Lab investigates how interactive technologies can be designed and developed to facilitate personal health-related information awareness and understanding. We study, design and prototype computing tools for digital capture and communication of personal health status and progress, drawing from the perspectives of clinical caregivers, families, and individuals.
