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Discouraging exercise "fake-outs" in students

Photo: Oscar Wong, Getty

User Research

Heuristic Analysis

UX Design

Low-Fidelity Prototyping

Usability Testing

Project team of 4

TL/DR:

With the rise in popularity of body-data trackers, there have been numerous efforts to "fake-out" either to manipulate the information for health insurance purposes or to allow the user to feel (inaccurately) that they are meeting their activity goals.

We read up a bit about it.

What did we learn?

Using fitness trackers can be addicitve

Body data tracking can lead to anxiety

Obsession with metrics can lead to bad health decisions

We decided to study grad students who live away from home.

We interviewed 11 participants.
What did we find?

Users might be tempted to modify their body data to map it more accurately.
Users might be tempted to cheat to get satisfaction by fulfilling their short-term goals (daily/weekly goals).
This user group tends to be very busy, managing multiple tasks and responsibilities every day
Because the users have a busy schedule, being distracted is a common theme and
This user group tends to be social and finds interest and motivation in a social setting
Frustration regarding incorrect tracking of data in unusual situations (tracking no. of steps on a grocery run) is evident
Users might be tempted to modify their body data to map it more accurately.
Users might be tempted to cheat to get satisfaction by fulfilling their short-term goals (daily/weekly goals).
This user group tends to be very busy, managing multiple tasks and responsibilities every day
Because the users have a busy schedule, being distracted is a common theme and
This user group tends to be social and finds interest and motivation in a social setting
Frustration regarding incorrect tracking of data in unusual situations (tracking no. of steps on a grocery run) is evident
Users might be tempted to modify their body data to map it more accurately.
Users might be tempted to cheat to get satisfaction by fulfilling their short-term goals (daily/weekly goals).
This user group tends to be very busy, managing multiple tasks and responsibilities every day
Because the users have a busy schedule, being distracted is a common theme and
This user group tends to be social and finds interest and motivation in a social setting
Frustration regarding incorrect tracking of data in unusual situations (tracking no. of steps on a grocery run) is evident
Users might be tempted to modify their body data to map it more accurately.
Users might be tempted to cheat to get satisfaction by fulfilling their short-term goals (daily/weekly goals).
This user group tends to be very busy, managing multiple tasks and responsibilities every day
Because the users have a busy schedule, being distracted is a common theme and
This user group tends to be social and finds interest and motivation in a social setting
Frustration regarding incorrect tracking of data in unusual situations (tracking no. of steps on a grocery run) is evident

The Process

How do we alter the users' mental-model to promote healthy activities and discourage common "cheats"?

Stay tuned to find out!

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