Project Details
My Role - UX Researcher, Product Designer
Duration - 6 Weeks
Team - Mansi k., Vandita Saxena
Methods
Competitor Analysis
Storyboarding
Prototyping
Cognitive Walkthrough
Usability Testing
Overview
"The health risks posed by sedentary behaviors are not well known"
Remote work is here to stay, with over 30% of employees projected to be home-based by 2028. But sprawling out on couches with laptops is breeding poor posture and plummeting productivity. Necks are craning, backs are aching, and concentration is floundering.
With makeshift home offices now the norm, we face an ergonomic epidemic that traditional workplace wellness policies are ill-equipped to address. The remote professional withers in discomfort; the software giant scratches its head.
Solution
Posture-improving product design plus analytics to empower change
Consists of Two components
Ergo
is a smart table lamp that helps users stay organized and productive. Its intuitive interface lets you view, add, edit, and delete tasks by tapping a single button or using voice commands. The built-in display shows the WFH activities that you can perform to stay healthy and your daily agendas
Associated with posture belt
is a device worn around the midsection to help improve posture and alignment. It typically consists of a flexible neoprene or elastic belt that wraps snugly around the waist, with two removable pads that rest on the lower back
Diverse Challenges
Ergonomics
Working from home can lead to ergonomic problems,
such as neck pain, back pain, and eye strain.
Work from home improvement
devices can help to improve ergonomics by
providing support for the neck, back, and wrists.
They can also help to reduce eye strain by
providing a comfortable viewing position.
Alienation
Remote workers often grapple with isolation and disconnection. Working from home can create a sense of separation from colleagues and the social dynamics of an office. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance becomes challenging, leading to a feeling of detachment from both professional and personal spheres.
Productivity
Working from home can be less productive than
working in an office setting due to a lack of
structure and accountability. Work from home
improvement devices can help to improve
productivity by providing a dedicated workspace
and by tracking the user's progress.
Key Insights from the research
" In a multinational survey of more than 13,000 individuals distributed across all continents, moderate-intensity (MVPA)
and vigorous-intensity (VPA) physical activities were found to have decreased by 41% and 42%, respectively."
'' The mean daily duration of sedentary behavior is 8.3 hours among the Korean population and 7.7 hours among the American adult population. Sedentary lifestyles are spreading worldwide because of a lack of available spaces for exercise, increased occupational sedentary behaviors such as office work, and the increased penetration of television and video devices."
" Despite the fact that sedentary behavior poses a comparable risk to health and contributes to the prevalence of various diseases, most physical activity-related education in clinical practice is focused on improving the physical activity levels, with less emphasis on lowering the sedentary behavior."
Our Approach
Our Approach
We focused on
"More emphasis on lowering the sedentary behavior."
Initial sketches and iterations
Understanding the Problem by User flow
Solution Iterations
Visual representation of Ergo
A descriptive flow of what Tasker does
Different modes of Ergo
Flow of Functional Prototype and System
Qualities that will project Responsiveness to have an impact on the user
What does the posture belt do?
Uses sensors to track back positioning when sitting or standing
Detects slouching and sends gentle vibration alerts to straighten posture
Integrated accelerometer tracks time spent sitting vs standing
Lightweight, adjustable strap for comfort and personalized sizing
Functions of Ergo
Integrated sensors track light exposure, environment
Auto-sync posture data from belt to cloud analytics
Simulation of natural sunlight patterns and schedules
Mirroring of the user's posture through flexible neck
Application analysis screens
Setup Screens
Key Benefits
Quantifiable visibility creates self-awareness
Identification of room for improvement & ability to track progress
Just-in-time support to build muscle memory
App Analysis & Insights
Dashboard displays real-time posture/lighting data
Reporting on time sitting vs standing, posture deviations
Historical trends spot patterns over time for yourself or groups
Analyze posture habits by time-of-day, task, meetings etc.
Prototyping
Objective
The objective of this evaluation is to test the functionality, usability, and desirability of our proposed solution for work-from-home employees i.e a posture belt associated with Ergo- A task lamp designed to project reminders and an application to analyze the data.
The evaluation of the lamp and app will focus on the following objectives:
User Testing
