Project 1 Exercise “Fake Out”

Tiernan Hubbard and Gage Ballard

Problem:
Create new or alter existing software for an activity tracker- step tracker- that encourages and
rewards users for healthy behavior rather than cheating the system.

Secondary research findings:

Goals: learn about step tracking functionality and what people look for in terms of motivation
- Learn how step tracking works in fitness bands and watches (FitBit, Apple Watch, etc.)
- News Medical Life Sciences:
- A 3-axis accelerometer, data is “run through a personalized algorithm”
dedicated to the user to decide the type of movement
- Goals of fitness band/watch is to maintain and monitor healthy habits

- Reviews/thoughts on how their current device works

- Look/aesthetic, battery, price, functionality
- “Trendy” design with strong core functionality
- Pokemon GO experience (community and personal)
- Additional motivation to “get out and go”
- Feeling like working towards something
- Public experience, something to show
- Both creates motivational aspects
- Creates communities of friends and teamwork
- Can breed a “better-than-you” mindset
- Can lead to toxic habits such as cheating or gatekeeping

Primary research (interviews):

Interview (Tiernan’s Interview):
Give a rough estimate of how often you used your step tracker.
Used everyday but only checked it once a week.
Was there anything you didn't like about your step tracker?
Seemed a little inaccurate.
Did you ever try to fake out your step tracker?
No.
What would you have changed about your step tracker?
Just more accurate data readings

Interview (Gage Ballard to Koby Prater):

How often would you say you utilize the step-tracking functionalities of your fitness
band? (Keep track of your steps and goals?)
I do all the time. I have a goal set per day to accomplish.
Have you felt motivated to meet your step goals? Elaborate on your response, please.
(What motivated you to meet or exceed your goal? Or, why didn't you feel motivated to
meet your goal?)
Not necessarily, I tend to walk a lot on certain days and not much on others. It just depends on
the week and what I’m doing. The only reason I don’t feel motivated to meet it is because I
either exceed it by a large margin a few days out of the week or I'm busy with other things that
don’t allow me to meet it for others.

When you hit your goal, do you feel motivated to continue or to meet your goal the next
day?
Not necessarily. If I had a concrete goal of what I wanted in mind, sure. But I don’t really view
walking as a workout (unless it is hiking).

What do you feel might motivate you to continue meeting or exceeding your goals?
A sense of improvement. If I was really working towards something physically, the markings of
my improvement would motivate me to continue. I’ve done it with running in the past. The faster
I became, the more motivated I became to continue exercising.

Design Objectives:
- Promote activity
- Simple body tracking
- Prevents fabrication of goals
- Accurate data tracking
- Simplicity
- Ease of use and understanding in both functionality and user interfaces
- Step tracking shouldn’t be confusing
- Should aim to be independent of phone, but phone could enhance usability
- Tailor a singular, more personal experience
- Competition breeds negative habits (cheating, gatekeeping, etc.)
- User group: Teenagers and young adults with motivational issues in regards to walking
- Base functionality should be easy for any age group

Design Ideation:
- Point based system
- What are the points for?
- Simpler step counting tech to reduce price?
- No internet within the device
- Gyro-sensor, location tracker, pulse reader (keeps data accurate)
- Tamagotchi-style
- Phone Connectivity
- App?
Design sketches:

Process/Reflection:
Focus on fun, not competition
Data accuracy in the form of GPS, gyroscope, and pulse detection
Virtual pet is in an app instead of the step tracker
-Sketching begins
Care-bars removed due to hostage feeling
Building added as a pet list/interface
Consistent interface for easier usability navigation
Challenges and achievements added for user motivation
Evaluation

Notes:
expand/narrow down on interview questions
Research is very important
Consider intended demographic
Goal: understand people’s behavior and motivations
- What would make them want to continue using it
Research to back up design ideas and sketches
Include reflection into presentation and documentation

Documentation should be about showing thought process