User requirements

In the analysis of possible requirements concerning the construction of the Fit4Work system, we looked to gain valuable knowledge and insight from the following sources: relevant literature, results of a specially designed survey, experts in the field of supporting older adults and discussions conducted in focus groups.

We would like to present some of our findings.

At the beginning, our research confirmed that end users must be involved into the design and development phase to ensure the end result is usable, especially in terms of interacting with the system. We also found out that the pilot experiment should take place in the Netherland, because of more demanding Dutch market and its customers.

In the area of user perspective, one of the most important requirements is to clearly show to the users the tangible benefits for their health, as well as provide them with personalized short-term goals and recommendations. In addition, the system should be easy in use, with main functions exposed to the user. In order to motivate users to follow the proposed recommendations and undertake appropriate activities, gamification of the system was suggested as a solution. It was also underlined, by focus groups, that the system should not bother its users with too much feedback.

The Fit4Work aim is to support users in managing their fitness and thanks to our research we found out that the system should focus on prevention and maintenance of a good fitness level. In addition, activities proposed by the system should be safe for those who suffer from a chronic condition. What deserves special attention is that it appears mental stress is much more common in workplaces than physical stress, especially among younger workers.

The last area which was taken into consideration during our research, was the product perspective. It is no surprise that developing the right business model was highly recommended. First of all, the proposed model should follow a good understanding of older users of ICT-based solutions, who require clear instructions and, where needed, training. It must be also noted and considered that the potential users pay a lot of attention to the privacy and security of their personal, health related data. A pleasant surprise was to find out that as far as technology is concerned, older adults are open to using any technical devices that could support them to manage their health, as long as they are mainstream devices used by all generations.

You can find more about our findings and research in the attachment:

Deliverable 2.2