Abstract
With technology getting smarter and more miniaturized, wearable devices that track fitness levels are getting more and more popular. Wearables empower users by providing them access to information about their habits, activity levels, and physiological data (e.g., Motti & Caine, 2014). The wearable technology market is expected to double by 2021, serving the needs of diverse groups, whether individuals wanting to quantify their activities, employers wanting to increase their employees’ productivity, or insurance providers trying to lower overall health care costs.
Although most of the recent attention is on wrist-worn devices (e.g., Fitbit, Apple Watch) – which work with a smartphone app or computer software for data visualization – smart garments, “hearables” (wearables for ears), and body sensors are also entering the market. A recent Forbes article even calls future wearables “invisibles”; they will be built into things we use in our daily lives and will not even look like a separate piece of technology.
Wearables have immense potential to motivate people to engage in healthy behaviors and adopt a holistic view of health and wellness, but they have high disuse rates. There is evidence that approximately 30% of users abandon their wearables 6 months after purchase (Michaelis et al., 2016).
Below are the design principles that play a role in users’ experience with wearables.
Design for trust: Users’ desire to continue using wearables is influenced by the trust they have in the product. For users to trust wearables, the devices should provide accurate data. Trust in wearables is also influenced by design elements, such as consistency, transparency, and the ability to protect personal health data (e.g., Michaelis et al., 2016; Rupp, Michaelis, McConnell, & Smither, 2016). To learn more about misuse and disuse of automation, refer to the seminal paper by Parasuraman and Riley (1997).
Provide personalized motivation: To prolong usage, wearable technology should provide a platform that helps users set behavioral goals as well as plans to attain these goals, including holding users accountable for fulfilling the goals (Michaelis et al., 2016).
Enable wearability: The shape, comfort level, and robustness of wearables also affect the adoption of these devices long term. Well-designed, ergonomic wearables are not even noticeable by those wearing them and are immaculately integrated into users’ lives (Michaelis et al., 2016).
Use tactile interaction wisely: Calibrate touch-based interaction appropriately to accommodate a wide range of users. For example, wearables requiring fine motor skills may not be ideal for older users due to age-related decrements in motor control skills. Furthermore, older users are less sensitive to tactile feedback. Voice-enabled design would be more appropriate for older users (Lewis & Neider, 2017). Limiting the use of voice output at higher frequencies and providing the capability to calibrate the output of the device also would be beneficial.