Greg Choi
Joy Foot
How might we encourage sedentary young professionals to adopt standing work culture for a healthier and more productive work period?
Home is the final evolution of our workspace. COVID-19 has proven that jobs that seemed impossible to work from home were actually possible after all. The number of jobs that allow telecommuting will increase even after the crisis. But working from home also means we'll be spending more time seated, or on the bed, which will lead to an undesirable work period for both health and productivity.
I aim to improve the standing work experience of young professionals who spend most of their time seated while working from home. A standing desk alone isn't enough, by designing an anti-fatigue mat that encourages seamless breaks and joyful interactions, the sedentary professionals will have a much healthier and productive work session.
Insight
About a century ago, when we were working in the fields and factories, obesity was nearly nonexistent. Our bodies are not designed to sit for a long duration.
Sedentary workers avoid using a standing desk simply because they are not comfortable. To solve this issue, companies developed an anti-fatigue mat that is very comfortable, but too much comfort is a double-edged sword. An ideal anti-fatigue mat should be comfortable enough for users to work an hour or two straight, but it should also encourage the users to take seamless breaks by delivering enough stress on their legs.
Idea
The current anti-fatigue mats are usually made with a chunk of rubber foam to generate enough comfort. These mats do feel comfortable, but it also makes the user hold a single posture for a long time.
I wanted the users to seamlessly change their postures by interacting with the mat. To accomplish this task, I designed a double-sided wooden ball that will induce playful feet interactions. Also, by layering quarter-inch rubber foam on top of hardwood, the mat will generate enough comfort for around two hours, then the legs will start to fatigue as a notification for a short break.
Impact
Studies show that standing burns nine more calories per hour compared to sitting. With more movement, that number will increase. On top of that, standing can lower the risks of chronic illness (aka sitting diseases). The benefits of standing during the work period go beyond preventative health. By encouraging short breaks between the work period, Joy Foot will boost their work performance.
Through Joy Foot, the sedentary professionals will start to enjoy the standing work experience. With more people starting to participate in standing work culture, standing will become the new norm for working.
Biography
Greg is a Toronto-based user experience designer.
Most of his work are digital products, but he doesn’t restrict his work to a single medium. If other methods are more suitable for a problem, he will choose that method to solve it.
He is constantly trying to expand and develop his skill sets and integrate them into methods of problem-solving. When solving a problem, he is interested in viewing the problem from the user’s perspective. He believes sharing empathy with the user is the most effective and powerful way to face a design challenge.