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Research and development of a low cost step-counter for use by participants, especially older people, in the British Heart Foundation ‘Walking: The Way To Health’ initiative.
Regular walking has been described as the ‘perfect exercise’. It is free, available to almost everyone, requires no special equipment and has a low impact on joints. Use of a pedometer supports regular walking by tracking progress and encouraging the setting of new goals. But most step counters on the market are sports ‘gizmos’ that are difficult to use and have an image that excludes those most at risk from heart disease. This project set out to develop a more inclusive, low-cost pedometer for distribution to Walking The Way To Health participants, under a British Heart Foundation public awareness and participation programme aimed especially at older people, a social group that can benefit particularly from regular exercise.
The new pedometer needed to be production-ready to meet the deadlines of the national campaign and cost around £5 to be affordable for target users. It also needed to utilise proven and available technology while taking a new age-friendly approach. The resulting design, based on extensive user research has an one main function button and a clearer display to make it easier to use. Its differentiating aesthetic aims to be desirable to all and an over-sleeve covers extraneous buttons whilst enabling brand customisation.
