In this talk, I describe why Personal Informatics is an interesting challenge for HCI and how HCI can help with some of the issues found with personal informatics systems. I provide an brief overview of a model of personal informatics systems and delineate the problems people encounter when using such systems. I discuss the many projects I have done that explore some solutions for the problems.
5. Personal Informatics
A class of systems that help people
collect and reflect on their behavior
to gain self-knowledge
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7. HCI can help with the design of
personal informatics systems.
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8. Human-Computer Interaction
The study of interaction between people and
computers
Intersection of computer science, behavioral
sciences, and design
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9. Why HCI?
Personal informatics systems must provide
users with different kinds of support.
• Make daily usage easier and facilitate use
over a long period of time.
• Organize the data.
• Help users understand the data.
• Help users act on new knowledge.
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10. Alice
• 20 years old
• Family history of heart
disease
• Wants to be more active,
but doesnʼt know how
because sheʼs busy
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12. 2. Alice collects data.
Mon
1573
Tue
4392
Wed
4537
Thu
5842
Fri
10258
Sat
7528
Sun
1368
Mon
1497
Tue
1837
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13. 3. Alice transcribes data.
Transcribe to Excel
M
T
W Th
F
Sa
Su
M
T
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14. 4. Alice reflects on the data.
Active
Inactive
Inactive
M
T
W Th
F
Sa
Su
M
T
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15. 5. Alice takes action.
Walk in the park
instead of
watching TV
M
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W Th
F
Sa
Su
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T
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16. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
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17. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Collection
The stage when people collect information
about themselves (e.g., inner thoughts, behavior,
social interactions, and their immediate environment).
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18. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Collection Barriers
• Using the tool
• Remembering
• Lack of time
• Motivation
• Finding data
• Accuracy
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19. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Collection Barriers
• Using the tool
One problem is:
• Remembering
“Keeping up the
• Lack of time
motivation to do so;
• Motivation
like finding payback
for the investment of
• Finding data
time and effort.”
• Accuracy
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20. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Reflection
The stage when people reflect on their
personal information.
• Users may reflect immediately (short-term)
• Or after several days or weeks (long-term)
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21. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Reflection Barriers
• Lack of time
• Self-criticism
• Visualization
• Interpretation
• Sparse data
• No context
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22. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
Reflection Barriers
“Itʼs hard to get a
• Lack of time
holistic view of the
• Self-criticism
data since the time
filters are at most one
• Visualization
month and Iʼd like to
• Interpretation
look at several
• Sparse data
months at once.”
• No context
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23. Properties of the Stages
1. Barriers cascade
2. Stages are iterative
3. User- vs. System-driven
4. Facets
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24. 3. User- vs. System-driven
User-driven
System-driven
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25. 3. User- vs. System-driven
Mon
1573
Tue
4392
Wed
4537
Thu
5842
Fri
10258
Sat
7528
Sun
1368
Mon
1497
Tue
1837
User-driven
System-driven
Collection
Integration
Reflection
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26. 3. User- vs. System-driven
User-driven
System-driven
Collection
Integration
Reflection
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27. 3. User- vs. System-driven
Design Guideline
Consider the tradeoffs between user-driven
and system-driven stages.
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28. Introduction
Model of Personal Informatics
Collection vs. Reflection
Maintaining Compliance
Increase Use by Sharing
Easing Data Integration
Other Projects
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29. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
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30. IMPACT
Different from most personal informatics
systems for physical activity:
• Collects physical activity information
and context (e.g., type of activity, location, people)
• Visualizations to help users become aware
of factors in their lives that affect their
physical activity.
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31. Two prototypes – Two studies
IMPACT 1.0
IMPACT 2.0
Manual collection
Semi-automated
collection
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33. Awareness of opportunities
“It turns out I get the most walking done to
and from work…and walking around my
neighborhood for an hour or two made a
difference.” P35
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37. No difference
Compared to other systems:
• No visualizations
• Steps-only visualizations
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38. Long-term value
Six months later, users who collected
contextual information reflected on their data
better.
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39. Collection vs. Reflection
Short-term Long-term
Reflection
Reflection
IMPACT 1.0
Manual GOOD
NOT GOOD
Collection
IMPACT 2.0
Automated NOT GOOD
GOOD
Collection
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40. Introduction
Model of Personal Informatics
Collection vs. Reflection
Maintaining Compliance
Increase Use by Sharing
Easing Data Integration
Other Projects
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41. Barriers Example Quote
Tool (13/67) “not having ready access to a
computer at the time symptoms
happen” P6
Memory “Forgetting to record it. Because I
(12/67) am often not at my personal
computer.” P57
Lack of time “not difficult, time consuming at
PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
(11/67) times.” P16
Finding “Sometimes life isnʼt interesting
data (7/67) enough to make me want to write
it down, other times I canʼt find
any worthy writing material.” P54
Accuracy “Guestimating mass of food
(6/67) matching homemade or
restaurant foods against
database entries” P5
Motivation “keeping up the motivation to do
(5/67) so, finding payback for the
investment of time and effort.” P4
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42. Experience Sampling
Collect self-reports from users
• 3 questions per self-report
• 10 self-reports per day
• 28 days
• 840 pieces of information from user
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51. Maintained compliance
Control
A+I
A+M
1
Compliance Rate
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
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52. Personal Insights
“When I was doing something productive my
mood was not high. My mood was highest
when I was playing games.”
“Apparently, I am least productive with work
(Word, Excel) at night when I use AIM. I
never use AIM in the morning, thus much
more productive with work.”
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53. Introduction
Model of Personal Informatics
Collection vs. Reflection
Maintaining Compliance
Increase Use by Sharing
Easing Data Integration
Other Projects
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54. PREPARATION COLLECTION INTEGRATION REFLECTION ACTION
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55. System Issues
Value of self-reflection is not immediate
Low participation by users
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56. System Issues
Value of self-reflection is not immediate
Use sharing as initial motivation
Low participation by users
Sharing increases participation
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60. Introduction
Model of Personal Informatics
Collection vs. Reflection
Maintaining Compliance
Increase Use by Sharing
Easing Data Integration
Other Projects
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61. Barriers Example Quote
Tool (13/67) “not having ready access to a
computer at the time symptoms
happen” P6
Memory “Forgetting to record it. Because I
(12/67) am often not at my personal
computer.” P57
PREPARATION COLLECTION
Lack of timeREFLECTION
INTEGRATION
“not difficult, ACTION
time consuming at
(11/67) times.” P16
Finding “Sometimes life isnʼt interesting
data (7/67) enough to make me want to write
it down, other times I canʼt find
any worthy writing material.” P54
Accuracy “Guestimating mass of food
(6/67) matching homemade or
restaurant foods against
database entries” P5
Motivation “keeping up the motivation to do
(5/67) so, finding payback for the
investment of time and effort.” P4
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62. System Issues
Access to collection tool
Lack of integration of data sources
Most tools collect only one type of data
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63. Grafitter
Access to collection tool
Support multiple social media
Lack of integration of data sources
Cull data automatically
Most tools collect only one type of data
Flexible and easy-to-enter format
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64. Supports multiple social media
Twitter
Delicious
Instant Messenger
Blogger
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65. Flexible and easy-to-enter
Extension of Twitter hashtags
#mood(happy) Just had ice cream.
A long day #work(11) and itʼs not over.
Lunch with friends #lunch(amy, bob)
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67. Grafitter
Up since February 2009
Continuing development
• Support privacy
• Additional visualizations
• Multi-faceted reflection
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68. Introduction
Model of Personal Informatics
Collection vs. Reflection
Maintaining Compliance
Increase Use by Sharing
Easing Data Integration
Other Projects
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73. Thank you!
ianli@cmu.edu
http://ianli.com
http://personalinformatics.org
http://personalinformatics.org/lab/model/
Funded by
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