How might we incentivize physical health and wellness at Mount Royal University?
In a team of five in first-year, we were given a topic to research in-depth. Our original question was “How might we support physical health and wellness at MRU?”. We conducted both desk and ethnographic research. The desk research described the different activities that the school offers, as well as wellness services that the school provides. It also listed the various restaurant options on campus.
Then, we conducted observational research by observing the different areas on campus such as students utilizing the treadmill desks, the number of students at Tim Horton's at a given time, or students at a healthier cafeteria restaurant. Further, we interviewed subject matter experts on the topic to gather insight as opposed to solely anecdotal evidence. We found out that the services are under-utilized and that mindsets on physical health and wellness should change.
After rapid ideation, we conceptualized an app that would incentivize physical activity at MRU. We created low-fi prototypes out of paper, then user-tested the idea on a busy hallway to test if incentivizing physical activity would work.
From left to right: rapid ideation, low-fi prototype, and user-testing
I created a process diagram outlining how multiple personas may interact with the app throughout a typical day.
Finally, I was responsible for designing a 41-page process document that explained our thought processes behind the issue, as well as a compilation of all the research conducted.
