Product lifetime extension through design: Encouraging consumers to repair electronic products in a circular economy

Our production and consumption patterns of electronic products exceed the limits of what one planet can handle. Prolonging product lifetimes decreases the value losses caused by the destruction of existing products and lowers the amount of e-waste. Repair is an impactful strategy to tackle the issues associated with the production and...

Flowy: Designing an assistive wearable technology for children with AD(H)D that increases attention in class

Behavioral treatment shows long-term success among children with AD(H)D, but is often expensive and hard to bring into practice. Flowy is a wristband that supports behavioral interventions by giving rhythmic vibrations as reminders for behavioral change.<br/>Rhythmic vibrations on the wrist have shown to have a calming effect, and can alert...

Telltail: understanding feline behavior and personality to increase the human-animal bond in order to prevent owner-surrender

One of the most enriching relationships of human beings is the relationship between owner and companion-animal, including more specifically the relationship between owner and cat. Cats are the third-most important source for social support and security for human-beings. Cats are relatively easy to take care of and make people feel needed. Owners...

Does Access Trump Ownership?: Exploring Consumer Acceptance of Access-Based Consumption in the Case of Smartphones

Value creation in a circular economy is based on products being returned after use. In the case of smartphones, most are never returned and tend to be kept in drawers. Smartphone access services (e.g., leasing or upgrade) have been experimented with in the Netherlands but have been largely unsuccessful. This study explores the reasons why...

Agent-based assessment framework for behavior-changing feedback devices: Spreading of devices and heating behavior

Heating behavior of households is key for reducing domestic energy demand and mitigating climate change. Recently, various technical devices have been developed, providing households with feedback on their heating behavior and supporting energy conservation behavior. The impact of such devices on overall energy consumption depends on (1) the...

Beyond the numbers: A user-centered design approach for personal reflective healthcare technologies

The current healthcare paradigm shifts towards considering the patients’ home as the primary self-care environment. Health care is changing from being solely delivered by professionals in hospitals, to considering daily-life experiences and patients’ personal contexts. In order to meet this paradigm, the interaction between healthcare...

Designing a game for online burnout therapy

This MSc. Thesis was a collaboration between the Delft University of Technology, the University of Amsterdam and Interapy. Interapy is a psycho-therapeutic institution successfully applying online burnout therapy. Their internet treatment only includes textual contact with their patients and they wanted to extend this contact with a game-based...