What influences users' decisions to take apps into use? A framework for evaluating persuasive and engaging design in mobile apps for well-being

Personal well-being is influenced by small daily decisions such as what or when to eat or whether to go jogging. The health consequences of these decisions accumulate over time. Mobile applications can be designed to support people in everyday decisions and thus help to improve well-being real-time. In this paper we propose a framework to study the influential factors for users to download and use applications from the wide selection currently available in App stores. The framework includes attractiveness, value, ease-of-use, trust, social support, diffusiveness, as well as fun and excitement. We illustrated how the framework works in practise by applying it to an online survey to assess 12 mobile Apps for well-being. The results showed that these influential factors did match the decisions on users' attitudes toward taking Apps into use. User feedback explained how people assessed the influential factors before actually using the applications.