User centred approach in
exergame design for elderly
Ellen Brox
Norut, Tromsø, Norway

Norut and me
• Norut –multidisciplinary research institute
• ICT department – eHealth group
• Background in ICT, lately focus on
– Serious Games
– Exergames
– User centred design

Contents
• User centred design
• Elderly and games
• Exergames
• Our experience

Based on GameUp
• Exergames for elderly
• Kinect
• A stable user group for 3 years

What - User Centred Design
User-centred design (UCD) is a process in which the needs, wants, and
limitations of end users of a product, service or process are given
extensive attention at each stage of the design process (wikipedia)
multi-stage problem solving process
– analyse and foresee how users are
likely to use a product
– test the validity of the assumptions

Why user centred design?
• See the product from the users’ perspective
• Success depend on them
– Wanting to use it
– Use it correctly
• Not easy to imagine the users’ reaction

When?
The entire project:
• Requirement
• Design
• Development
• Evaluation

How? Mixed methods
Some common methods
• Literature
• Focus groups
• Usability testing
• Questionnaires
• Interviews
• Participatory design
• Field studies

Methods used
Requirements:
Commercial games
Literature
Observations
Design:
Observations
Group discussions
Semi-structured interviews
Implementation:
Iterative trials
Observations
Group discussions
Semi-structured interviews
Evaluations:
Structured and semi-structured interviews
questionnaires

Exergames
Video games that are also a form of exercise.
Need technology that tracks body movement or reaction.

Exergames and elderly
• Elderly
– Little information at the time
– Time to think
– Their own speed
– Light and contrasts
– Not noisy
• Elderly still like a challenge and to
have fun!

Elderly and games
Sight
Hearing
Motor skills
Cognivite abilities
Not all commercial exergames
are suited…

GameUp

Change examples
• Background
• Contrast sky/tree
• Contrast apples/tree
• Apple signs
• Buckets lifted
• Head on stick man
• Moving cloud removed
• More blue, less green

Details

Menu colours
• Tested menu colours
• Too much, got exhausted
• Difficult to get real opinion

The (very) old are different
It is amazing how difficult it is for a young person to understand
the limitations of age
• Speed
• Movements
• Information
• Small details
• Colours and fonts
• Sound
NRK

Thank you!
ellen.brox@norut.no
@ellentos
+47 934 19 285
Skype: ellenbrox