InboxBuddy is a Chrome extension that aims to reduce stress from email for college students through gamification and emotional feedback. It uses a digital avatar that dances when emails are marked as complete, and levels up every 5 emails. In a trial with 9 participants, InboxBuddy showed some success in reducing self-reported stress and avoidance around email, though the effects were small. Feedback was positive, with users finding the avatar encouraging and cute. Next steps include expanding support and adding more game-like features to further engage users.

1. INBOXBUDDY REDUCES STRESS OF EMAIL
IN COLLEGE STUDENTS
By Lawrence Rogers & CharlieYang
d.Compress Spring 2015 | Stanford University

2. STRESSOR & POV
 STRESSOR: Email
 POV: Gamification and Emotional Feedback will reduce stress
related to email for college kids

3. SBTM
Mark and email ‘Done’ in Google Inbox and
receive feedback from a digital avatar

4. PROTOTYPE A - 'TAMAGACHI FOR EMAIL'

5. PROTOTYPE B - 'POWERUPS'
• Chrome Extension
• InboxBuddy dances
when email is marked
‘done’
• For every 5 emails,
InboxBuddy ‘levels
up’

6. A USER’S STORY
Jordan receives approximately 20 emails
throughout the day
Some emails are important, and some are useless
This influx of disorganization causes him STRESS
He knows getting his email out of the way will
make him feel less STRESS, but he often
procrastinates
Having InboxBuddy there pushes him just a little
further to get his email over with and feel better!

7. TRIAL DESIGN
Participants
• College
Aged
• Google
Inbox
Users
Pre Survey
• Google
Form
• Likert
Scales
InboxBuddy
• Chrome
Extension
Post Survey
• Same as
Pre
Survey

8. RESULTS QUANT
 9 participants responded to both surveys
 4 Questions – Avg. Score Differential
1. Email causes me stress: -.33
2. I avoid looking at my inbox until I have to: -.33
3. Stress from email reduces my ability to get work done: +.11
4. Getting emails done relieves stress: +.22
 Many people stayed the same
 Possibly distracting

9. RESULTS QUAL
 CQ: “It’s so cute!”
 JS: “How many levels are there? I’m on 15!”
 CD: “It should level up when I SEND an email!”
 NK: “I already have that feeling internally, but it’s nice to see it
dance with me”

10. CONCLUSIVE NOI
 Having a digital avatar to accompany you provides a stress relief
to college kids using email

11. NEXT STEPS
Support more email clients
New graphics
More features that ‘track’ usage over time (new
levels, costumes, etc.)
Longer survey with even more participants