Overview
This project began with a question that perhaps all of us have thought about 🫨：
WHY is it always so hard to break free from prolonged sitting 👩💻 and get active 🏃? Is it truly because of a lack of time, motivation, and affordability...as most people claim?
About the project
This is a team project for the European Product Design Award. With a shared passion for healthy living, we aim to address common health issues like shoulder and back pain caused by prolonged sitting. Inspired by personal experiences, our goal is to dispel concerns about sedentary lifestyles and alleviate exercise fears. We strive to create an experience that allows users to engage effortlessly in their favorite activities and craft personalized plans to seamlessly incorporate movement into their daily routines.
Why this project?
The sedentary younger generation finds it challenging to address unavoidable sedentary behaviors through physical activities
The motivation for pursuing this problem space came from our sedentary research, where we found that most people are well aware that prolonged sitting leads to significant health issues and that exercise is the best remedy. However, they struggle to get moving.
The unavoidable reasons for sedentary behavior:
1. Work pressure 2. Lack of exercise 3. TV and gaming
1. Work pressure 2. Lack of exercise 3. TV and gaming
Exercise helps alleviate the negative effects of prolonged sitting. Despite this awareness, inadequate exercise remains a significant issue.
Solution
StepUp is a mobile app that effortlessly assists the younger sedentary generation in engaging them in micro activities to stay active by leveraging a habit-building loop, and providing flexible choices.
Outcome
Feature A - Fully immerse in habit-building
Start from a small habit-building loop!
Establishing a long-term habit often feels challenging, but we help users start being active by completing small loops.
・Sedentary reminder
・Real-time guide (video, voice, text)
・Timely feedback
・Real-time guide (video, voice, text)
・Timely feedback
Feature B - Speed start & Simple operation
Get your body moving as quickly as possible!
Set goals? Input information? No! Users simply need to choose their preferred exercise and press the start button to get moving
・Switchable activity cards
・Video preview
・Filter (duration, location, etc.)
・Video preview
・Filter (duration, location, etc.)
Feature C - Personalized micro-activities
Incorporatemicro activities intoyour personal life
Users can input information about their daily routines and preferences, enabling the system to suggest personalized activities at the right time and place, seamlessly integrating them into their lives.
Design Process
We enhanced the existing radius function's visibility and intuitiveness to help users narrow down their selected areas more effectively. After launching the MVP, we plan to introduce station/train route search features to simplify the job search process for part-time job seekers, making it easier to find relevant jobs.
Research I
Assumption 01
Based on “01 time”, “02 motivation”, and “03 affordability”, we assumed user types and 3 potential journeys
User Interview
The impact of the "3 top reasons" has been answered, and also deeper underlying factors have been identified
To validate the assumption, 6 users were recruited, and questions were posed based on simulated journeys. We did the recording and analyzed it through repeated listening and affinity mapping.
To validate the assumption, 6 users were recruited, and questions were posed based on simulated journeys. We did the recording and analyzed it through repeated listening and affinity mapping.
Findings
01
"Habit" is the real problem
At first glance, time seems to be the issue, but the real challenge is the lack of an active habit. Those who are accustomed to sitting won't even consider standing, regardless of the available time.
02
"Motivation" is fleeting and replaceable
Motivation is key to starting, but if physical activity isn't the only way to achieve a goal, it will be easily replaced. As a result, people often choose more attractive and easier options over exercise.
03
"Enviroment" is important
Compared to affordability as a physical activity, the suitability of the environment and its inclusiveness towards exercise can either serve as motivation to be active or as barriers preventing movement.
04
"What" and "How" is key for sustainability
Understanding the true needs and aligning them with actions is crucial for long-term sustainability. What drives people to take action is the detailed steps that have a clear relationship with the goal.
It still seems hard to establish a unified user profile and journey so far 🤯. Let's update the assumption and try a new way to analyze it! 💡
Research II
Assumption 02
Based on different "habits", we have reframed our assumptions by identifying 3 new user types and their corresponding journeys
New analyzing way
3 design opportunities were identified
Based on the user's journey, we identified shared goals and challenges. By analyzing their behaviors and exploring their emotional experiences, we documented the underlying reasons. Finally, we summarized the opportunities at each stage for further consideration.
Based on the user's journey, we identified shared goals and challenges. By analyzing their behaviors and exploring their emotional experiences, we documented the underlying reasons. Finally, we summarized the opportunities at each stage for further consideration.
Findings
01
Reminder and guidance
- People, with or without symptoms, are concerned about the long-term effects of sitting and want to directly address it.
- People would choose the most convenient, simple, and enjoyable exercise methods, based on timing, location and movement.
- People would choose the most convenient, simple, and enjoyable exercise methods, based on timing, location and movement.
02
Diverse recommendations
- Limited knowledge and lack of diverse experiences in exercise make people susceptible to factors that hinder action.
- People need flexible exercise choices to reduce resistance and ensure sufficient physical activities.
- People need flexible exercise choices to reduce resistance and ensure sufficient physical activities.
03
Habits development
- Habits, whether sedentary or active, influence the amount and frequency of physical activity people engage in.
- The key to get moving sustainably is people need to cultivate a habit of being inclined to stay physically active.
- The key to get moving sustainably is people need to cultivate a habit of being inclined to stay physically active.
04
Uneasy feelings hinder actions
- People feel a deep concern and unknown fear about the their sedentary behaviors.
- Some resistance comes from the guilty and disappointment people have after several failures of not meeting their plans and achieve goals.
- Some resistance comes from the guilty and disappointment people have after several failures of not meeting their plans and achieve goals.
How might we...
🔔 remind of users' sedentary situation and actionable steps
🏃 suggest varied exercises for ample physical activity,
🙋 assist users in developing healthy habits over time?
Ideation
Current journey
We identified who we were designing for and the current journey
Brainstorming
Quick ideas and 3 concepts
In the initial stages of ideation, to quickly grasp the design direction and explore possibilities, I engaged in rapid brainstorming sessions centered around 'how might we' questions. I represented them visually as color-coded thumbnails to share with my team.
The three concepts are:
- Accurate detection and friendly reminders.
- Rich exercise recommendations and flexible plans.
- Fun and timely positive feedback.
In the initial stages of ideation, to quickly grasp the design direction and explore possibilities, I engaged in rapid brainstorming sessions centered around 'how might we' questions. I represented them visually as color-coded thumbnails to share with my team.
The three concepts are:
- Accurate detection and friendly reminders.
- Rich exercise recommendations and flexible plans.
- Fun and timely positive feedback.
Psychology research
Design strategies have been determined
To make the concepts more concrete, we identified specific design strategies and documented the information on sticky notes in FigJam for easy team collaboration.
I conducted detailed research and organization on
- harmful effects of prolonged sitting
- ways to alleviate those effects
- habit formation
To make the concepts more concrete, we identified specific design strategies and documented the information on sticky notes in FigJam for easy team collaboration.
I conducted detailed research and organization on
- harmful effects of prolonged sitting
- ways to alleviate those effects
- habit formation
Great, finally got the ideas! Let's bring them to life! 💡
Ptototype
Low-fidelity prototype
Testing+Iteration
Based on various feedbacks from 4 users and our professor, we made 3 rounds of iteration.
Design
Deliverables
Style guide+UI kit
The style guide and UI Kit is a compilation of existing UI elements on the website that provides references for future design and collaboration for the design team.
Final product
Takeaway
1. Find the most suitable solution to address specific problems:
During the first round of user interviews, we were surprised to find insights that differed significantly from our initial assumptions. We couldn't establish a unified user profile and journey immediately. To tackle this, we revisited the problem's background and created three user types and journeys. By analyzing their common behaviors and emotional characteristics, this unconventional approach proved effective. It taught us the importance of adapting methods to the problem at hand rather than relying on predefined formulas and techniques.
2. Thorough research enables the discovery of innovative solutions to recurring problems:
In this project, we tackled a well-known issue with numerous existing solutions. To provide unique insights and innovative approaches, our team extensively researched the root causes and explored theories and competitor products throughout the journey from design opportunities to strategies. This method ensured that each idea was well-founded and referenced, aiming for original solutions to address the core problem while avoiding arbitrary design choices.