Cognitive Design for Productivity

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ALLISON V. LEACH May 2013











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Steel. Together they suggested ways to craft designs that might persuade healthy, productive behaviors. Phase I sought to test scientific theories with applied design in the context of common productivity tools. In particular, I chose to explore eight areas proposed by McGonigal, Baumeister, Tierney, and Steel that might benefit from a return to research: 1. Reminders 2. List-making 3. Long Term vs. Short Term Goals 4. Progress Feedback vs. Commitments 5. Personal Identification with Goals 6. Productive Procrastination 7. Social Influence 8. Precommitments I hoped to combine all of my findings into a more comprehensive ImPulse bracelet informed by some of the findings from my Decisions, Decisions and ImPulse Phase I research. In particular, the idea of a bracelet that might ward off impulses by recharging willpower levels (as a placebo) was alluring, for it returned me to the root of procrastination: impulsive behaviors.

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Purpose: • To reduce impulsive behavior decisions that contribute to procrastination and to increase mindfulness of long-term goals in order to improve productivity. This will be accomplished by: • instilling mindfulness of long-term goals in a “pause-and-plan” response • providing visual and haptic reminders and temporal cues • creating different levels of social support for accountability and personal meaning • mentally “recharging” willpower levels by buzzing via the placebo effect • encouraging a positive procrastination approach to activities by making lists that organize tasks by priority level

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1

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Pulsing bracelet for single participant. Records progress in texts to self.

Pulsing bracelet for each partner. Records progress in texts to each other.

Individual Group

Mutual Support Group

4

3

Pulsing bracelet for participant; 1-2 plain bands for supporters. Records progress in texts to supporters. Solidarity Group

Pulsing bracelet for participant; 1-2 plain bands for supporters. Records progress on social media. Solidarity Group + Social Media

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Variables: Dependent (measured): • Willpower level • Mindfulness level • Frequency of productive and non-productive behaviors Independent (varied): • Accountability: solo vs. sharing with partner vs. sharing with supporters vs. sharing with social network • Social Support: solo vs. motivation from partner vs. motivation from supporters vs.. motivation from social network Materials: • Each participant will receive an ImPulse bracelet, supporter bracelets (if in a Solidarity Condition), and instructions specific to his or her assigned group. Procedure: Pilot Test 1. Deliver instructions and bracelets to participants. Procrastination is the defined Willpower Challenge for all participants. 2. Participants email the monitor 2 lists: (1) their Top Procrastination Activities and (2) their Top 3 Temptations. 3. Participants wear the bracelet on their wrist and write a to-do list each day. They are instructed to turn on the bracelet whenever they feel tempted to procrastinate over the next 3 days. When this happens, participants should start a to-do list task for 5 minutes. This choice is recorded as a win. Alternatively, participants can start a more fun activity on their to-do list. This choice is recorded as a win. If neither one of these options is appealing, participants can do whatever they would like. This choice is recorded as a loss. 4. [Individual Group] Participant is instructed to text themself their wins or losses. [Mutual Support Group] Participants are instructed to text their partner their wins or losses. 5. Participants report their experience in individual follow-up phone interviews. 39


Featured Test 1. Deliver instructions and bracelets to participants. Procrastination is the defined Willpower Challenge for all participants. 2. Participants email the monitor 2 lists: (1) their Top 3 Long-Term Goals and (2) their Top 3 Temptations. 3. [Both Solidarity Groups] Participants assign 2-4 supporters who each wear a solidarity bracelet. Participants email the monitor their supporters’ contact information. 4. Participants wear the bracelet wherever they would like (wrist, belt loop, backpack) as often as possible over seven days. Every morning, they will write 2 to-do lists: (1) Today’s Priorities and (2) Someday’s Priorities. 5. Participants receive text message notifications from the monitor to turn on ImPulse several times at random intervals throughout the day. If participants are caught procrastinating when they should be working, they should try to start a Today activity for 5 minutes. Alternatively, they can try starting a Someday activity for 5 minutes. If neither one of these options is appealing, participants can do whatever they would like. 6. [Individual Group] Participants receive text reminders to record their Willpower Challenge progress in text messages to themselves, either written or in photos. [Mutual Support Group] Participants receive text reminders to record their Willpower Challenge progress in text messages to their partner, either written or in photos. [Solidarity Group] Participants receive text reminders to report their Willpower Challenge progress in text messages to their supporters, either written or in photos. [Solidarity + Social Media Group] Participants receive text reminders to report their Willpower Challenge progress in text messages to their supporters, either written or in photos. They also update their progress on social media (Facebook). [Both Solidarity Groups] Supporters receive a daily text reminder to check in with their respective participant. Participants report their experience in individual follow-up interviews in person. 7. Each morning of the experiment (beginning on the second day and ending on eighth day), participants answer a yes or no question from the monitor 40


about whether or not they accomplished most of the tasks on the previous day’s Today’s Priorities list. 8. Participants meet for an in-person interview with the monitor. Monitor offers M&Ms to all participants to test temptation resistance. [Both Solidarity Groups] Supporters answer an online survey of their experience.

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4.5

Individual

CONDITION

The partner group proved to be most successful, with an average of 5.75 days of Today’s tasks accomplished per participant over 7 days.

5.75

Partner

Solidarity

Large Temptation

4 5

Solidarity + Social

DAYS Only one participant, Janette, succeeded in accomplishing all of her Today tasks throughout the week.

MONDAY TUESDAY

DAY

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Andrew Maria Andrew Maria

TASKSKathleen ACCOMPLISHED Eric Will Janette Bill Rebecca Eric Kathleen Will Janette Bill Rebecca 43


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Design Recommendations: After the experiments, I formulated a specific list of design features inspired and informed by insights in my research: The Ideal Product for Productivity... • Is smart enough to know my schedule • Praises me instead of induces guilt. Forgives me when I don’t meet my goals. • Runs automatically • Randomly nudges me • Is different than my other notification systems which I tune out • Coaches me and asks questions • Has personality • Offers various levels of privacy • Reminds me of my successes • Lets me plan my near-future goals step-by-step • Incorporates breaks • Gives me a public excuse to get back to work • Facilitates my work, doesn’t interrupt me • Offers an accessible visual or audio cue • Has a positive, cheerful, and quirky tone • Checks in with me in the morning • Is simple and effective; consolidates all elements into one item • Is flexible when I encounter unexpected tasks • Lets me document progress quickly and simply

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Design Review Were the originally tested areas of procrastination useful? If you remember, they were: 1.

Reminders Maybe. Reminders increased mindfulness of people’s unproductive behaviors. However, reminders must run automatically and not disrupt important activities. 2. List-making Maybe. Lists helped procrastinators visually prioritize, organize, and catalog tasks. For productive people, daily lists got in the way. 3. Long Term vs. Short Term Goals Yes. Awareness of long-term goals motivated people to stay on track of their most difficult everyday tasks. 4. Progress Feedback vs. Commitments Yes. Participants did not miss having a progress bar and liked starting fresh with new commitments each day. 5. Personal Identification with Goals Yes. People appreciated having goals that they chose themselves. 6. Productive Procrastination Maybe. Productive procrastination serves as a break, not as a replacement for actual productivity. 7. Social Influence Maybe. Social interactions provided numerous incentives to perform well. However, the level of sharing must be customizable. 8. Precommitments Yes. Planning ahead to prevent temptations creates a reliable plan of attack.

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A Cognitive Design Code: 1. Identify a behavior in need of a design intervention. 2. Look at existing behavior designs in this area. What works or doesn’t work, and why? 3. Consult experts and non-experts, and extreme and mainstream users to assemble a wide-ranging inventory of attitudes, experiences and data about this topic. 4. Study different cognitive scientists’ perspectives on this behavior. Critically consider the content and context of their opinions. 5. Digest these findings and create your own hypotheses. Test your hypotheses in a series of progressively specific design experiments modeled after the Scientific Method. Iterate as needed. 6. Document your work in a written report. Share your findings with designers and behavior experts to spark a conversation. 7. Continue to conduct research and to test your cognitive designs. Remember, your work is not a conclusion, but the beginning of an investigation. There is always something new to learn.

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Design Research Garmin and Natural Navigation 2011 An investigation of how people navigate using cues from the natural world. Three other classmates and I acted as the research firm Calicocho with Garmin as our prospective client. We conducted a series of qualitative interviews with users of varying GPS technology familiarity. Our research approach included participant photo diaries and drawing exercises, conversations with industry experts, and a public blog for gathering stories. 67


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Research

pedestrian play an investigation of public games for adults

ALLISON LEACH

3D IX CLASS

CALIFORNIA COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

FALL 2012

INSIGHTS

INTERVIEWS Game Player

Volleyball Player alluring Meaningful impact on non-players

High social cost of embarrassment

Noah

Facebook Game Developer "Games can function as a bonding experience for friends and also as a forum for new social interactions as an icebreaker"

Simple & fun core

Fun but no room for hacking

Mark

Audibly and visually compelling from a distance

CTO of a Start Up

"Neither points nor "I enjoys the game to Adults mustforovercome Discovered social his&team practical constraints story are necessary by walking over and get out of the house, a fun game"

asking to play

Ideal pedestrian game: going on a quest with clues in Dolores Park

Obstacles in the way of playing: lack of time, busy weekdays, family commitments

sweat a little, enjoy fresh air and get some sun."

obstacle-ridden

permeable Difficult Di Diffi cult set-up

Complex rules

Crowded location

Too lengthy Not enough structure

Busy day

People enjoy the feeling of hacking a game

off-putting

TRENDS Google, Samsung, PlayStation

in-person playing

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DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS

With the Nexus Q, each player taps the top of the orb with her Android phone or tablet, and an NFC chip signals the device to open Google Play.

1 Mobile and sharable

simple and low-cost

portable projector

2 Game's structure requires silly behavior

Samsung's Galaxy Beam phone features a built-in nHD projector which can instantly create a 50-inch wide screen.

3 Modeled after traditional folk games

bright, smart & wireless

4 Online platform for post-game community

PlayStation Move controllers incorporate Bluetooth technology, an accelerometer, and alluring LED lights.

5 Players' performance fascinates more than digital experience

underwhelming tech


ALLISON LEACH ALLISON LEACH

FALL FALL2012 2012

COLLEGE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS 3D IX CLASSCALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA OF THE ARTS

Research personas

Social Explorer

Safe Spectator

Fresh-air Athlete

Finds novel experiences and new people rejuvenating

Prefers to keep some distance from the game

Seeks physical activity and fresh air

Always on top of the latest and greatest in gaming technology

Needs downtime from screen technology after a long work week

Enjoys the spectacle of watching strangers play

Desires a good sweat and an activity with strategy and socializing

Prefers games with a digital component

1 MONSIEUR GUIDE

Th

eM

on

sie

ur

Tech Gamer

Po lo

Ga

me

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Does Awe Increase Timelessness, Helpfulness, EXPERIMENTS and Overall Well-Being? DISCUSSION

ABSTRACT

4.1 Purchasing Preferences and Volunteerism

4.1.1 Results for Purchasing Preferences and Volunteerism

Author Keywords CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

RELATED WORK 4.2 Time and Purchasing Preferences REFERENCES

4.2.1 Results for Time and Purchasing Preferences

1

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