Design for long-term tracking: insights from a six-month field study exploring users' experiences with activity trackers

Abstract

This paper presents recommendations for designing activity trackers that can support long-term tracking behaviour. These recommendations are based on a six-month field study exploring activity trackers' impact on physical activity (PA) performance and the aspects leading to abandonment. Twenty-six individuals, who were assigned to the activity tracker condition (i.e. Fitbit One) or the control condition, took part in the study. Semi-structured interviews, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), and activity data derived from the tracker were used to understand participants' expectations, experiences, and insights about tracking PA. Proposed recommendations are: (1) consider the diversity in users' expectations when designing activity trackers; (2) allow users to experiment with different trackers; (3) design half-way products that can be customized based on users' lifestyles; (4) prioritize reflection over quantification; and (5) design for successful abandonment.