Thomas Visser - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Thomas Visser
Design for behaviour change (BC) has the potential to motivate older adults to increase their phy... more Design for behaviour change (BC) has the potential to motivate older adults to increase their physical activity and enjoy the health benefits hereof. Despite this potential, there is a lack of knowledge about how to profile users, to most effectively personalize strategies, which is detrimental to the overall effectiveness of these BC solutions. Thus we conducted a random control trial in which the effects of two BC strategies, implemented in two otherwise similar mobile applications, are compared. From the statistical analysis of the measured step data and the collected survey data, we were able to create motivation profiles for BC by triangulating an individual’s contextual, behavioural and psychological factors. Here we share an overview of our approach. In this way we aim to inform designers doing important work in the field of BC toward increased physical activity.
We describe the process and results of a study into the needs of a sleep diary for children that ... more We describe the process and results of a study into the needs of a sleep diary for children that are suffering of insomnia. Applying a methodology oriented on the user we have identified needs of patients and professionals, transcribed them into functional and non-functional requirements, and created a low fidelity prototype.
Proceedings of the 13th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare
Sleep problems are increasing among society. The solutions are available yet limited to the publi... more Sleep problems are increasing among society. The solutions are available yet limited to the public. Digital platforms have the benefit of accessibility. However, a lack of personalization is a primary challenge of digitalization. We designed a sleep scheduler app to support insomnia treatment and based the concepts with the principles of sleep restriction therapy. Restricted sleep schedules are provided through negotiation by taking personal sleep records into account. The app is evaluated with clinicians and target users through semi-structured interviews. The clinicians found the app well-aligned with the traditional practice. Anxiety is a significant concern as people with insomnia are sensitive by nature. The users perceived the instrument to play a vital role, and the predictions and feedback seem to be relevant to their situation. The design and strategy can increase therapy delivery, enhance the tailoring of digital interventions, and help solve the problem of scalability with higher adherence.
Most of us accept that regular physical activity is beneficial to our health. However, it is too ... more Most of us accept that regular physical activity is beneficial to our health. However, it is too often overlooked how vitally important physical activity is, not only for the health but also for the wellbeing and independence of older adults. Physical activity has been shown to improve muscle skeletal strength, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and even support mental health (Bauman et al., 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Currently, physical activity and strength training are the most effective fall prevention treatments. One study found that regular physical activity even reduced the participant’s symptoms of frailty (Bangsbo et al., 2019; Bauman et al., 2016; ChodzkoZajko et al., 2009; Lopez et al., 2018). Physical activity has also been linked to independence which is essential to many older adults’ experience of quality of life, as physical activity supports increased mobility (Chodzko-Zajko et al., 2009). In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle exacerba...
Conference Proceedings of the Academy for Design Innovation Management
Amidst today’s ever-expanding waistlines there is a clear need to investigate technology’s potent... more Amidst today’s ever-expanding waistlines there is a clear need to investigate technology’s potential to support behavior change and stimulate increased physical activity. Physical activity has also been shown to increase the independence and well-being of older adults, yet an important segment of this community is often excluded from the necessary in-context research due to the barriers they face to technology acceptance. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how to overcome these barriers to participation. We created a specific Product Service System that supports older adults to engage with the proposed technological interventions to enable important in-context behavior change research. Our approach converges knowledge from the domains of living laboratories, co-design, and existing experience of design research with older adults. From our experiences with this Product Service System, we provide guidelines to support other researchers setting-up a living laboratory study with o...
Conference Proceedings of the Academy for Design Innovation Management
This paper reports on an empirical study about how designers and design researchers applied a co-... more This paper reports on an empirical study about how designers and design researchers applied a co-creation method to generate product-service-system (PSS) concepts in multi-stakeholder teams, to promote physical activities for elderly people in an EU project. This method is developed based on the Value Design method. The value design method consists of a workshop process and a set of generative research tools to support the value creation process. By analysing the workshop process, results from the end user value creating process, the stakeholder value creating process and the encounter process, this paper demonstrates how designers can use such a co-creation process together with the created generative research tools to enable the value creation for the purpose of adopting the PSS approach by the stakeholders and the end users. The results also showed that different social cultural contexts related to the field of interest determined the stakeholder network construction.
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments
Gerontechnology
Despite the increasing research and business attention on the ageing society and its related fiel... more Despite the increasing research and business attention on the ageing society and its related fields, knowledge about the aging population is both incomplete and contradictory. On the one hand, it is genuinely difficult to develop appropriate technological products and services for the age
Brand En Brandweer 6 344 345, 2008
Proceedings of the 7th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction Making Sense Through Design - NordiCHI '12, 2012
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2011
Delft University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design Engineering, ID-StudioLab Landber... more Delft University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design Engineering, ID-StudioLab Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft The Netherlands t.visser@tudelft.nl and dvkeyson@tudelft.nl ... For today's elderly, the theme of social wellbeing has received increased attention. Modern ...
Awareness systems are a novel class of communication systems that enable people to be conscious o... more Awareness systems are a novel class of communication systems that enable people to be conscious of each other in a peripheral way. To better understand how people experience these systems over time, and how they blend in the user context, longitudinal field studies are needed. Although tangible awareness systems are considered to be more intimate and aesthetically pleasing than screen based awareness systems, they are not often evaluated in a longitudinal setting. This may be due to several factors that complicate the field evaluation of such systems, including the robustness and reliability of the prototype. This paper describes how the challenges of designing and evaluating a prototype have been addressed in the design of SnowGlobe. The system was evaluated in a longitudinal field setting with 12 users. The prototype enabled extensive data collection on the user experience and usage of such a tangible awareness system.
Abstract The use of sociable media for supporting social con-nectedness has been a serious subjec... more Abstract The use of sociable media for supporting social con-nectedness has been a serious subject of study for re-searchers and designers in recent years. Social con-nectedness is considered to be the momentary experi-ence of belongingness and relatedness with others. Par- ...
The use of context-aware technology in the home enables new ways to stimulate elderly in increasi... more The use of context-aware technology in the home enables new ways to stimulate elderly in increasing their exercise levels, and consequently prevent age-related health issues amongst an increasing elderly population. This paper describes the design of a persuasive virtual coach that encourages seniors to walk more. In order to incorporate the user values and needs in the design concept, a user panel of elderly people was actively involved in the design process. A range of persuasive principles and interaction metaphors were evaluated with the user panel, resulting in a design concept that was approved and appreciated by the user panel. The design concept combines a pedometer with wireless connectivity with a touch-screen photo frame. As a first step towards a longer evaluation, an experimental prototype was tested in the field with two participants for 11 days each. Whereas the participants of the exploratory intervention did appreciate the virtual coach and they did feel more motivated to exercise, the quantitative figures did not yet show an increase in physical activity in time; a possible explanation could be the limited activity-sensing capabilities of the prototype in combination with the changing weather conditions in the course of the user study. Furthermore, the participants would like to see a system with a better awareness of the context of use, such that the system can better select the right timing for motivational cues. These findings will be used to improve the design concept and perform a longitudinal user study in the field.
With today's technology, elderly users could be supported in living independently in their own ho... more With today's technology, elderly users could be supported in living independently in their own homes for a prolonged period of time. Commercially available products enable remote monitoring of the state of the user, enhance social networks, and even support elderly citizens in their everyday routines. Whereas technology seems to be in place to support elderly users, one might question the value of present solutions in terms of solving real user problems such as loneliness and self-efficacy. Furthermore, products tend to be complex in use and do not relate to the reference framework of elderly users. Consequently, acceptability of many present solutions tends to be low. This paper presents a design vision of assisted living solutions that elderly love to use. Based on earlier work, five concrete design goals have been identified that are specific to assisted living services for elderly users. The vision is illustrated by three examples of ongoing work; these cases present the design process of prototypes that are being tested in the field with elderly users. Even though the example cases are limited in terms of number of participants and quantitative data, the qualitative feedback and design experiences can serve as inspiration for designers of assisted living services.
Design for behaviour change (BC) has the potential to motivate older adults to increase their phy... more Design for behaviour change (BC) has the potential to motivate older adults to increase their physical activity and enjoy the health benefits hereof. Despite this potential, there is a lack of knowledge about how to profile users, to most effectively personalize strategies, which is detrimental to the overall effectiveness of these BC solutions. Thus we conducted a random control trial in which the effects of two BC strategies, implemented in two otherwise similar mobile applications, are compared. From the statistical analysis of the measured step data and the collected survey data, we were able to create motivation profiles for BC by triangulating an individual’s contextual, behavioural and psychological factors. Here we share an overview of our approach. In this way we aim to inform designers doing important work in the field of BC toward increased physical activity.
We describe the process and results of a study into the needs of a sleep diary for children that ... more We describe the process and results of a study into the needs of a sleep diary for children that are suffering of insomnia. Applying a methodology oriented on the user we have identified needs of patients and professionals, transcribed them into functional and non-functional requirements, and created a low fidelity prototype.
Proceedings of the 13th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare
Sleep problems are increasing among society. The solutions are available yet limited to the publi... more Sleep problems are increasing among society. The solutions are available yet limited to the public. Digital platforms have the benefit of accessibility. However, a lack of personalization is a primary challenge of digitalization. We designed a sleep scheduler app to support insomnia treatment and based the concepts with the principles of sleep restriction therapy. Restricted sleep schedules are provided through negotiation by taking personal sleep records into account. The app is evaluated with clinicians and target users through semi-structured interviews. The clinicians found the app well-aligned with the traditional practice. Anxiety is a significant concern as people with insomnia are sensitive by nature. The users perceived the instrument to play a vital role, and the predictions and feedback seem to be relevant to their situation. The design and strategy can increase therapy delivery, enhance the tailoring of digital interventions, and help solve the problem of scalability with higher adherence.
Most of us accept that regular physical activity is beneficial to our health. However, it is too ... more Most of us accept that regular physical activity is beneficial to our health. However, it is too often overlooked how vitally important physical activity is, not only for the health but also for the wellbeing and independence of older adults. Physical activity has been shown to improve muscle skeletal strength, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and even support mental health (Bauman et al., 2016; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996). Currently, physical activity and strength training are the most effective fall prevention treatments. One study found that regular physical activity even reduced the participant’s symptoms of frailty (Bangsbo et al., 2019; Bauman et al., 2016; ChodzkoZajko et al., 2009; Lopez et al., 2018). Physical activity has also been linked to independence which is essential to many older adults’ experience of quality of life, as physical activity supports increased mobility (Chodzko-Zajko et al., 2009). In contrast, a sedentary lifestyle exacerba...
Conference Proceedings of the Academy for Design Innovation Management
Amidst today’s ever-expanding waistlines there is a clear need to investigate technology’s potent... more Amidst today’s ever-expanding waistlines there is a clear need to investigate technology’s potential to support behavior change and stimulate increased physical activity. Physical activity has also been shown to increase the independence and well-being of older adults, yet an important segment of this community is often excluded from the necessary in-context research due to the barriers they face to technology acceptance. Currently, there is limited knowledge on how to overcome these barriers to participation. We created a specific Product Service System that supports older adults to engage with the proposed technological interventions to enable important in-context behavior change research. Our approach converges knowledge from the domains of living laboratories, co-design, and existing experience of design research with older adults. From our experiences with this Product Service System, we provide guidelines to support other researchers setting-up a living laboratory study with o...
Conference Proceedings of the Academy for Design Innovation Management
This paper reports on an empirical study about how designers and design researchers applied a co-... more This paper reports on an empirical study about how designers and design researchers applied a co-creation method to generate product-service-system (PSS) concepts in multi-stakeholder teams, to promote physical activities for elderly people in an EU project. This method is developed based on the Value Design method. The value design method consists of a workshop process and a set of generative research tools to support the value creation process. By analysing the workshop process, results from the end user value creating process, the stakeholder value creating process and the encounter process, this paper demonstrates how designers can use such a co-creation process together with the created generative research tools to enable the value creation for the purpose of adopting the PSS approach by the stakeholders and the end users. The results also showed that different social cultural contexts related to the field of interest determined the stakeholder network construction.
Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Smart Environments
Gerontechnology
Despite the increasing research and business attention on the ageing society and its related fiel... more Despite the increasing research and business attention on the ageing society and its related fields, knowledge about the aging population is both incomplete and contradictory. On the one hand, it is genuinely difficult to develop appropriate technological products and services for the age
Brand En Brandweer 6 344 345, 2008
Proceedings of the 7th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction Making Sense Through Design - NordiCHI '12, 2012
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2011
Delft University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design Engineering, ID-StudioLab Landber... more Delft University of Technology, Department of Industrial Design Engineering, ID-StudioLab Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft The Netherlands t.visser@tudelft.nl and dvkeyson@tudelft.nl ... For today's elderly, the theme of social wellbeing has received increased attention. Modern ...
Awareness systems are a novel class of communication systems that enable people to be conscious o... more Awareness systems are a novel class of communication systems that enable people to be conscious of each other in a peripheral way. To better understand how people experience these systems over time, and how they blend in the user context, longitudinal field studies are needed. Although tangible awareness systems are considered to be more intimate and aesthetically pleasing than screen based awareness systems, they are not often evaluated in a longitudinal setting. This may be due to several factors that complicate the field evaluation of such systems, including the robustness and reliability of the prototype. This paper describes how the challenges of designing and evaluating a prototype have been addressed in the design of SnowGlobe. The system was evaluated in a longitudinal field setting with 12 users. The prototype enabled extensive data collection on the user experience and usage of such a tangible awareness system.
Abstract The use of sociable media for supporting social con-nectedness has been a serious subjec... more Abstract The use of sociable media for supporting social con-nectedness has been a serious subject of study for re-searchers and designers in recent years. Social con-nectedness is considered to be the momentary experi-ence of belongingness and relatedness with others. Par- ...
The use of context-aware technology in the home enables new ways to stimulate elderly in increasi... more The use of context-aware technology in the home enables new ways to stimulate elderly in increasing their exercise levels, and consequently prevent age-related health issues amongst an increasing elderly population. This paper describes the design of a persuasive virtual coach that encourages seniors to walk more. In order to incorporate the user values and needs in the design concept, a user panel of elderly people was actively involved in the design process. A range of persuasive principles and interaction metaphors were evaluated with the user panel, resulting in a design concept that was approved and appreciated by the user panel. The design concept combines a pedometer with wireless connectivity with a touch-screen photo frame. As a first step towards a longer evaluation, an experimental prototype was tested in the field with two participants for 11 days each. Whereas the participants of the exploratory intervention did appreciate the virtual coach and they did feel more motivated to exercise, the quantitative figures did not yet show an increase in physical activity in time; a possible explanation could be the limited activity-sensing capabilities of the prototype in combination with the changing weather conditions in the course of the user study. Furthermore, the participants would like to see a system with a better awareness of the context of use, such that the system can better select the right timing for motivational cues. These findings will be used to improve the design concept and perform a longitudinal user study in the field.
With today's technology, elderly users could be supported in living independently in their own ho... more With today's technology, elderly users could be supported in living independently in their own homes for a prolonged period of time. Commercially available products enable remote monitoring of the state of the user, enhance social networks, and even support elderly citizens in their everyday routines. Whereas technology seems to be in place to support elderly users, one might question the value of present solutions in terms of solving real user problems such as loneliness and self-efficacy. Furthermore, products tend to be complex in use and do not relate to the reference framework of elderly users. Consequently, acceptability of many present solutions tends to be low. This paper presents a design vision of assisted living solutions that elderly love to use. Based on earlier work, five concrete design goals have been identified that are specific to assisted living services for elderly users. The vision is illustrated by three examples of ongoing work; these cases present the design process of prototypes that are being tested in the field with elderly users. Even though the example cases are limited in terms of number of participants and quantitative data, the qualitative feedback and design experiences can serve as inspiration for designers of assisted living services.