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Project Background

The Asus Computer Multimedia Division design team organized a workshop called “Musicaholic” that focused on creating innovative audio-visual IoT products. During the three-month workshop, we were guided by experts from Asus’s design team, who taught us how to design products in Asus methods.

Problem

The group known as “Otaku” who indulge in a combination of unhealthy habits, such as consuming junk food and playing video games, while lacking physical exercise, has increased significantly in recent times. This lifestyle often leads to obesity, which not only causes health problems but also negatively impacts social communication. According to a graph depicting global obesity rates, the situation is worsening, indicating that we should give more attention to this issue.

Discover

To gain a better understanding of the otaku lifestyle, I conducted interviews with several individuals. I discovered that they all spent a significant amount of time playing video games, which gave them a great sense of accomplishment. Another common trait among otakus was a lack of physical exercise. Upon further investigation, I identified three main reasons for this. Firstly, their excess weight made them feel uncomfortable while exercising. Secondly, they found playing video games to be more engaging than physical activity. Lastly, most of their social circle comprised of fellow otakus, so they lacked workout partners and found exercising alone to be tedious.

Define

Following the interviews, I analyzed the three main reasons why otakus tend to prefer playing video games over engaging in physical activity.

1. physical discomfort
obesity cause the physical discomfort when exercising

2. Entertaining
video games provide entertainment through competition, and otakus can experience a sense of achievement when they win.

3. Social group
Otakus have a strong social group and enjoy playing video games together. However, this social circle is not inclined towards physical exercise. When they do try to exercise alone, otakus tend to feel isolated and lonely.

Concept

To encourage otaku groups to exercise voluntarily, my goal is to make it more engaging and interactive. During my interviews, one of the participants mentioned a game they often played with friends called TAIKO Drum Master. This game involves hitting a drum to the beat of music and offers simple yet entertaining gameplay. Inspired by this idea, I came up with a plan to combine gaming, music, and exercise to create a more engaging workout experience.

After considering the pros and cons, I decided to use jogging as the exercise in my game. Jogging is an effective way to burn calories and can be done anywhere and at any time, which makes it a convenient choice for otaku

Test

To test the concept, I asked my friend to run on a treadmill while listening to music with varying tempos. I discovered that this type of exercise can be quite challenging and adds an element of gamification to the workout.