We live in a world where many kinds of data about us can be collected and more will be collected as Ubicomp technologies mature. People reflect on this data using different tools for personal informatics. However, current tools do not have sufficient understanding of users’ self- reflection needs to appropriately leverage Ubicomp technologies. To design tools that effectively assist self- reflection, we need to comprehensively understand what kinds of questions people have about their data, why they ask these questions, how they answer them with current tools, and what kinds of problems they encounter. To explore this, we conducted interviews with people who use various kinds of tools for personal informatics. We found six kinds of questions that people asked about their data. We also found that certain kinds of questions are more important at certain times, which we call phases. We identified two phases of reflection: Discovery and Maintenance. We discuss the kinds of questions and the phases in detail and identify features that should be supported in personal informatics tools for which Ubicomp technologies can play an important role.

1. Understanding
My Data, Myself:
Supporting Self-Reflection
with Ubicomp Technologies
Ian Li, Anind Dey, Jodi Forlizzi
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 1

2. Supporting Self-Reflection
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 2

3. Personal Informatics Tools
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 3

4. Pedometer
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 4

5. Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 5

6. Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 6

7. Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 7

8. Number of steps Web history
Sleep quality Food consumption
Blood glucose level Expenditures
Location Weight
Electricity usage Driving habits
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 8

9. What kinds of questions do
people ask about their data?
When do people ask these
questions?
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 9

10. 6 Kinds of Questions
2 Phases
People transition between phases
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 10

11. Study Recruitment
Advertised on:
• Craigslist
• Study recruitment site
• Quantified Self blog http://quantifiedself.com
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 11

12. Participants
91 people expressed interest.
Selected 15 participants (P1-15) to interview.
• Currently using a personal informatics tool
• Used tool for more than a month
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 12

13. Types of Data Collected
Financial expenditures (3 participants)
Sleep (3)
Weight (2)
Blood glucose level (2)
Exercise (1)
Productivity (1), web history (1),
books read (1), and general life events (1)
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 13

14. Procedure
1-hour interviews in the lab or on Skype
Observed participants using their personal
informatics tool.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 14

15. Procedure
Asked how they reflected on their data.
• What were they looking for?
• What questions did they ask?
• How did they answer their questions?
• What problems did they encounter?
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 15

16. Analysis
Identified the questions people asked about
their data.
Affinity diagrams to identify themes.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 16

17. 6 Kinds of Questions
2 Phases
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 17

18. 6 Kinds of Questions
Status
History
Goals
Discrepancy
Context
Factors
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 18

19. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
Status
What is my current status?
P7 looked at her Fitbit pedometer several
times a day to check her physical activity level.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 19

20. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
History
What happened in the past?
P5 looked at her spending history to check if
she was reducing her expenditures.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 20

21. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
Goal
What goals should I pursue?
P9 tracked what she ate and her physical
activity level to find the cause of her leg
cramps, so she can avoid certain foods or not
do certain exercises.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 21

22. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
Discrepancy
How does my behavior compare to my goals?
P11 compared her current food consumption
with the goal she had set for herself.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 22

23. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
Context
What other things happened
during a particular point in time?
P3 who has diabetes:
• Measured her blood sugar level.
• Kept in mind the food she ate
and her physical activity.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 23

24. Status History Goal Discrepancy Context Factors
Factors
What influences my behavior
over a long period of time?
P2 tracked many types of data over time to
control her weight:
• Exercises
• What she ate
• Total calories
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 24

25. Importance of the Questions
Questions are NOT important all the time.
Some questions are more important than
others as people’s information needs change.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 25

26. Maintenance Discovery
&
Phase Phase
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 26

27. Maintenance Phase
Participants already know how different
factors affect their behavior, so they just want
to know what their current status is.
Participants already identified their goals.
They are only concerned with whether they
are meeting their goal.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 27

28. Maintenance Phase
Current Status
P13 just tracks the minutes that he spends on
Facebook, Twitter, and other social media
sites, because he already knows how these
sites affect his productivity.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 28

29. Maintenance Phase
Discrepancy
P1 uses Mint to keep track of her
expenditures to see whether she is meeting
the budget that she had set for herself.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 29

30. Maintenance Phase
Most important kinds of questions:
Status
History
Goals
Discrepancy
Context
Factors
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 30

31. Maintenance Phase
Most important kinds of questions:
}
Status Collecting data is easier
History because fewer types of
Goals data are collected.
Discrepancy Tools could provide alerts
Context and suggestions.
Factors
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 31

32. Discovery Phase
Participants are trying to figure out
what their goals are.
Participants collect several types of data
to find out what factors affect their behavior.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 32

33. Discovery Phase
Figuring out goals
P8 tracks the quality of her sleep so that she is
better rested. She explores her sleep data to
“spot trends for which I can take corrective
action.”
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 33

34. Discovery Phase
Finding factors that affect their behavior.
P3 has diabetes and she tracked her blood
glucose levels and her food consumption to
find out their interaction.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 34

35. Discovery Phase
Most important kinds of questions:
Status
History
Goals
Discrepancy
Context
Factors
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 35

36. Discovery Phase
Most important kinds of questions:
Status Help users collect data
History
Goals
Discrepancy
}
over a long period of time.
Help users select the goals
that they should pursue.
Context
Factors
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 36

37. Discovery Phase
Most important kinds of questions:
Status
History
Goals
Help users track multiple
Discrepancy types of data.
Context
Factors }
Help users manage all the
data that they collect.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 37

38. Maintenance Discovery
&
Phase Phase
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 38

39. Transitions
Discovery  Maintenance
Discovery P6 initially tracked his blood
sugar level, food consumption,
and mood.
Maintenance Eventually, he transitioned into
just collecting his blood sugar
level because he felt like he
had control of his diabetes.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 39

40. Transitions
Maintenance  Discovery
Maintenance P7 who has recurrent insomnia
tracks her sleep using Fitbit.
Discovery When her insomnia returns,
she records the factors that
may be causing the problem.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 40

41. Transition Problems
Some people might have problems
transitioning.
P9 tracked multiple types of data to figure out
what causes her leg cramps when she sleeps
(Discovery).
She still doesn’t know the causes, so she
continues to collect data about her sleep and
possible causes.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 41

42. Summary
Identified 6 kinds of questions that people
ask about their data.
Described 2 phases when people ask
different kinds of questions about their data.
Discussed the transitions between
the phases.
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 42

43. Thank you!
ianli@cmu.edu
http://ianli.com
Funded by
Ian Li, Anind K. Dey, Jodi Forlizzi | Ubicomp 2011, Beijing, China 43