Development Of A Mobile Experience Sampling System And Its Application In The Research Of Information Needs Of Exercises And Fitness

The Experience Sampling Methods(ESM), also called as Diary Study, involves participants to report regularly on their experiences or events, and is currently one of the most effective ways to take a longitudinal study on user experience. Other than paper-based diaries or PDA devices, the mobile phone brings benefits to this method by allowing researchers to collect not only conventional data, but also multi-modal data including voices and photos in real time. The mobile phone can also help to notify subjects, in order to prevent potential data losses. The mobile-based ESM is expected to play a bigger role in user studies in the near future.In this regard, we designed and developed an experience sampling system named ?SnapEx?, which consists of an iOS mobile app for subjects to submit reports, as well as a server-based on Baidu Cloud Services for experimenters to retrieve data. The system takes advantages of the latest mobile technology to provide researchers with a powerful tool in their studies.We also carried out a study on information needs of exercise and fitness with the help of ?SnapEx?. The study served to provide an evidence for the stability and usability of the system. We took tracks of 45 subjects over a span of 4 weeks, during which we collected a total of 744 records of information needs. We developed a taxonomy method for information needs of exercise and fitness, and after that, compared the level of importance and urgency of different types of needs and analyzed how gender and experience have effects on need types. Based on the result, we provided suggestions and guidelines to user experience designers on how to better design a fitness app.