Active sensing for stylus
Will sensing capabilities make the stylus a smarter planning assistant?
Duration: 6 months
Project scope: User research
So, what’s it all about?
Current digital solutions for taking breaks at work often disrupt flow and lack the flexibility of traditional methods like paper and pen. Context-aware systems are not well-tuned to users’ physiological and cognitive needs during breaks, leading to reduced productivity and well-being. This was a speculative design project explores how styluses can act as smart assistants to enhance break-taking by integrating natural gestures and personalised feedback.
Research objectives
Understand break-taking behaviour: What kind of breaks people take at work? Why?
Role of stylus in break-taking: How can styluses play a role as assistants for taking breaks at work?
Comfort with data collection: Are users comfortable with a stylus collecting environmental data and receiving personalised feedback around breaks?
Deliverables
Pain-points with current break taking technologies at while working
Design recommendations for supporting planning through sensing and novel gestures
Data practices and user concerns around privacy
Methodology
I created a survey instrument with 27 questions on work-life planning using stylus (open-ended) using Qualtrics.
Triangulated literature review + quantitative survey + thematic analysis (by hand and NVivo 14+).
Key takeaways:
1.
Pain point: I’m tired, I need a break! - but apps don’t know that.
Lack of support for micro-breaks decreases productivity. Traditional digital tools only support structured break-taking hhabits like Pomodoro, Google Calendar, Trello, Scimax etc.
"..but it [break] also happens if I get tired or if a coworker or friend talks to me, and doesn't only happen when I want to...
— a hybrid mode worker
It doesn’t support, track or identify their need to take impromptu micro-breaks (like scrolling through social media, refilling water, relieving of biological urges etc.)
Design Recommendation: A context-aware stylus can sense physiological or activity levels to intuitively identify even unplanned breaks. A personalised, adaptive break-taking strategy, leads to improved productivity and well-being.
2.
Pain point: Work priorities, plans and demands keep shifting throughout the day - the apps need a more “adaptive” system.
The digital tools are useful for shorter busts of productivity and don’t necessarily support for their natural work rhythms.
"I don’t exactly plan when to take breaks…[but overall] block 70% of my working time, leaving about 30% for unexpected activities, or new explorations..
— A participant that uses only digital notes app to identify tasks in a work day
Design Recommendation: Planning apps focus on either capturing tasks or allocating time. Users need an app-based system that flexibly switches both - depending on user’s contexts, workflows and environments.
3.
Pain point: Need a multi-modal system of communicating with digital planners
Tracking work progress and scheduling events with a stylus is not easy. There is a need for more interactions to support existing apps.
..needs better integration between pen and software for me to use it regularly. Easily being able to add lists or assigns tasks or tick off completed tasks would be a good start..
— Participant
Design Recommendation: Create a library of novel stylus-based gestures that support planning and receiving feedback about breaks (e.g. stroke-based shortcuts, mid air gestures, LED light band etc.)
4.
Pain point: What will happen to my private data about breaks at work?
Users were hesitant and suspicious about the way their existing apps were using data. At the same time, there was concern around the use of data for monitoring workplace behaviour, suggesting activities, etc.
…but how do I know if it will not be used to feed me ads or worse...
— Participant