Hidden Factors
Hidden Factors
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
Overview
Overview
This research explores how everyday habits, surroundings, and self-awareness influence productivity and wellbeing. By combining self-created tracking methods with the use of an existing habit-tracking app, the study identifies gaps in current tools and points toward more reflective and personal ways of supporting habit tracking.
This research explores how everyday habits, surroundings, and self-awareness influence productivity and wellbeing. By combining self-created tracking methods with the use of an existing habit-tracking app, the study identifies gaps in current tools and points toward more reflective and personal ways of supporting habit tracking.
Background
Background
This research began during the Design for Wellbeing course (DECO3001), following changes in my own motivation and focus. These observations raised questions about how mood, environment, and task type shape the way people work, leading to an exploration using both self-designed tracking methods and a commercial iOS habit-tracking app.
This research began during the Design for Wellbeing course (DECO3001), following changes in my own motivation and focus. These observations raised questions about how mood, environment, and task type shape the way people work, leading to an exploration using both self-designed tracking methods and a commercial iOS habit-tracking app.
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
Productivity goes beyond checking off tasks. Mood, environment, task intensity, and personal preferences all shape how well people work.
Productivity goes beyond checking off tasks. Mood, environment, task intensity, and personal preferences all shape how well people work.
The ability to customise how habits and tasks are tracked gives people more control and helps them work in ways that suit them best.
The ability to customise how habits and tasks are tracked gives people more control and helps them work in ways that suit them best.
Habit-tracking apps are effective for building routines, but they often miss emotional and situational factors that affect daily performance.
Habit-tracking apps are effective for building routines, but they often miss emotional and situational factors that affect daily performance.
Combining habit tracking with regular reflection helps people better understand their productivity and overall wellbeing.
Combining habit tracking with regular reflection helps people better understand their productivity and overall wellbeing.
Part 1: Hidden Factors
Part 1: Hidden Factors
Staying on top of daily tasks can feel straightforward, yet small details such as task type and work location can quietly shape focus, mood, and performance. This part of the research uses self-tracking to surface those less visible influences.
Staying on top of daily tasks can feel straightforward, yet small details such as task type and work location can quietly shape focus, mood, and performance. This part of the research uses self-tracking to surface those less visible influences.
Research Aims
Research Aims
Understand how everyday task details shape work behaviour and wellbeing.
Understand how everyday task details shape work behaviour and wellbeing.
Explore how different task characteristics affect productivity and mood.
Explore how different task characteristics affect productivity and mood.
Examine how the same activity can feel and perform differently over time.
Examine how the same activity can feel and perform differently over time.
Research Process
Research Process
Over five days, I tried four simple tools to see how different task conditions affected how I worked and how I felt.
Over five days, I tried four simple tools to see how different task conditions affected how I worked and how I felt.
1) Music Dice
Roll a die each day to decide whether I worked with music (jazz, pop, or rock) or in silence, then note how it affected my mood and productivity.
Roll a die each day to decide whether I worked with music (jazz, pop, or rock) or in silence, then note how it affected my mood and productivity.
2) Sticky Notes
I used blue, green, and orange sticky notes to rate how intense each task felt (from low to high), and added a small symbol or word to capture my mood.
I used blue, green, and orange sticky notes to rate how intense each task felt (from low to high), and added a small symbol or word to capture my mood.
3) Bullet Journal
Keep a daily to-do list and write a short reflection on how the tasks went and how I felt working through them.
Keep a daily to-do list and write a short reflection on how the tasks went and how I felt working through them.
4) Photo Diary
Take a daily photo of my workspace to capture the task environment and track changes over time.
Take a daily photo of my workspace to capture the task environment and track changes over time.
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.
Auditory Environment & Productivity
Music supported focus during demanding tasks, while silence often led to boredom and skipped work.
Variation within Same Activity
The same task felt different over time, shaped by mood, timing, and context rather than music alone.
Influence of Intensity on Mood
Task and music intensity needed to align; low-intensity tasks without sound felt dull and increased distraction.
Source of Enjoyment
Enjoyment consistently supported performance, with engaging tasks improving both mood and productivity.
Auditory Environment & Productivity
Music supported focus during demanding tasks, while silence often led to boredom and skipped work.
Influence of Intensity on Mood
Task and music intensity needed to align; low-intensity tasks without sound felt dull and increased distraction.
Variation within Same Activity
The same task felt different over time, shaped by mood, timing, and context rather than music alone.
Source of Enjoyment
Enjoyment consistently supported performance, with engaging tasks improving both mood and productivity.
Design Implications
Design Implications
Many productivity tools focus on task counts or time spent, often overlooking context, personal differences, and how people feel while working. This research shows that productivity is shaped by environment, emotion, and task intensity, and that standardised tools can limit self-expression. Future tools should be more flexible, support personal ways of working, and include space for reflection alongside task tracking.
Many productivity tools focus on task counts or time spent, often overlooking context, personal differences, and how people feel while working. This research shows that productivity is shaped by environment, emotion, and task intensity, and that standardised tools can limit self-expression. Future tools should be more flexible, support personal ways of working, and include space for reflection alongside task tracking.
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.
Building on this, the next part of the project shifts from self-made tools to examining how an existing habit-tracking app supports reflection and everyday productivity.
Building on this, the next part of the project shifts from self-made tools to examining how an existing habit-tracking app supports reflection and everyday productivity.
Part 2: Tracking The Hidden Factors
Part 2: Tracking The Hidden Factors
Productivity depends on more than effort alone. While many habit-tracking tools focus on task completion, they often miss the context behind changes in focus and motivation. This phase shifts from self-made tools to using the iOS app Habit Tracker to examine how app-based tracking supports self-awareness and habit formation.
Productivity depends on more than effort alone. While many habit-tracking tools focus on task completion, they often miss the context behind changes in focus and motivation. This phase shifts from self-made tools to using the iOS app Habit Tracker to examine how app-based tracking supports self-awareness and habit formation.
Focus of the Study
Focus of the Study
This phase explores how the Habit Tracker app supports focus and helps users notice the factors that influence productivity and wellbeing.
This phase explores how the Habit Tracker app supports focus and helps users notice the factors that influence productivity and wellbeing.
Key Question
Key Question
Can Habit Tracker help users identify what affects their productivity and support sustained focus?
Can Habit Tracker help users identify what affects their productivity and support sustained focus?
Research Process
Research Process
Over five days, I logged tasks using Habit Tracker, documented my work environment through photos, and wrote short daily reflections. This approach helped reveal how changes in task type, environment, and routine affected mood and performance, and how changes in task type, environment, and routine affected mood and performance.
Over five days, I logged tasks using Habit Tracker, documented my work environment through photos, and wrote short daily reflections. This approach helped reveal how changes in task type, environment, and routine affected mood and performance, and how changes in task type, environment, and routine affected mood and performance.
Methodology
Methodology
For five days, I used Habit Tracker to log my tasks, took photos of my workspace, and wrote short daily reflections.
For five days, I used Habit Tracker to log my tasks, took photos of my workspace, and wrote short daily reflections.
Habit Tracker App
Habit Tracker App
Log completed tasks
Log completed tasks
Photo Diary
Photo Diary
Capture my work environment
Capture my work environment
Digital Journaling
Digital Journaling
Reflect on each task using two short prompts
Reflect on each task using two short prompts
Themes
Themes
Analysis of five days of data revealed three key themes related to motivation, control, and focus, which align with ideas from self-determination theory.
Analysis of five days of data revealed three key themes related to motivation, control, and focus, which align with ideas from self-determination theory.
Independent Configurations
Independent Configurations
Being able to set up and track tasks in a personal way gives users a stronger sense of control, rather than forcing them to follow preset structures.
Being able to set up and track tasks in a personal way gives users a stronger sense of control, rather than forcing them to follow preset structures.
Influence of Circumstances
Influence of Circumstances
Unexpected events, work environment, and other responsibilities shape how well people work, often requiring them to adjust how they approach tasks.
Unexpected events, work environment, and other responsibilities shape how well people work, often requiring them to adjust how they approach tasks.
Prioritization of Tasks
Prioritization of Tasks
Focusing on the most important tasks helps users manage their time more effectively and maintain a clear sense of progress.
Focusing on the most important tasks helps users manage their time more effectively and maintain a clear sense of progress.
Design Proposal
Design Proposal
I proposed updates to Habit Tracker that improve task clarity and offer more meaningful feedback. These changes aim to help users better understand their work patterns and the factors that influence productivity and wellbeing.
I proposed updates to Habit Tracker that improve task clarity and offer more meaningful feedback. These changes aim to help users better understand their work patterns and the factors that influence productivity and wellbeing.
Proposed Changes
Proposed Changes
Priority Meter Icon
Priority Meter Icon
Weather Icon
Weather Icon
Mood Icon
Mood Icon
Dropdown Icon
Dropdown Icon
Adding priority, weather, mood, and dropdown icons to the task progress bar makes key task details easier to see. This lets users log and review what affects their progress at a glance, reducing extra steps and making the app easier to use.
Adding priority, weather, mood, and dropdown icons to the task progress bar makes key task details easier to see. This lets users log and review what affects their progress at a glance, reducing extra steps and making the app easier to use.
Reflection
Reflection
This project challenged me to look beyond task completion and understand how mood, environment, and task type shape productivity. Creating my own tracking tools and testing Habit Tracker helped me see both the value of flexibility and the limits of relying only on self-entered data. While the app supported my preferred way of tracking, it offered little insight beyond what I logged myself, highlighting a balance between personal control and meaningful feedback.
This project challenged me to look beyond task completion and understand how mood, environment, and task type shape productivity. Creating my own tracking tools and testing Habit Tracker helped me see both the value of flexibility and the limits of relying only on self-entered data. While the app supported my preferred way of tracking, it offered little insight beyond what I logged myself, highlighting a balance between personal control and meaningful feedback.
Because this study was limited in time and participants, the findings are focused in scope. Exploring this further with more users and longer use could reveal broader patterns. Overall, the project strengthened my research and design skills and reinforced the importance of grounding design decisions in real, everyday behaviour.
Because this study was limited in time and participants, the findings are focused in scope. Exploring this further with more users and longer use could reveal broader patterns. Overall, the project strengthened my research and design skills and reinforced the importance of grounding design decisions in real, everyday behaviour.
Other Works
Other Works
Other Works
Griddy Boards
Collaborative drawing pods that turn casual campus spaces into creative hotspots.
Collaborative drawing pods that turn casual campus spaces into creative hotspots.
Urban Alert
Crowdsourced civic tech tools for reporting and resolving everyday infrastructure issues.
Crowdsourced civic tech tools for reporting and resolving everyday infrastructure issues.
Beyond Academia
Design work completed in collaboration with companies, alongside select independent and passion projects.
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Kyaw Nyi Nyi
2025©All rights reserved.
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Glad you were here :)
I'd love to hear from you!
Kyaw Nyi Nyi
2025©All rights reserved.
Social
Glad you were here :) I'd love to hear from you!
Kyaw Nyi Nyi
2025©All rights reserved.
Social