HACKIT: A SIMPLE MOTIVATIONAL WAY TO OVERRIDE HABITS
HackIt is a deck of cards that allows users, upon recognition that they have the desire to do their bad habit, either carry out a physical or mental stimulus that serves as a replacement for their habit.
The above video was created by my team and I to demonstrate how HackIt is used by users to help break their bad habits.
HABIT LOOP
Many of our daily actions are habits. Breaking a habit requires a way out of the habit loop.
The app simulates a mobile approach to our idea.
The index cards simulate a physical approach to our idea.
This is an evolution of the index card idea, which we decided would be the better approach to breaking bad habits.
Our third iteration included our own cards with a logo on one side and the prompt on the other. We decided to add a holder to make it easier for the user to store and access the cards.
This photo highlights how the prompts looked on the cards and the types of tasks we presented for testing.
During our third iteration of testing, we underwent testing on different holder designs with users to determine the best material and clasping system.
During our fourth iteration, we tested color coded environment based prompts to give users to the flexibility to use their cards in any situation: home, school/work, or universal. We also tested having a key for the type of task.
Check out our project poster by clicking below!!!
THE MOTIVATION
HackIt is the result of a 7-week long design project. We were tasked with finding a solution to a real world problem of our choosing.
My team of 8 students chose to tackle the breaking of bad habits. We identified through our initial user outreach that majority of the population have bad habits to break, but have difficulty with awareness and motivation to initiate the process.
THE GOAL
Our goal for HackIt was to design a simple, physical product that serves as an alternative action for an individual to take instead of their routine habit. We wanted HackIt to be a tool people could utilize to break out of the habit loop.
We established clear design goals that we wanted our cards to meet. These design goals were our measurement for success, along with user feedback on whether they would use the cards.
THE PROCESS
We completed four rounds of user testings before we created our final design. Our user testing gave us valuable insight on how our cards should be styled and what prompts were required for users to be motivated to use the cards.
We used round 1 of testing to determine the best design approach for our solution (mobile v. physical).
We used rounds 2-4 of testing to determine appropriate prompts for the cards.
We used round 3 of testing to introduce the idea of a holder for the cards and get user feedback on if it should be included.
We used round 4 of testing to determine how users felt about cards designated for different situations/environments.
We utilized Google Forms to gather user data and opinions during each round of testing.
THE RESULT
Using the results of our user testing, we created HackIt. HackIt is professionally-printed deck of cards that includes prompts for any environment you are in (home, work/school, or universal) and different symbols to differentiate the types of tasks. The deck of cards comes with a nylon based holder with a magnetic clasp, which as a divider in the middle to separate the cards based on the color-coded environments.
MY CONTRIBUTION
I held multiple roles throughout the completion of the project. I was responsible for scheduling meetings and making sure we were completing our deliverables on time and to the specifications of the project. I helped with the fabrication of the cards and holders. I helped with the filming of our project video and project poster creation. In addition, I helped complete user outreach and analyze the results.
PROJECT IMPACT ON ME
This project allowed me to learned a lot about teamwork and delegation of work. It was my first experience with a long term project that required us to be constantly aware of upcoming deliverables and project expectations. I was really proud of my team's work and the product we were able to display at the Spring 2019 Design Expo.