Increasing Empathy Towards Gig Workers Through Communicating Heart Rate Data

Abstract

This thesis demonstrates that there is a need for improving the working conditions of gig workers. It establishes a need for an increase in empathy from consumers towards delivery riders. Delivery riders often make use of E-bikes which provide an excellent foundation for data collection. The main research question is stated as follows:

How can empathy towards delivery riders be increased through communicating behavioural data to the consumer?

After establishing background and related work through desktop research, an exploration into the implementation of multiple sensors was initiated. This led to the insight that communicating heart rate data is the most promising dataflow to evoke empathy. The effect of communicating live heart rate data, next to static personalised information was empirically tested. After which all insights were synthesized into 5 design drivers which provided input for a brief design cycle. The final output is a demonstration, including a prototype, of a proof of principle that evokes empathy through communicating live heart rate data.

The most important insight substantiated in this thesis is the positive correlation that communicating live heart rate data has to the experienced empathy from end-consumers towards delivery riders. This led to the final proof of principle that revolves around a way to implement this into the delivery service context.

The conclusion of this study is that there is a strong indication that showing live heart rate data to consumers increases the experienced empathy. This could be implemented in various ways and provides a foundation for future work. More research is needed to establish the exact origin for the increase in empathy. This study is limited to exploring one way of communicating live heart rate data so more research is needed on different possibilities regarding visualization, communication and information versus the effect on experienced empathy.