Latest publications
Designing for Active Life: Moving and Being Moved Together with Dementia Patients
Published at the International Journal of Desgin December, 2015
Life for older people with dementia tends to be inactive. This paper reports on two case studies in which exercise games (exergames) were introduced in dementia special care units with a focus on patients’ well-being. The first case used a participatory design (PD) approach to engage the patients as users in the process. The results highlight the patients’ enjoyment in playing these games in a socially encouraging environment. We have found that exergames in dementia care provide patients with the well-documented health benefits of physical activity and also result in social and cognitive benefits. The results indicate that the notions of games/competition, social interaction, physical activity and challenges are valuable ingredients when designing for the well-being of older people who suffer from moderate to
severe dementia.
Keywords – Dementia, Exergames, Participatory Design, Physical Expression, Physical Activity, Social Interaction.
Relevance to Design Practice – Participatory design can help to reveal preconceptions and misunderstandings. Designing activities in settings such as dementia care units, where some participants suffer from an impaired ability to speak for themselves, requires a sensitive
approach regarding patients’ physical expression through movement, as well as allowing time for trust to be established.
Authors: Helena Tobiasson, Yngve Sundblad, Åke Walldius, and Anders Hedman
Still at the Office - Designing for Physical Movement-Inclusion During Office Work
Presented at IHC 2014 - Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computer Systems
In this paper we describe, analyse and reflect on experiences and knowledge generated from designing for physical movement integration during office work. Work in traditional modern office settings provides few physically demanding tasks. Evidence from research indicates that sedentary life styles are increasing our risk for developing a host of diseases and other medical complications. Together with students and through user-centered design, concepts for inviting the body “back to work” were developed. The concepts inspired the design of three physical movement probes that were explored by office workers. The participants were encouraging to the attempt to transform the sedentary nature of office work into more physically sustainable work. They described their work environments as filled with stuff for enhancing physical activity such as sit-stand desks and Pilates balls but these were seldom used. Integrating physical movements in the design of future office work tools may have considerable positive effects on public health.
Authors: Helena Tobiasson, Anders Hedman and Yngve Sundblad.
Less is too little, more is needed - Body-Motion Experience as a Skill in Design Education
DRS 2014, Design Research Society's 2014 conference
Research shows that lack of physical activity in westernized societies has serious
negative health consequences. We explore a physically sustainable design approach
centered around joyful physical activity in an effort to remedy this situation in some way.
Much technology development has been blind for our basic human need for healthy, joyful physical activity. This paper presents our approach as used in an explorative case study.
During a college course, thirty students explored how physical movement of their bodies
could be used as creative components in the design process. They engaged in what we
introduce in this paper as "physical movement sketching" - a method for experiencing,
sharing and reflecting on designs through body movement. The students used this
approach to generate, test and discuss new design concepts for outdoor gyms. Engaging
in physical movement sketching allowed the students to both enjoy and trust their bodies
as design tools. We discuss how our students used physical movement in design and
what we learned from the case study.
Authors: Helena Tobiasson, Anders Hedman and Jan Gulliksen.
Design space and opportunities for physical movement participation in everyday life
OzCHI '12 Proceedings of the 24th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference
This paper is motivated by our work in the European Culture project "Faust - or dis-inventing the A-bomb". The project explored how to raise consciousness about distressing technology development through dialogue with old and young people. When reviewing our work it struck us that we had overlooked that some of the prototypes designed by the young participants called for embodied participation. We had naively expected to see sheer technology innovations of the future. Here we reflect on sensitivities for the bodily/physical will to interact.
We also discuss everyday life situations that could allow for natural physical engagement as a health benefit. Physical aspects are typically of little consideration in design projects, apart from projects that has body-movement as specific focus. We seek ways to adequately include a critical perspective in future design and to consider physical aspects more broadly in ICT projects for a human sustainable future. In many cases, the young participants showed us their concern for sustainability and well-being of both the environment and themselves and demonstrated through their prototypes a willingness to contribute through physical interaction.
Authors: Helena Tobiasson, Anders Hedman and Yngve Sundblad.
Intergenerational Participatory Design with Physical Interaction
eLearn 2012 World Conference on E-Learning
In this paper Participatory design experience from several projects, involving people of all ages and communication between them, is described and analysed. The projects range from design of intergenerational communication in families and of school children’s tools for collaborative storytelling to interaction and communication around museum exhibits and ideas for interaction in a future sustainable world. Special focus is put on approaches and methods used for motivating and encouraging active participation. From this we conclude factors for success, e.g. selecting participants on motivation, equal footing, making stuff together, interesting technology. Common to the projects are not only users of several generations but also instances of physical (bodily) interaction. Using not only eye and finger but also other senses and movements in the design not only gives resulting interaction ideas but also stimulates user involvement in the design process, as another factor for success.
Authors: Helena Tobiasson, Anders Hedman and Yngve Sundblad.
Fun and Joy of movement - powerful ingredient in rehabilitation
ACE 2011 International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology
In this position paper we discuss and problematize the experience of conducting a participative design project aiming at supporting people with dementia living in a special housing with fun and physically engaging rehabilitation activities. Are we as human beings that different from childhood to old age when it comes to the positive effects of being physically active, play and have fun? In pedagogy the importance of play and joy of movement are well established and we keep arguing with our kids to take action and be physically alert to enhance learning and self-esteem. Within healthcare and preventive healthcare research results points towards the benefits of being physically active.How is this addressed at the Swedish elderly-care domain?What seem to be offered at many places are sedately and calm activities such as bingo, sitting gymnastics, song, film, storytelling etc. To draw the line between what is healthcare and what are social/leisure activities can be tricky. People living at special housing need healthcare but also support for living a life and not only being alive.How can we design opportunities to be physically engaged for old people living their lives at Special Housing?For the purpose of rehabilitation, entertainment and joy of movement.
Author: Helena Tobiasson
Movement Matters
MobileHCI 2011 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services
In this position paper we hope to add to the discussion concerning perspectives of embodiment on the design of computer technology. We would like to discuss problems and possibilities concerning a more bodily sustainable design. The body in Human Computer Interaction and Interaction Design (HCI/IxD) is growing but we still seem to move quite stiffly. We reflect on the physical movement development in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/Erg), HCI and IxD. Using design-methods we problematize how movement are included or excluded for various reasons in a life perspective.
Author: Helena Tobiasson
There’s More to Movement than Meets the Eye: perspectives on Physical Interaction
Licentiate thesis, 2010
In this monograph the use of physical movements in the human-computer interaction situation is treated historically, theoretically and empirically. Current technology enables use of a broad variety of movements in interaction, which here has been studied in designing activities for and with elderly people. That experience is put into context of theories of bodily movement, and participatory design. A theme is to visualize perspectives on physical movements in the human computer interaction situation and to point out possible synergies for the design of interactive system from the domains of HCI (Human-Computer Interaction), Interaction Design and Human Factors/Ergonomics. With the thesis I want to add to the motivation to ensure that physical movements, and the way we physically can use our bodies, is incorporated as material in design and as a parameter in evaluation of interactive systems. The motivation for this work is that movements are central for human well-being in many situations and over time. We, as human beings, move. The way we seem to get opportunities to move differs in different stages of age. In the two projects described the theme has been to observe, analyse and reflect on the way bodily movements can be involved in and enhance interaction with computers in social situations. I have looked at the reaction and changed situation for elderly at caring institutions when introducing technology that encourages bodily movements. This includes analysis of bodily movements and participatory design with the elderly.
Author: Helena Tobiasson
Physical action gaming and fun as a tool within elderly care: Game over or play it again and again…
The 17th Congress of the IEA, Beijing 2009
How can we support elderly living in special housing to be active and on the move? Around Europe and US there is a rapidly growing interest for use of computer games encouraging physical motion, such as the Nintendo Wii, within healthcare and rehabilitation. We report a study where we introduced and used this game at a special housing for old people with severe dementia in Ockelbo in Sweden. It was supposed to be a pilot-study during one month but the growing interest among all involved, especially the players, led to an over six month long study. An example is 91-yearold Elsa saying “the motivation to win is still present”, “It is really exciting and fun – we have a match every day”. Examples of comments from the caregivers are “The ones I thought would never do this has been the ones that liked it the most and has played a lot”, “This is not something especially for old people, everyone does it”, “we need to change the repertoire of activities we propose for our elderly –me myself would get crazy if I when old were to be put in a room using potato-printing techniques on table clothes”. Bridging the gap between differences in physical abilities to be able to play, compete or meet on an equal arena is tricky within elderly care. A conclusion is that Wii managed to bridge part of that gap, another that many of the elderly like to be more physically active, when the opportunities and the technologies are accessible.
Author: Helena Tobiasson
