The goal of this Master thesis was preventing the onset of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and technostress among computer workers through encouraging them to take more breaks at work. The project was executed in a collaboration with TU Delft and R-
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The goal of this Master thesis was preventing the onset of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) and technostress among computer workers through encouraging them to take more breaks at work. The project was executed in a collaboration with TU Delft and R-Go Tools and took approximately six months. RSI, CVS and technostress affect the personal as well as the professional happiness of computer workers. Among different preventions, aimed at decreasing the risk of developing these syndromes, implementing frequent breaks at work, especially macro breaks, seems to be very promising. Unfortunately, the existing anti-RSI software, aimed at facilitating breaks at work, is considered to be annoying and disturbing. Therefore, the majority of computer workers still take an insufficient number of breaks, putting themselves at a high risk of developing the aforementioned chronic diseases. The analysis of the problem included literature review, company analysis, user research and context analysis. Afterwards, different ideas addressing the problem were generated based on the formulated list of requirements. Consequently, the best ideas were developed into concepts. In the end, Break Bottle was chosen as the most suitable solution for the assigned problem. This concept is a smart bottle which encourages users to drink water, to refill the bottle and, eventually, to go to the toilet. The signals come from changes in the appearance of the object. Consequently, the users are expected to take three different macro breaks. The lights were chosen for communicating with the user. Different light sequences are supposed to trigger different responses from the user. The lights are placed inside the shell behind transparent indents. The form of the bottle enables firmer grasping and holding of the object. The grey paint and the green lights together make the bottle look either lively or lifeless depending on whether the lights are switched on or off. Moreover, the product fits well in the office environment, presenting itself both sleek and elegant. The existing anti-RSI software of R-Go Tools needs to be adjusted for controlling the bottle. The type of signal coming from the bottle depends on whether the user drinks the sufficient amount of water and takes enough breaks. A crucial part of the software is a seduction algorithm whose aim is to indirectly make users take more breaks at work. The main objective of the project has been met since the designed product facilitates taking bre¬aks at work by computer workers. The annoyance with the product is expected to be lower than with the existing anti-RSI software since the users already accept the proposed breaks. Moreover, the product facilitates taking macro breaks which increases the chance of preventing the onset of RSI, CVS and technostress. Since the bottle looks very appealing, it is foreseen that the users will be willing to interact with it. Therefore, it is expected that computer workers behaviour will change in response to the appropriate signals coming from the product.