Design for Physical Activity: Design Aspects of Wearable Activity Trackers

Abstract

Many people use wearable activity trackers to gather personal behavioral data, make better decisions, and make changes to their behavior. While the proliferation of new products on the market makes collecting personal data easier, what people expect from these products remains an open question. To uncover which features of these products lead people keep using, a one-week user study was conducted with people who use these products to support or track their behavior. Baseline interviews were conducted and participants were asked to interact with a typical wearable activity tracking product. The study reveals that people are open to use and accept these kinds of products. Still, resistance to keep using the system can be a major common point of the people, even though they can be volunteer and enthusiastic to use these products. This research also reveals the product qualities that people expect from these products to keep using the system. At the end, design implications for future products are offered.