Promoting Physical Wellbing in the Workplace: Providing Working Adults with a tool to reduce their sedentary behavior at the office

Whether it is from the office-office or the home office, creating a physical work environment is essential for both improving work performance as well as for the physical and mental wellbeing of employees. But as jobs are becoming increasingly less active, and working adults are spending almost a third of their lives in the office, most of their time is now spent sitting behind a desk. This time spent in sedentary behavior is increasing rapidly on a global scale and has become a great area of concern, as research has proven that prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to an increase in all-cause mortality To reduce the sedentary nature of the workplace, many companies are now replacing the standard desk with sit-stand desks. Unfortunately, even as more companies implement these desks in the workspace, many studies show that there is a lack of utilization among working adults, with many only using the desk once a month or less. The goal of this thesis is to figure out why this lack of utilization occurs and to design a solution capable of altering the working adult's behavior.\ To design this solution, an agile design process was followed involving the user at almost every stage of the design process. By focusing on the differences between the non-active and active users, several design opportunities were formed (1) Increase awareness of the effect of sedentary behavior, (2) Promote social support among coworkers, and (3) Increase body and mind awareness so people are more conscious of how sitting affects their physical and mental status. Through ideation and concept development, the final concept was formed: The BMDesk Application and Controller. The BMDesk App and Controller combines a digital and non-digital product designed to aid working adults in reducing their sedentary behavior by becoming more aware of its effects on their bodies and mind. The product provides a simple solution that reminds users when it is time to do a self-check-in and see how their body and mind are feeling. Once the user has finished the self-scale, the app provides personalized tips on how to adjust their sit-stand desks to help them feel better and optimize their work experience. Users can also use the BMDesk Digital Application to check in on their progress, learn more about better workplace practices, and join social networks aimed at promoting physical wellbeing in the workplace. By joining the social networks, users can feel less alone and supported by a community of their coworkers who are all going through the same process.Integrated Product Desig