[02/13], Trading Yards: User centred design approach to building a prototype for a smartphone based collaborative game that encourages people to walk. Design rationale included requirements elicitation, creating personas, scenario based design, prototyping, expert and user evaluation, and one iteration of re-design.
The design document was used to keep track of all the activities, design decisions, usability tests and their results. It can be downloaded on personal requests.
Conclusions: Walking is enjoyed by many, but finding the right motivation to keep going requires an attitudinal change. 'Trading Yards', is an attempt to initiate a change in behavior by introducing a real life metaphor - trading cards. We have the primary motive in sight, viz. walking. But by using the concept of gamification we lure the user towards a secondary goal of collecting cards. The intuitive simplicity of the game makes adherence easy.
Crucial user feedback opens up the door for additional features that could be supported by the design. Capturing photos while walking and sharing them was the most common suggestion followed by a need for in-built music player. Tailoring messages to the needs of the user can be used to motivate further.
In summary, the project supports the use of technology to elicit a change in attitude towards a healthy life. We hope that interventions such as ‘Trading Yards’ will be successful in motivating people to walk regularly and help them lead a healthy life.
