Look & Feel Prototype

The aim of the following prototype was to get a sense for how the mechanics could potentially feel with the given materials. 

Finalizing the form and UX flow

I have reached a point where I have decided to take a certain direction with the form and interaction, although details will still need to be tested and improved with prototypes going forth. Below you can see my initial sketches of what I imagined the most important user interactions to be like. For a more detailed description, scroll down for a task analysis. 

At first I imagined the rotation of the device to give you feedback regarding your form, and the light to give you feedback regarding your timing. However, since the wearable would give you real-time feedback regarding form, I decided it would be more useful to use the rotation of the device as an indication of your overall progress. This way, I am able to slightly gamify the experience as well as letting the user know how well they have performed and if they have that day moved closer or further away from their goal. The goal of each day is to have the device switch off it's light. 

Below you can see a quick look and feel prototype. Things I need to consider for the future is how the lighting can play a more integral part in the piece, and how some real-time movement can be added for the user to create a more intimate bond with the object. I aim to further my designs this upcoming week. Central questions I am asking myself at the moment are: 

• Which size is the most gratifying? 
• Which graphic display is the most gratifying and has the best mapping? 
• Would sound help to amplify the experience and physical progress? 
• Would color of light help to amplify the experience and physical progress? 

Task Analysis: Physical (numbered in bold) and cognitive (listed below each step): 

Pre-purchase

1. User is recommended to use product by physical therapist due to a certain condition. 

• User questions the efficiency of the device and asks for customer reviews. 
• User questions the price point of the product and evaluates the cost benefit of the product. 
• User questions if the product meets accessibility requirements according to their needs. 
• User questions where to place the device in their home. 
• User is excited to use the product as they believe it could help them stay on track and get better quicker, and the product appears fun to use due to the aesthetic usability effect. 

2. User decides to purchase the product, and user and physical therapist together come up with a rehabilitation plan and calibrate the device. 

• Exercises are tested with the wearable. 
• User is skeptical towards the product due to unfamiliarity with technology. 
• User does not have a smartphone. 
• User does not want to learn how to interact with the product. 

3. User gets to customize device according to set parameters. 

• User is excited to choose color and graphical elements. 
• User gets to decide how the device reacts in certain set circumstances.

4. User takes product home. 

• User gets the device delivered to their home, but is not happy about the additional cost. 
• User takes product home with the help of a friend. 
• User takes product home themselves, but finds it to be difficult to carry. 

Chronological tasks

5. User sets alarm through app. 

• User is able to set a wake up schedule for their week. 
• User does not want to set a wake-up time. 

6. User wakes up by gradual light. 

• User is reminded of their injury, surgery or physical condition. 

7. User puts on wearable for the day. 

• User does not think it matches their outfit. 
• User forgets to put device on. 

Non-chronological tasks

8. User pushes button on wearable to activate tracking and performs their routine with visual and haptic feedback. 

• User is confused by the feedback system. 
• User is nicely guided by the feedback system.

9. User is able to get a sense of the status of their overall recovery plan and performance by glancing at the device. 

• The device’s rotation and light intensity is a successful indicator of the user’s physical status in relation to their recovery plan. 

10. User is reminded to perform their exercises by their caretaker, housemate or partner.

• User receives text message or phone call.
• User receives verbal and/or physical reminder.

11. User is reminded to perform their exercises by the device or wearable. 

• Device moves when user is near as an indication of exercises needed to be performed. 
• Wearable gives haptic feedback to remind user to perform exercises. 

12. User gets positive encouragement by their caretaker, housemate or partner. 

• User receives text message or phone call.
• User receives verbal and/or physical reminder.

13. User gets positive encouragement by the device. 

• Device moves as an indication of exercises performed well. 

14. User gets negative feedback by the device. 

• Device moves as an indication of exercises performed poorly. 

16. User forgets to perform the exercises at the end of the day and is reminded by the device through light. 

• User is encouraged and gratified that the device reminded them of this, and performs their routine on the spot. 
• User is tired and wishes that the device had reminded them earlier, so user ignores prompt and falls asleep with the light on. 
• User is irritated and disappointed, and so does not perform the exercises and either moves the device or falls asleep elsewhere. 

Prototyping Phase II

I hope to be able to experiment with form as much as possible for the next upcoming week, so that I can settle on a final design to work with. It feels like I have been moving forward slowly, but I have learnt a lot. Much of what has slowed me down is getting aquatinted with different types of motors and how to handle them - every type and even brand is it's own beast. 

The shelf is something that I have been thinking about for a longer time, and although it might not be as much of a desired product and more of a critical design piece (your things wouldn't fall off of the shelf however) I like the idea of leveraging a utilitarian object that already exists in your home, and making it come to life. Why get a separate object that can tell how well your body is doing? There is something about the algorithm behind it that makes sense to me as well (see post on inspiration & objectives). It turned out this was more difficult than I thought, but am testing out a final solution below that I will fine tune. I figured I could use a string to transform the rotational motion into linear, since I don't have a solenoid. I'm a big fan of using what materials are available - design constraints inspire creativity! 

Going forth I have two directions: one that would be a wearable with a separate tracker, and one that is a modular weight.

I want to make a few iterations on balance, as I think this is a very interesting concept in conjunction with health and my conceptual framework. 

Below you will see a circular design that I have started to prototype, that will be divided into two or more slices that would visually map with your bodies progress. 

I will use a stepper motor and a gear, and I actually made half of the gear using clay (!), as this was all I had at hand. It took several iterations and finding the exact right time to get the right consistency of this particular self drying clay.

Here I am working on a clay sculpture that works a little bit like a scale, with the pivoting point in the middle. The ball will move according to how well you have done, and there are small pockets where it will rest for more accurate mapping. Also, metaphorically you need to overcome hurdles along the journey.  

I would love to combine both momentum with the actual controlled input from your body. The ticking sound also makes us think of time. 

The third concept I want to explore is the deconstruction/construction of the object in and of itself. Below I am working on a round object that will squish and deconstruct from the perfect and balanced circle - just like your body does when not doing well. 

Unfortunately when I was about to assemble it the motors broke. These servo motors from RadioShack are of very low quality and I don't recommend them. Generally speaking I have had a lot of trouble with servo motors, as they tend to behave erratically. For the future I plan to invest in more high quality motors for more control and smoother movement. 

Below is another idea I have been thinking about, one that is a self-contained product that has both the tracker, LED shield indicator, music visualizer so that you can groove out to your exercises and when you turn it - it balances as feedback. 

Prototyping and User Testing / Phase I

Different types of design case study methodologies have guided my user-centered explorations, all of them focusing on one specific question. For my first prototype I aimed to answer how kinetic movement can have presence and if it is rewarding after completing a specific type of exercise. For this I set up a flex sensor to measure how many bicep curls the user had completed within a specific time frame. An abstract set of rectangular shapes would then move in accordance to your performance. By asking people to fill out a questionnaire before and after as well as seeing them interact with the device, I was able to gather that it indeed was very rewarding to see this object move as a response to the users exercise. However, users reported they would have liked to see more real-time feedback, and the flex sensor as a wearable was uncomfortable and redundant.

As testing with my user group has been difficult due to liability issues, the next natural step was to put myself in my users situation to the greatest extent that I possibly could. In my opinion, good design stems from empathy. So I challenged myself to be my own observer in an empathetic design probe, where I emotionally detached myself from my legs for one full day. I aimed to put myself in the situation of someone that has T9-T12 spinal cord injury, which typically means that you have good control of your upper body, but no control or sensation in your legs.8 Although I have witnessed my mother being bedridden for over six years, the insight that I gained during these twelve hours where invaluable to my design approach. I found myself loosing perception of time as I was physically confined to this one space. I also felt helpless, and experienced stiffness in my legs much quicker than expected. This lead me to incorporate range of motion exercises into my design, as I experienced how crucial stretching and simply moving around to stimulate blood circulation is to our wellbeing. But more importantly, how can I break up this monotony? Although I could feel the stiffness in my legs, I didn’t feel inspired to perform the exercises. Rather I wanted to immerse myself in something more escapist. So how can visual and kinetic cues inspire my user to move? 

With these aspects in mind, I wanted to nail down the pure functionality and user experience that such a device needs in order to be effective. The findings above lead me to consolidate my design into one contained object, creating a device that allows for real time visual as well as haptic feedback in accordance to how timely you have performed your routine. Incorporating an accelerometer also allows my user to see if they are holding proper form. This way I am able to test the pure functional aspects of such a device without worrying about the emotional aspects getting in the way of results and vice versa. The motion data is captured and displayed on a webpage using Arduino Yun. Below I am also testing how angular momentum might be used in order to fluctuate the weight.