Body-related data visualization. A study for design guidelines.

This contribution is part of a broader research project entitled Human Body Interaction Design (HBID) started at the Advanced Design Unit of the University of Bologna in 2021. Consistently with the arguments addressed over the years, this recent part of the research investigates the theme of the relationship between body, data and environment while focusing on the user. Specifically, it explores the world of applications relating to the monitoring of body parameters through devices, i.e. the increasingly widespread phenomenon of the Quantified Self. The objective of the research is to understand the most effective ways of representing body parameter data through device applications, aiming at the final elaboration of an online tool that can serve as a support for designers in the future design of this type of data visualization. Starting from an initial state-of-the-art and preliminary research phase, the research then focused on the collection and systemization of case studies and the elaboration of qualitative and quantitative tests The contribution summarizes the outputs of these firsts phase, highlighting the gaps recognized as priorities in this type of design project and providing some indications on how to approach some of the problems that emerged.