IRIS
(B2.2)
There has been a rise in low-boundary sports over the last decade because of its simplicity and ease of use. However, the dropout rates are becoming higher especially among female sporters due to injury and demotivation. Menheere et al. established that their motivation especially drops right before they planned to put on their sports clothes. However, most equipment for sporting and motivation has been designed for during the work-out such as monitoring devices and motivational clothing. To fill this gap, we designed the interactive hanger (IRIS) to put your sporting clothes on. It separates the dilemma female sporters experience into smaller dilemmas. The smaller dilemmas can lower the threshold of putting on your sporting clothes which can increase the chances of success. Using a qualitative approach, we researched whether IRIS can have an influence on woman sports motivation. This study offers insights of a design meant for the dress-up phase in a work-out. It opens opportunities for designers and researchers specialized in workout routines or motivation in general.
Reflection
Through this project, I was introduced to Design Research in practice. I used my experience from the Upside Dawn project to help create a working electronic research product to help motivate female runners. The project was also an introduction to using and dealing with various user evaluation methods.
Working in an all-women team was wonderful. The atmosphere was very positive and productive. As different team members, we all came from different backgrounds, but we made it work. This team attitude is something I will carry over to other projects. I look forward to my master’s, where I can finally rediscover this team spirit.