Advise, Acknowledge, Grow and Engage: Design Principles for a Mobile Wellness Application to Support Physical Activity

This paper reports the findings of a constructive design research study exploring mobile wellness applications in two different contexts: Finland and India. The study arrived at four design principles for motivating users to engage in physical exercise: 1) Be my advisor, 2) Acknowledge my efforts, 3) Grow with me and 4) Keep me engaged. These design principles were built upon the results of exploratory and participatory field studies. The validation of the design principles was done by adopting them in the design process of a mobile application concept called the "Living Application", which was evaluated in focus groups. The research process involved the total of 47 participants and 10 design professionals. The results indicate that the four design principles are relevant in the design of wellness applications, but need to be adapted to the local context and individual needs.