Hidden Factors
Hidden Factors
Exploring how hidden attributes of daily activities influence wellbeing.
Exploring how hidden attributes of daily activities influence wellbeing.
Role
Role
Design Research
Design Research
Timeline
Timeline
Aug 2024 - Nov 2024
Aug 2024 - Nov 2024
Project Type
Project Type
Individual
Individual
Tools/Skills
Tools/Skills
Habit Tracker (iOS), Photo Diary, Digital Journaling, Design Probes, User Research, Qualitative Analysis
Habit Tracker (iOS), Photo Diary, Digital Journaling, Design Probes, User Research, Qualitative Analysis
SUMMARY
This two-part study investigates how daily habits, environments, and self-awareness affect productivity and wellbeing. By combining self-tracking methods with app evaluation, it identifies limitations in current tools and explores design opportunities for more personalised and reflective habit tracking.
This two-part study investigates how daily habits, environments, and self-awareness affect productivity and wellbeing. By combining self-tracking methods with app evaluation, it identifies limitations in current tools and explores design opportunities for more personalised and reflective habit tracking.
Context
Context
Inspired by changes in my own motivation and productivity during the Design for Wellbeing course (DECO3001), this research examined how mood, environment, and task type influence wellbeing. Using both self-designed tracking methods and an iOS habit-tracking app, the project highlights that productivity is shaped by personal context and emotional factors, not just task completion.
Inspired by changes in my own motivation and productivity during the Design for Wellbeing course (DECO3001), this research examined how mood, environment, and task type influence wellbeing. Using both self-designed tracking methods and an iOS habit-tracking app, the project highlights that productivity is shaped by personal context and emotional factors, not just task completion.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Productivity is influenced by mood, environment, task intensity, and personal preferences.
Customisable tracking tools enable users to work in ways that suit them best.
Habit apps support routines but often overlook emotional and situational factors.
Integrating tracking apps with self-reflection enhances understanding of productivity and wellbeing.
Productivity is influenced by mood, environment, task intensity, and personal preferences.
Customisable tracking tools enable users to work in ways that suit them best.
Habit apps support routines but often overlook emotional and situational factors.
Integrating tracking apps with self-reflection enhances understanding of productivity and wellbeing.
Part 1: Hidden Factors
Part 1: Hidden Factors
Introduction
Introduction
Staying on track with daily tasks may seem simple, but factors like task type and location subtly influence performance and mindset. This research reveals those hidden influences through self-tracking.
Staying on track with daily tasks may seem simple, but factors like task type and location subtly influence performance and mindset. This research reveals those hidden influences through self-tracking.
Research Aim
Research Aim
Understand how daily task attributes influence work behavior and wellbeing.
Explore how specific task characteristics affect productivity and mood.
Investigate variations within similar activities and their impact on performance.
Understand how daily task attributes influence work behavior and wellbeing.
Explore how specific task characteristics affect productivity and mood.
Investigate variations within similar activities and their impact on performance.
Research Process
Research Process
Over five days, I designed and used four probes to explore how task factors affect productivity and mood:
Over five days, I designed and used four probes to explore how task factors affect productivity and mood:
Music Dice: Roll a dice daily to select music type or silence during tasks, testing sound’s impact.
Sticky Notes: Use coloured notes to rate task intensity, draw symbols, and record mood.
Photo Diary: Take daily photos of task settings to capture environment and progress.
Bullet Journal: Write daily reflections on tasks and feelings to explore their effects.
Music Dice: Roll a dice daily to select music type or silence during tasks, testing sound’s impact.
Sticky Notes: Use coloured notes to rate task intensity, draw symbols, and record mood.
Photo Diary: Take daily photos of task settings to capture environment and progress.
Bullet Journal: Write daily reflections on tasks and feelings to explore their effects.
Themes
Themes
After five days of self-tracking, data analysis revealed key themes showing how task attributes influenced my productivity and wellbeing.
After five days of self-tracking, data analysis revealed key themes showing how task attributes influenced my productivity and wellbeing.
Design Implication
Design Implication
Current productivity tools often emphasise task count or time, neglecting context, personality, and subjective experience. Findings show productivity is deeply personal and shaped by environment, emotion, and task intensity. Standardised tools can hinder self-expression. Future tools should adapt to individual traits, track qualitative data, and offer personalised strategies to promote both output and wellbeing.
Current productivity tools often emphasise task count or time, neglecting context, personality, and subjective experience. Findings show productivity is deeply personal and shaped by environment, emotion, and task intensity. Standardised tools can hinder self-expression. Future tools should adapt to individual traits, track qualitative data, and offer personalised strategies to promote both output and wellbeing.
Future Work
Future Work
The design probe encouraged reflection through playful elements like dice and sticky notes, helping refine which attributes to track. However, limited activity range and single-user testing highlight the need for broader studies. Future iterations should include diverse participants and contexts to better understand how different users interpret productivity attributes and how design can support varied work styles.
The design probe encouraged reflection through playful elements like dice and sticky notes, helping refine which attributes to track. However, limited activity range and single-user testing highlight the need for broader studies. Future iterations should include diverse participants and contexts to better understand how different users interpret productivity attributes and how design can support varied work styles.
Part 2: Tracking The Hidden Factors
Part 2: Tracking The Hidden Factors
Introduction
Introduction
This phase expands the idea that productivity depends on more than effort alone. While many tracking tools focus on task completion, they often overlook the context behind performance changes. Using the iOS app Habit Tracker, this study examines how personal tracking can boost self-awareness and promote better habits.
This phase expands the idea that productivity depends on more than effort alone. While many tracking tools focus on task completion, they often overlook the context behind performance changes. Using the iOS app Habit Tracker, this study examines how personal tracking can boost self-awareness and promote better habits.
Research Objective
Research Objective
Evaluate how well Habit Tracker helps users maintain focus and understand factors affecting productivity and wellbeing.
Evaluate how well Habit Tracker helps users maintain focus and understand factors affecting productivity and wellbeing.
Research Question
Research Question
Can Habit Tracker help users identify factors influencing productivity and support sustained focus?
Can Habit Tracker help users identify factors influencing productivity and support sustained focus?
Research Process
Research Process
I logged tasks using Habit Tracker, took photos to document environments, and wrote daily reflections to explore how changes in tasks affected mood and performance. This deepened my understanding of how the app supports tracking and self-awareness.
I logged tasks using Habit Tracker, took photos to document environments, and wrote daily reflections to explore how changes in tasks affected mood and performance. This deepened my understanding of how the app supports tracking and self-awareness.
Themes
Themes
Analysis of five days’ data revealed three key themes aligned with self-determination theory, addressing my research goals.
Analysis of five days’ data revealed three key themes aligned with self-determination theory, addressing my research goals.
Design Proposal
Design Proposal
To improve Habit Tracker’s user experience, I proposed design changes focused on enhancing task clarity and providing more meaningful feedback. These updates aim to make task information more accessible, support users’ self-awareness, and better highlight factors influencing productivity and wellbeing.
To improve Habit Tracker’s user experience, I proposed design changes focused on enhancing task clarity and providing more meaningful feedback. These updates aim to make task information more accessible, support users’ self-awareness, and better highlight factors influencing productivity and wellbeing.
The addition of priority, weather, mood, and dropdown icons to the task progress bar would make key task information easier to see. These features would help users log what affects their task progress and quickly view that information without needing to dig through the app. This design removes extra steps and makes the app easier to use.
Reflection
Reflection
This project was both challenging and rewarding. Through self-tracking and app evaluation, I gained deeper insights into how mood, environment, and task type influence productivity. Designing my own probes strengthened my research and design skills, while testing the app highlighted strengths and areas for improvement in current tools.
As an individual researcher with a limited timeframe, findings are focused in scope. Future research with larger teams and extended duration could offer broader insights across diverse users. This experience enhanced my ability to create user-centred tools grounded in real-world behaviour and prepared me to contribute effectively to collaborative, impact-driven projects.
This project was both challenging and rewarding. Through self-tracking and app evaluation, I gained deeper insights into how mood, environment, and task type influence productivity. Designing my own probes strengthened my research and design skills, while testing the app highlighted strengths and areas for improvement in current tools.
As an individual researcher with a limited timeframe, findings are focused in scope. Future research with larger teams and extended duration could offer broader insights across diverse users. This experience enhanced my ability to create user-centred tools grounded in real-world behaviour and prepared me to contribute effectively to collaborative, impact-driven projects.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As both user and designer, I found Habit Tracker’s flexible and customisable features supported my preferred tracking style. It was easy to use and adapted well to my needs. However, since the app only recorded what I entered, it lacked additional insights or feedback, highlighting the balance between personal control and the limitations of self-input data. This experience deepened my understanding of how design influences user behaviour and data quality.
As both user and designer, I found Habit Tracker’s flexible and customisable features supported my preferred tracking style. It was easy to use and adapted well to my needs. However, since the app only recorded what I entered, it lacked additional insights or feedback, highlighting the balance between personal control and the limitations of self-input data. This experience deepened my understanding of how design influences user behaviour and data quality.
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Got a question or want to say hi? Feel free to grab my contact info and reach out!
Kyaw Nyi Nyi © 2025
Thanks for stopping by
Got a question or want to say hi? Feel free to grab my contact info and reach out!
Kyaw Nyi Nyi © 2025
Thanks for stopping by
Got a question or want to say hi? Feel free to grab my contact info and reach out!
Kyaw Nyi Nyi © 2025