Interrupting prolonged sitting behavior with gamification: Mobile adaptation of the break reminder desktop app Liopep

Abstract: The present work aims at guiding the design transition of the break reminder desktop application Liopep to a mobile platform. The goal is to improve and adapt the gamified intervention to address sedentary behavior at an organizational level. Addressing sedentary behavior at the workplace is crucial given the evidence that prolonged sitting periods are associated with a variety of metabolic health problems. Consequently, mobile based interventions appear to be a promising avenue for behavior change techniques allowing companies to stay up to date with competitive demands. The study began with a preparation phase involving analysis of the desktop application, interview with the client and examination of the relevant theoretical frameworks used to identify strategies for the intervention. Through an iterative approach, the initial insights and theoretical strategies were applied to prototype the mobile app. The first iteration included a client feedback while the second incorporated a user evaluation. The user evaluation involved test tasks, a feedback questionnaire and the System usability scale (SUS) test. Although the study is conducted on a relatively small scale, the feedback on the gamified system's improvement and adaptation was positive and demonstrated a good overall usability of the app. In conclusion, the integration of theoretical strategies, client feedback and user evaluation showed to contribute to the transition of the app, enhancing flexibility, accessibility and functionality. The study outlines practical design techniques based on theoretical models of motivation, behavior change and persuasive system principles.