Comparing visualizations and text on smart watches while running in realistic environment
Date
2024
Authors
Kashanj, Sarina
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Abstract
In today’s digital age, smartwatches have become popular tools for millions of runners, providing metrics like pace, heart rate, and distance. Despite the widespread use of text-based displays on these devices, research suggests that visualizations could offer a more effective alternative. However, little is known about how visualizations perform in real-world running scenarios. This study addresses this gap by investigating how visualizations compare to text is aiding runners’ performance and experience. Through a study involving 20 runners completing running tasks on an outdoor track, we found that visualizations significantly outperformed text, with runners completing tasks 1.5 to 8 times faster. Moreover, participants expressed a strong preference for visualizations and indicated a willingness to use them during their runs if available on their smartwatch. These findings highlight the potential of visualizations to enhance the usability and effectiveness of smartwatches for runners.
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Keywords
visualization, wearables, smartwatch, HCI