While physical activity has many important benefits on our health and well-being, many people find it hard to establish and maintain long-lasting exercise routines. Technology can be an effective tool to combat this issue by increasing users’ motivation to exercise and encouraging them to make healthier choices. In this qualitative study, we explored the persuasive effect and potential of an online booking system (OBS) implemented in a gym in the South West of United Kingdom to limit the amount of people in the facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of our research was to examine gym members’ experiences of the system, how it had impacted their motivation to exercise, and to explore how their experiences could be used in a digital system aiming to promote regular gym-use and long-lasting exercise routines. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, carried out with five gym members. The results demonstrate that all informants had ambivalent feelings towards the OBS, with both positive and negative attitudes towards the system. Three key findings were identified. First, the system forced the users to adapt their exercise routines and daily activities in general to its new constraints which, in some instances, reduced their motivation to exercise. Second, the activity of booking and scheduling gym sessions gave the users a sense of commitment and determination, which increased their motivation to adhere to their planned exercise regime. Third, the users experienced the increased familiarity in the gym as a positive outcome of the OBS. Based on the empirical findings, we proposed a set of recommended features and three key components which can be beneficial to include in a digital system aiming to increase gym user’s motivation to exercise, and that could come of use to designers developing interactive systems for gym settings.

Healthcare systems need to adjust services and methods to accommodate the needs, desires, and capabilities of people. Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) is the state of the art in participatory service design within the UK National Health Service (NHS), that draws upon design tools and ways of thinking in order to bring healthcare staff and patients together to improve the quality of care. The Co-design process that is integral to the EBCD approach is powerful but also challenging, as it requires active collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, including organizational stakeholders (e.g., investors, managers, advocates, etc.), end-users (e.g., staff, patients, carers, etc.), designers/researchers, and developers. Over the last decade, given the evaluation of the EBCD approach, there has been a gap between theory and practice resulting in limited outcomes in healthcare service improvements. Systematic reviews suggest this low success results from the lack of a systematic elaboration of Co-Design methods, limited tools and insufficient guidance on the ideation process, the tendency to develop a solution without enough divergent thinking, and a poor structure of participation. In order to improve health care services and address the gaps mentioned, we propose a methodology called Double Hexagon, that includes principles of Co-Design, Human-Centred Design, and Design Thinking. This framework is a Human-Centred Design framework that seeks to assist designers and non-designers in moving from designing “product” categories to designing for “people” by providing a concrete and step-by-step realization for “Designing for People”. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Urbanisation and a growing population has created new demands for compact living and households. Household appliances perform an important role in modern homes, where the life-cycle of the products play a significant role. Products that spend most of their time in storage are required to answer new user demands to interplay and integrate into the household, including products such as vacuum cleaners. A master thesis project for KTH Industrial Design Engineering master track, carried out in collaboration with ESSIQ AB, investigated the user needs for vacuum cleaners in-uselifecycle. The research question was: How can a vacuum cleaner be designed and adapted to facilitate compact and easy storage for the user in a modern home, without compromising its current efficiency? The goal of the project was to design an innovative product concept through a human-centred design methodology. The methodology would lead to the creation of a product designed to fulfil the user needs by focusing on user experience. Knowledge about how vacuum cleaners are stored, used, interact and how it is interpreted in everyday life, were firstly found and then analysed. To develop a suitable concept proposal, needs and requirements were gathered through interviews and observations. New concept ideas were generated and evaluated through an iterative process resulting in the development of a final concept proposal. A proof-of-concept was developed to further support the final concept. The concept is a proposal for future development and introduces a new product category. / Urbanisering och en växande population ställer nya krav för kompakta och smarta ekosystem. Hemelektronik spelar en viktig roll i många moderna hem och är betydande för ett fungerande hushåll. Produkter som spenderar mesta av sin tid i förvaring erhåller således en essentiell funktion i ett ekosystem för individen, sådana produkter inkluderar dammsugare. Ett masterexamensarbete för den Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, KTH, mastersprogram i Industridesign, utfördes tillsammans med ESSIQ AB för att undersöka de användarbehov som finns på dammsugare under sin livscykel. Problemformuleringen utgjordes av: Hur kan en dammsugare bli designad och anpassad för en användare, för att ge en kompakt och smidig förvaring i ett modernt hem, utan att kompromissa på sin nuvarande effektivitet? Målet för detta projekt var att designa ett innovativt koncept genom en användarfokuserad designmetod. En användarfokuserad process inkluderar en definition av användarens behov och fokuserar på att skapa en produkt utefter användarupplevelsen som svarar på de funna behoven. Hur dammsugaren förvaras, används, interagerar och hur den upplevs i det vardagliga livet, undersöktes för att kunna uppfylla målet. Ett anpassat konceptförslag var utvecklad genom identifiering av behov och problem hos användaren funna i intervjuer och tester. Idegenerering på nya konceptförslag utvecklades och utvärderades till ett slutgiltigt konceptförslag. Resultaten resulterade i ett konceptbevis, ett konceptförslag som uppfyller användarens behov. Konceptet fungerar som ett förslag och en grund för fortsatt arbete samt introducerar för en ny typ av produktkategori.

Every year, people are injured or even drowns in pools all over the world. Even in pools with monitoring lifeguards, accidents happen. One reason for submerge injuries or drownings is that they often are silent, which make incidents hard to detect. Lately, more reliable systems for pool surveillance have entered the market: Technology ranging from camera monitoring systems to wearables that detects if a person lying lifeless in the pool. This to, ensure good safety for bathing visitors around the world and make the work of the lifeguards easier. This master thesis project regards the development of a new wristband for a Pool Safety and Drowning Detection System. This involved studying the system, investigate the involved stakeholders, gather information about the current wristband and analyse the current situation. However, the primary focus for this master thesis project has been to create and design a; “One-size fit all” wristband, based on human measures, a more robust design, and with a higher resistance against wear. The master thesis project is done with Sentag AB as clients together with third party developers. Sentag´s system includes three sizes of wristband, sensors in the water to pick up signals, and a central unit from where the system is operated. When the alarm is triggered the wristband sends a signal in the water which the sensors pick up, and pass the information to the central unit, which notifies the lifeguards. Also, the wristbands contain a RFID tag which allows the user to use the wristband as a key card which can be used for lockers, make payments, and passing gates. Sentag aims to be a leader in high quality drowning detection technology on an international market. They want to improve their product to reach a broader market and prevent accidents. The project has followed a human-centred design process to understand the perspective of the lifeguards who operate the system, and also to better understand the users wearing the wristband. The project was performed in five phases, starting with a Project Plan and Research, followed by Context Immersion, Ideation, and Implementation. The work is based on demands form Sentag and third party consultants and findings from the Context Immersion phase where the team interviewed and observed stakeholders, analysed the system, and investigated materials. The team worked iterative within each phase, meaning the methods were repeated if necessary. In the Ideation phase the creative work was performed, and in Implementation phase were prototypes and evaluations performed to find a final solution. The project resulted in a “one-size fit all” wristband concept, which can be worn by people from three years upwards. The new design consists of several parts, most of which is a soft wristband casing, which protects the technology unit against wear and scratches. It is now possible to replace the bracelet without tools, which previously required and exposed electronics. The work presented in 3D visualizations and 3D printed prototype. / Varje år skadas eller till och med drunknar människor i pooler världen över. Även i poolområden med övervakning händer olyckor. En orsak till detta är att drunkning ofta sker helt ljudlöst, vilket gör att incidenter är mycket svåra att upptäcka. På senare tid har mer tillförlitliga system för poolövervakning kommit in på marknaden. Allt från kameraövervakningssystem och personliga larm som upptäcker om en person ligger livlös i poolen. Detta för att säkerställa en god säkerhet för besökare och göra arbetet som badvakt lättare. Detta examensarbete handlar om utveckling av ett nytt armband för ett säkerhetssystem i poolmiljöer. I arbetet studerades nuvarande poolbevakningssystem, intressenter, information om de aktuella armbanden och arbetet omfattade analysering av nuläget. Huvudfokus under detta projekt har varit att skapa och designa ett armband som passar alla och som baseras på människors kroppsmått. Det nya armbandet skulle vara mer motståndskraftig mot slitage. Detta examensarbete utförs med Sentag AB som klienter tillsammans med tredjepartsutvecklare. I Sentags system ingår tre storlekar av armband, sensorer i vattnet för att plocka upp signaler, och en central enhet där systemet styrs ifrån. När larmet utlöses sänder armbandet en signal i vattnet, som sensorerna plockar upp, sensorerna vidarebefordrar informationen till centralenheten, som meddelar badvakterna. Armbanden innehåller också en RFID-tagg som tillåter användaren att använda armbandet som ett passerkort, nyckel till skåp, göra betalningar, och passera grindar. Sentag strävar efter att vara ledande i högkvalitativa drunkningslarm på en internationell marknad. Nu vill de förbättra sin produkt för att nå en större marknad och förebygga olyckor. Projektet har följt en designprocess som är centrerad kring människan för att förstå badvakternas perspektiv som använder systemet, och även för att bättre förstå användarna som bär armbandet. Projektet genomfördes i flera faser där processen började med en projektplan och litteraturstudie, följt av informationsinsamling, Idégenerering och Implementation. Arbetet bygger på önskningar från Sentag och tredjepartskonsulter och den information som framkom under informationsinsamlingen, där gruppen intervjuade och observerade intressenter, analyserade systemet och sökte efter lämpliga material. Processen var iterativ, vilket innebär att metoder som användes inom faserna repeterades efter behov. I idégenereringsfasen skedde det kreativa arbetet och i implementeringsfasen gjordes prototyper, 3D modeller och utvärderingar för att finna en slutgiltig lösning. Projektet resulterade i ett armband med en storlek som kan bäras av alla. Det kan bäras av personer från tre år och uppåt. Den nya designen består av flera delar, varav huvuddelen är ett mjukt armbandshölje, som skyddar teknikenheten mot slitage och repor. Det är nu möjligt att byta ut armbandet utan verktyg vilket tidigare krävdes samt exponerade elektroniken. Arbetet presenterades i 3D visualiseringar och en 3D printad prototyp.

This dissertation explores how people address problems of real human concern in situations of complexity, ambiguity, uniqueness, conflicting values and rapid change. Such circumstances stretch formal and idealistic rules and procedures to the breaking point. And yet, people in a variety of fields work through such difficulties in a pragmatic manner, at times finding ways to assert their humanity. Sensemaking and human- centred design are related activities through which many people approach such work. Through cases in digital innovation, global health care delivery and an unlikely voyage of the Amazon River, this portfolio shows that they are relevant to a wide range of settings. Rather than isolating the components or key variables of such work and taking their measure, this research advances a more holistic view of sensemaking and designing as sociomaterial practices. My research is grounded in performing the phenomenon of study, offering insights from complex practice rather than a spectator’s study of it. This ethnographic approach has yielded theoretical contributions related to designing for the emergence of practices, embodied sensemaking, a more substantive notion of what it means to be ‘human’ centred and more pragmatic ways of investigating sociomaterial practices. By discussing sensemaking and human-centred design as antidotes to failures of imagination in global health and development, this dissertation suggests a distinctive perspective on why these topics matter for the health of poor and marginalized people around the world.

Significant changes in demographics, including a growing ageing population and a larger number of people with disabilities, have made inclusive design an increasingly relevant notion in the design of products, services, and environments. However, there is considerable concern that the concept of inclusive design is rather limited in its current definition and applications and has not yet been thoroughly applied. This is possibly due to the conventional understanding and application of inclusive design, mainly rooted in and focused on physical aspects of inclusion, such as accessibility, usefulness, and usability. This limited focus has led various voices in design academia and industry to speak of the need for further consideration of the psychological and social aspects of inclusive design as the next step to facilitate inclusive design, and make impact. In this research, inclusivity on psychological and social levels, is referred to as "psychosocial inclusivity". The concept of psychosocial inclusivity, including a clear definition thereof and its application, is rather limited in the existing literature. Therefore, this PhD research aims to further explore this concept by establishing a clear definition and the dimensions thereof. In order to achieve this, an initial definition and dimensions of the psychosocial inclusivity in design are established through a critical review of existing literature from both social science and design perspectives. The initial definition and dimensions are then developed, refined, and evaluated through four empirical studies: the Delphi study (expert survey); field study I (ethnographic interviews with mobility scheme users); field study II (ethnographic interviews, creative workshop, and observation of older individuals); and an evaluation study (online survey of design academics and professionals). These studies have been designed based on a triangulation approach in order to enhance the reliability and validity of the outcomes. At the end of this research, the definition and dimensions for psychosocial inclusivity in design (Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Value dimensions) are proposed. The outcomes of this research can enhance the understanding and knowledge of the concept of psychosocial inclusivity in design. Also, the definition and dimensions can be used by design academics and professionals or third parties to consider psychosocial aspects. The dimensions also can be developed as a complete set of framework or toolkit through further research.

This thesis examines the role of intuition in the way that people operate unfamiliar devices, and the importance of this for designers. Intuition is a type of cognitive processing that is often　non-conscious and utilises stored experiential knowledge. Intuitive interaction involves the use of knowledge gained from other products and/or experiences. Therefore, products that people use intuitively are those with features they have encountered before. This position has been supported by two initial experimental studies, which revealed that prior exposure to products employing similar features helped participants to complete set tasks more quickly and intuitively, and that familiar　features were intuitively used more often than unfamiliar ones. Participants who had a higher level of familiarity with similar technologies were able to use significantly more of the　features intuitively the first time they　encountered them, and were significantly quicker at doing the tasks. Those who were less familiar with relevant technologies required more　assistance. A third experiment was designed to test four different interface designs on a remote control in order to establish which of two variables - a feature's appearance or its location - was more important in making a design intuitive to use. As with the previous experiments, the findings of Experiment 3 suggested that performance is　affected by a person's level of familiarity with similar technologies. Appearance (shape, size and labelling of buttons) seems to be the variable that most affects time spent on a task and intuitive uses. This suggests that the cues that people store in memory about a product's features depend on how the features look, rather than where on the product they are placed. Three principles of intuitive interaction have been developed. A conceptual tool has also been devised to guide designers in their planning for intuitive interaction. Designers can work with these in order to make interfaces intuitive to use, and thus help users to adapt more easily to new products and product types.

Studien Panta med Swish! undersöker på vilket sätt pekskärmsgränssnittet för så kallade Pantamera Express-automater och i synnerhet dess digitala utbetalningsmetod kan göras mer effektivt. Baserat på användarintervjuer och analyser av det befintliga gränssnittet utvecklades först en pappersprototyp. Pappersprototypen föreslog en rad olika lösningar för att effektivisera designen från grunden. Med denna utfördes senare prototyptester som avslöjade aspekter att ta till vara på så väl som aspekter som krävde förbättring. I nästa fas av designprocessen utvecklades prototypten ytterligare och gavs en digital form - den blev nu en datorprototyp. Denna iteration av prototypen bar Pantameras varumärkesidentitet och gjorde designen mer påtaglig. När väl datorprototypen skapats togs även en informativ affisch fram för att förklara det nya gränssnittet, dess digitala utbetalningsmetod samt hur denna används. Den heuristiska utvärderingen som följde tydde på att designerna med endast små justeringar kunde leva upp till rapportens syfte; syftet som formuleras i forskningsfrågan: “Hur bör ett gränssnitt omformas för att effektivisera dess digitala utbetalningsmetod?”. Efter att de slutgiltiga förändringarna genomförts kunde slutsatsen göras att användare behöver övertygelse för att kunna tänka sig använda en främmande utbetalningsmetod. Det därför är bra att i ett gränssnitt integrera en utbetalningstjänst som redan är välanvänd och som har ett välkänt varumärke. Det är också viktigt att framhäva detta varumärke för att användare ska känna sig uppmanade att testa den främmande metoden. Studien visar att lösningen är integrering av Swish, att göra automatens gränssnittet mer tillåtande och att komplettera detta med ytterligare information som förbereder användare, skapar en mer effektiv process för användarna och en i stort förbättrad användarupplevelse. / The study Panta med Swish! researches in what way a touchscreen interface for so-called Pantamera Express machines and, particularly its digital disbursement method can be made more effective. Based on user interviews and analyses of the existing interface a paper prototype was first developed. The paper prototype suggested a number of solutions to streamline the interface. User tests were then carried out with this prototype. These tests revealed both promising aspects as well as aspects in need of betterment. In the next phase of the design process, the prototype was developed further and a digital prototype was created. This iteration of the prototype carried Pantamera’s brand identity, and made the design over all more tangible. After the digital prototype had been developed an informative poster was made to explain the new interface, its digital disbursement method and how it is used. The heuristic evaluation that followed indicated that the designs, with only minor adjustments, could live up to the set purpose of this paper: “How should an interface be re-developed in order to streamline its digital disbursement method?”. After the final adjustments had been made, the conclusion was drawn that users need convincing in order to consider using an unfamiliar disbursement method. Therefore, it is useful to integrate a disbursement service that is well-used and is associated with a well-known brand. It is also important to highlight said brand, in order to make users feel inclined to try said method out. The study shows that the solution is the integration of Swish, and to make the interface more allowing as well as to complement this with some additional information that prepares users, will create a more effective process for the users, and an all in all improved user experience.

The use of modern oral nicotine products (colloquially known as white snus or nicotine pouches) is increasing fast among youth and young women in Sweden. Due to aggressive marketing on social media, the colourful snus cans that contain nicotine pouches have become accessories that could be compared with lifestyle products (such as branded clothing, jewellery, or cosmetics). This collaborative design project aims to explore alternative approaches to education against modern nicotine products and to create a small-scale countermovement for the increasing white snus trend. During the project, we have used methods of human-centred design and visual communication in order to facilitate female snus users in reflecting on their own habits and rethinking the lifestyle around nicotine pouches. The project is done in collaboration with female university students who use white snus and two local tobacco control workers in the Region Kalmar län (Region Kalmar County).

This thesis project aims to explore social interactions in outdoor scenarios and understand how interaction design can benefit group experiences in a non-human world. By taking a human-centred approach to this project, relevant theory and design examples have been researched and synthesised. In addition, extensive fieldwork was conducted through a series of interviews and a questionnaire addressed to outdoor enthusiasts. The project implemented ambient technology to foster human relationships through conversation and shared non-human knowledge acquisition. The designed outcome benefits people's sense of community, physical health and mental well-being. Furthermore, interaction in a non-human environment contributes to a harmonious relationship between humans and the non-human world.