KidBit: A Fitness Tool for Children

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1 RDSC: Project 6 KidBit: A Fitness Tool for Children If we want to act more effectively in the world, we have to get to know ourselves better, - Gary Wolf Childhood obesity is best tackled at home through improved parental involvement, increased physical exercise, better diet and restraint from eating. - Bob Filner Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. - John F. Kennedy Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it. - Josh Billings Spring 2014, Page 1

Introduction Learning about physical activity and having an active lifestyle leads to healthier life choices and helps avoid the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes.

2 Introduction Learning about physical activity and having an active lifestyle leads to healthier life choices and helps avoid the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes. Learning and committing to this lifestyle can be difficult for anyone. There are a number of devices that are out in the world that aid users in acquiring a healthier lifestyle, but these devices are mostly geared toward adults. The devices currently on the market do not benefit children, even though they are at a critical stage in developing a healthy lifestyle. Teaching children about physical activity and keeping an active lifestyle while they are young can lead to them pursuing this life choice as they get older. According to the CDC, 17% of children and adolescents from 2 to 19 in the U.S. are obese. Investing in kids health now and lowering that percentage could save all health insurance companies money down the line. [ source: ] This sort of investment in children s health early in their development could lead to a lot of potential benefits for families, health care systems, and society. The current trend in this industry is toward the development of sophisticated technological devices. Instead of using devices like the Fitbit, intended to help them maintain their health, many young people find themselves instead encouraged to lead a sedentary lifestyle by the types of devices that are currently marketed toward them. Spring 2014, Page 2

Project Brief The American Public Health Association (APHA) is seeking to help fund research and development of new technologies that could help children lead a more healthy, active lifestyle.

3 Project Brief The American Public Health Association (APHA) is seeking to help fund research and development of new technologies that could help children lead a more healthy, active lifestyle. To identify which companies offer the greatest potential for innovating in this area, APHA has issued a call for proposals. Fitbit has explored the 6-12 year old market segment for some time, but all of its projects for this demographic are still in the exploration phase and the proposal deadline set by APHA is this Friday. Your team has been brought in as consultants to provide useful research insights, examine Fitbit s opportunity in the 6-12 year old fitness market, and present a polished design that takes advantage of Fitbit s brand and reputation within the adult fitness tracking marketplace. Fitbit s research team has determined that simply adapting the existing Fitbit web application to appeal to a younger audience does not adequately address the differences between the needs of adult users and those of 6-12 year old users. Proposals for a redesign of the Fitbit application should address the unique needs of younger users; decisions you make will need to be strongly supported by research. Spring 2014, Page 3

The extra funding provided by APHA for product research and development would allow Fitbit to develop an entirely new device for younger audiences.

4 The extra funding provided by APHA for product research and development would allow Fitbit to develop an entirely new device for younger audiences. Proposals that involve a new device should be based on insights from user testing and developing a prototype for testing physical dimensions is strongly encouraged. Project Deliverables Document your process and design proposal in the format that you think is most effective. Your document needs to communicate your idea well to its potential audience: UX team at Fitbit and stakeholders from the APHA. You can include any media that best demonstrates your concept. Specifically, we are looking for solid research insights and good storytelling. If you have prototype built, make sure you present your usability testing results as well. We are expecting you to focus on your design as much as you can since this is a project that might potentially save lives and change the world. Spring 2014, Page 4

Incentives The four teams that have the most creative and well-rationalized solutions will present their design in front of UX designers at Fitbit.

5 Incentives The four teams that have the most creative and well-rationalized solutions will present their design in front of UX designers at Fitbit. Only one team will be winning this challenge. Team members in the winning team will also get Force Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband from Fitbit and opportunity to present their design to APHA. Spring 2014, Page 5

6 Research It s very important to do some research on the current marketplace and recent developments of Fitbit s competitors. You should look at the following products and companies before deciding on a design direction: Nike+ FuelBand SE Jawbone UP Basis B1 Band BodyMedia Fit Core Larklife Misfit Shine Striiv Play Always consider who you are designing for. In Fitbit, we are constantly inspired by passion, enthusiasm, stories and advice from our users. So we are expecting you to present your personas and scenario based on research of your potential users. Here are some other resources we expect you to check out Image Credits wordcloud-illustration-of-childhood-obesity-glowing-light.html?src=ykts_h-- pd1dj5agljhjsg Spring 2014, Page 6

7 Appendix A: Curveball As this new initiative to promote healthy living in today s youth is getting underway, a new finding has emerged. Youth in third world countries face a significant threat of obesity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2010, the number of overweight children under the age of five was estimated to be over 42 million. Close to 35 million of these children are living in developing countries. WHO wants to partner directly with Fitbit to address this need and our CEO, James Park, is requesting that the 6-12 year old design team switch its focus to children in these developing countries. Now what does this mean for you? Teams must address this new population. Keep in mind any environmental, technological, etc. challenges your population may face on a day to day basis. Ultimately, it is the team s decision how they approach this new problem. Teams may choose to travel back up the funnel--scratching their concept completely--or they may decide to adapt their current idea so it addresses this new population. Spring 2014, Page 7

TaiAnna Yee March 12, 2009 Marketing Analysis

TaiAnna Yee March 12, 2009 Marketing Analysis Crayola LLC 1100 Church Lane Easton, PA 18044-0431 Phone: (610) 253-6271 Fax: (610) 250-5768 www.crayola.com Parent Company Crayola became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc. in 1984. Subsidiaries