An integrated product-service system combining a physical controller and digital app designed to reduce sedentary behavior at the workplace.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, I noticed a dramatic shift in how my peers and I worked: long hours spent sitting, decreased energy, and a growing sense of physical discomfort. Even when we returned to campus and had access to sit-stand desks, most of us barely used them. This disconnect sparked a question that became the foundation of my thesis: why don’t people use tools designed to improve their health and comfort at work?
This project set out to explore how we might reduce sedentary behavior by designing a solution that helps working adults form healthier desk habits.
Product Designer
User Research, UX/UI Design,
Prototyping & Testing,
Behavior Design
March 2021 - August 2021
Awarded“AHFE 2022 Best Student Paper” in the field of Physical Ergonomics & Human Factors
Sedentary behavior is a growing issue in modern workplaces, with employees spending long, uninterrupted hours seated at their desks. This inactivity is linked to serious long-term health risks, including musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
In response, many organizations have introduced sit-stand desks (SSDs) as a workplace wellness tool. While these desks offer clear physical and psychological benefits, they are often underused. Research suggests that up to 60% of employees with access to SSDs rarely use them effectively (Wilk et al., 2006).
The problem is twofold: lack of motivation and lack of effective support. Many digital tools designed to promote SSD use fail to adapt to real user needs or desk setups—leaving workers without meaningful guidance in forming better habits.
Design Objective:
To bridge this gap by designing a solution that motivates and enables working adults to consistently engage with their sit-stand desks—reducing sedentary behavior and supporting healthier, more intentional work habits.
To better understand the real-world behaviors, motivations, and barriers surrounding sit-stand desk (SSD) usage, I conducted 11 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with working adults who had access to SSDs.
Participants fell into two key groups:
Active Users, who regularly used their sit-stand desks.
Inactive Users, who used them infrequently or not at all.
By comparing these groups, I aimed to:
Identify key motivators and inhibitors influencing SSD usage
Understand how contextual, social, and psychological factors shape behavior
Uncover actionable insights to guide future design directions.
“When I amfocused and sitting, it is disturbing to have to switch to standing and it breaks my work flow. It takes too long to make the transition and I dont think I could be in-the-zone when standing”
- Software Developer, Inactive
“When I'm feeling overwhelmed with tasks, standing makes me feel more engaged and alert. I find it particularly beneficial for tasks that require me to be more focus, like presentations and meetings.”
- Urban Planner, Active
"I fear I will disturb my coworkers when transitioning the desk. The up-down movement can be distracting and there is a perceived pressure to staysitting. Only 2 people in my office use the desks so I am sure they feel weird.”
- Data Analyst, Inactive
“I wouldn’t have been putting it up myself if no one else wasdoing it before. What converted me was that I saw some of my coworkers lead by example.”
- Mechanical Engineer, Active
“Sitting is just easier and I dont think I would be comfortable standing, even if it is better for me. It’s also hard remembering to use it since you are working and may be really focused.”
- Design Researcher, Inactive
"I have back problems so it definitely helps to stand. Now I notice the pains from sitting more, so I can use that as anindication to stand. I am definitely more concious of it now.”
- Project Manager, Active
To synthesize the interview data, I conducted a thematic analysis and grouped recurring behavioral patterns into six key drivers of SSD usage. These drivers were categorized into three overarching themes:
Internal Drivers – mindset, motivation, and self-awareness
Social & Environmental Influences – office norms, visibility, and peer behavior
Workflow Integration & Behavioral Triggers – how tasks, timing, and reminders impact transitions
These themes served as the foundation for defining design opportunities and behavioral intervention strategies.
Building on the insights gathered, I developed four personas representing varying levels of engagement with sit-stand desks:
Persona 1: High Activity User
Persona 2: Moderate Activity User (focus)
Persona 3: Low Activity User (focus)
Persona 4: No Activity User (excluded)
I chose to focus on Personas 2 and 3, as these users were open to change but faced challenges in forming consistent habits. They presented the highest potential for impact through design interventions. Persona 4 was intentionally excluded due to low motivation and perceived lack of need—making behavioral change less feasible in the scope of this project.
“I use my sit-stand desk every day—it’s part of how I stay focused and feel good.”
About
Age: 31
Work: Project Manager
Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Bio
Taylor is a project manager at a mid-sized tech company. She has always focused on having a healthy lifestyle and takes full advantage of the company’s health perks—including the sit-stand desk. They’ve built a personal routine around standing during meetings and sitting for deep focus work.
Environment
Supportive culture where standing is normalized
Behavior
- Regularly alternates between sitting and standing
- Uses different tasks as moments to switch
Motivation
- Health awareness
- Discomfort from sitting too long
- Peer influence
Pain Points
- Occasionally forgets but quickly responds to physical cues
Needs
- Tools to optimize usage patterns, track benefits, or integrate into productivity tools
“I see my coworkers use it and I want to use it more, but it’s hard to remember.”
About
Age: 29
Work: Urban Planner
Location: Michigan, United States
Bio
Alana is an urban planning who recently transitioned to hybrid work. She was excited about her new electric sit-stand desk but quickly found that using it consistently was harder than expected. She often forgets to stand and worries about looking out of place in the office.
Environment
Mixed; others may use SSDs but no strong cultural norm
Behavior
- Uses SSD a few times a week, inconsistently
Motivation
- Forming better habits
- Sees colleagues using SSDs
- Thinks he could stand during meetings
Pain Points
- Forgetfulness
- Concern about disturbing others
- Unsure of best practices
Needs
- Education on benefits
- Gentle reminders
- Integration into task flow
“I know I should stand more, but I need to focus and think I can do that better while sitting.”
About
Age: 27
Work: Data Analyst
Location: Delft, The Netherlands
Bio
Jonah is a data analyst who works full-time from the office. He understands that sitting for long periods isn’t great, but between Zoom calls and spreadsheet marathons, he rarely remembers to stand. He’s not against change, but the effort required to break his workflow is usually too much.
Environment
Static; standing is rare and can feel socially awkward
Behavior
- Rarely uses SSD despite good intentions
- Tried at first, but lost consistency over time
Motivation
- Interest in health
- Forming better habits
- Sees colleagues using SSDs
Pain Points
- Perceived disruption to workflow
- Lack of cuesSocial hesitation
Needs
- Encouragement
- Habit triggers
- Reframed norms around usage
“I have a sit-stand desk but I don’t see the point—sitting is easier and works fine for me.”
About
Age: 26
Work: Softrware Engineer
Location: NYC, United States
Bio
John is a software engineer who’s been in the industry for a long time. His company recently installed sit-stand desks, but he rarely uses his. He’s not experiencing any discomfort and doesn’t see a strong reason to change. Unless there’s an immediate, tangible benefit, he’s unlikely to alter his well-established routine.
Environment
May work alone or in a sitting-dominant workplace
Behavior
- Never uses SSD, no interest in change
- Focuses only on the barriers to using SSDs
Motivation
- Low to none; sees no benefit or urgency
Pain Points
- Skeptical about the effectiveness
- Discomfort with standing
- Does not see the point
Needs
- Not prioritized due to low readiness for change
- May benefit indirectly through environmental influence and peer modeling
A clear opportunity emerged: to empower users to build sustainable movement habits using subtle, supportive tools that blend seamlessly into their daily routines.
This led to the following guiding insight:
To reduce sedentary behavior in desk-based workers, design solutions should foster body-mind awareness, provide personalized nudges and gentle reminders, and create socially supportive environments—while preserving user autonomy and minimizing workflow disruption.
This insight shaped all subsequent ideation and prototyping and highlighted four key behavioral intervention directions worth exploring:
Task-based transitions – integrate movement into natural work rhythms
Subtle reminders – gently cue behavior without being disruptive
Body-mind awareness – build internal motivation and self-regulation
Social support – normalize healthy behavior through peer influence
To explore these behavioral intervention strategies, I designed three low-fidelity prototypes:
1. Social Support
2. Body & Mind Awareness + Reminders
3. Task-Based Transitions
Each prototype focused on one or more of these motivational strategies—allowing for direct comparison of their effectiveness in encouraging healthier desk habits. to normalize and reinforce healthy behaviors.
Testing was conducted in a lab setting with 9 participants from Personas 2 and 3. Participants engaged with sit-stand desks and interacted with one prototype each. Sessions included guided tasks, observations, group discussions, and a final questionnaire.
To analyze the results of the experiment, I used the itemized response method, outlined in the Delft Design Guide, to:
Identified key positive and negative experiences per prototype
Compare effectiveness across all three concept
Select the most promising features for the final solution
These findings highlighted the importance of focusing on internal awareness and environmental cues over rigid task triggers. As a result, I shifted from testing isolated interventions to integrating their strongest elements into a cohesive, supportive experience.
This transition marked a turning point: rather than building a feature-specific tool, I envisioned a digital companion—a hybrid solution combining an app and a physical product that works with users throughout the day to gently guide behavior, increase self-awareness, and encourage consistent use of sit-stand desks.
Translating behavioral insights into a cohesive hybrid system required multiple rounds of experimentation and iteration. I approached this by exploring both the digital and physical components independently before merging them into a unified experience.
To explore effective reminders, I self-tested various reminder modalities (light, vibration, sound), placement strategies, and interaction types. These were assessed on criteria like subtlety, workspace integration, and ease of use. I then conducted a form and experience study to refine the controller's look and feel—aiming for a subtle, ambient presence on the desk.
For the app, I brainstormed the MVP feature set based on user interview insights and a scan of existing behavior change apps. Each core feature addresses a specific behavioral insight surfaced during interviews, helping users overcome barriers to SSD engagement. These ideas were mapped to user needs and goals revealed in the research:
1.
Set Up Workday & Define Goals: Establishes intentionality and primes users for action by aligning behavior change with their daily work rhythm.
2.
Body & Mind Check-In Tool: Encourages users to reflect on posture, energy, and mental state—reinforcing self-awareness and internal cues for movement.
3.
Tips & Tricks: Provides light, motivational micro-content that helps demystify how to use sit-stand desks effectively.
3.
Team Up with Coworkers: Optional feature that taps into social support and visibility, addressing the common barrier of standing alone.
3.
Reflect on Progress: Visual feedback (e.g., streaks, mood tracking) helps reinforce habit formation and recognize growth over time.
I then created low-fidelity wireframes, which I tested and refined based on feedback from mentors and advisors. These information the final design for the application.
Body-Mind-Desk is a behaviorally informed digital companion designed to help desk-based workers reduce sedentary behavior and build healthy sit-stand habits. It combined a digital app and a physical controller to support users throughout the workday.
By aligning with users’ daily rhythms, supporting autonomy, and minimizing disruption, it helps integrate healthier habits into real-world work routines.
The app acts as a digital companion that supports users in building sit-stand habits by integrating personalized interventions into their daily workflow.
Users begin their day by defining work hours and setting movement goals, priming them for intentional behavior. This setup syncs automatically with the controller to coordinate cue delivery.
When prompted by the controller’s light, users can initiate a guided check-in via the app. These periodic prompts guide users through a mindfulness-based scan helping them reflect on their posture, physical comfort, energy, and mood—reinforcing internal cues.
After each check-in, the app provides personalized micro-tips or links content hub with motivational messages and ergonomic guidance to demystify sit-stand desk use.
An optional social feature that allows users to connect with colleagues for shared goals and light accountability.
Visual feedback through streaks, mood tracking, and usage summaries to support habit formation and recognize change over time.
The controller complements the app by acting as a gentle, physical reminder and interaction point throughout the day—helping users establish the habit of self-awareness and movement.
An infrared sensor measures desk height changes and syncs data with the app automatically, enabling passive tracking of sit-stand transitions
A flexible clip and base allow the controller to be placed wherever suits the user’s workspace best—on the desk, monitor, or shelf.
The device is made from sustainable materials such as bamboo or bioplastics, emphasizing calmness, tactility, and environmental responsibility.
A soft, ambient light gradually fades on to signal it’s time to check in. The gradual transition minimizes distraction while building subconscious awareness.
The controller supports three simple actions—on/off, check-in, and snooze. Touch sensors allow users to check in or delay the prompt without needing to engage with their screen.
The controller replaces traditional digital notifications with a more intentional, embodied cue. This approach better supports the physical nature of the target behavior.
To evaluate the final concept, I conducted a proof-of-concept study with 13 participants. Participants were guided through the concept using Figma prototypes, a storyboard, and rendered visuals and were provided a series of questions that evaluated the concept based on its desirability, usability, autonomy support, behavior change potential, social dynamics, and emotional & aesthetic response.
Most users felt the product was meaningful and helpful for increasing awareness and building healthier habits.
Several users showed enthusiasm for using the device if it were available through their employer.
Many users appreciated the mindfulness aspect and physical trigger.
“It would be highly appreciated to become more aware of how my body is feeling. I would definitely try to adapt my behaviors based on the device recommendations.”
“It would be nice to have but I feel neutral about asking for it if it is not offered.”
Social support was appealing to some but a clear turn-off for others.
Many users said they wouldn’t use it unless coworkers did, or preferred to make behavior changes privately.
“The app looks like a great support considering that it also builds a community among peers”
“Changing my behavior is personal, so I wouldn’t use that part.”
“The social aspect might help but I also do not think that in my company environment my coworkers would actually use it”
Users understood the concept well thanks to the Figma prototype and storyboards, but some confusion emerged around touch sensor interaction and graph readability.
There were some misconceptions about how to use the controller (e.g., assuming sliders instead of touch sensors).
Users also requested simplified graphs and clearer color coding in the app.
“It looks like a joystick—I wasn’t sure how to interact with it.”
“Graphs should be easier to interpret.”
Users strongly appreciated the ability to control when and how to engage with check-ins and transitions.
The fading light and non-intrusive cues were well received and seen as gentle, not pushy.
“I liked that I could snooze it or wait for a better moment.”
“It helps, but doesn’t pressure me.”
Many users believed BMDesk would help them reflect on their posture and reduce sedentary behavior.
The system was seen as supportive of forming new habits—especially with personalized tips.
A few expressed concern about long-term commitment and “check-in fatigue.”
“As recommendations are different according to how I feel mentally and physically I think I will be able to understand when to use each working position better over time”“
My worry is that, as with many other tools, I would eventually get tired of answering the questions.”
Mixed reactions: Some users liked the calming/mindful aesthetic of the controller, others found the form unclear or too “joystick-like.”
Strong feedback around offering size/material/color options and reducing visual bulk.
The idea of whether the controller should be mindful vs. medical design prompted different preferences.
“I quite like the soft ambient light as a way to remind me. It is not too intrusive.”
“It looks a bit like a controller for gaming—I’d like a softer design.”
“The bamboo look makes it feel more natural, but I prefer something that matches my laptop better”
This project deepened my understanding of designing for behavioral change. It was also uniquely shaped by the context in which it was created—during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when remote work and physical isolation were prevalent, I had to rethink how sedentary behavior and workplace habits were evolving. This influenced my focus on autonomy, flexibility, and non-disruptive reminders, as well as my use of remote research methods and rapid prototyping tools like Figma.
Key takeaways:
1.
Behavioral change is emotional as much as rational.
Behavior change doesn’t require loud prompts or rigid schedules—it thrives on subtlety, autonomy, and internal awareness. I learned that soft, ambient cues paired with user-driven reflection created more sustainable habits than top-down reminders.
2.
Physical design adds emotional weight.
Integrating a physical device introduced a layer of emotional engagement that digital-only solutions couldn’t replicate. Users responded more intentionally to a tactile, ambient cue—reinforcing how product form can shape behavior without demanding attention.
3.
Letting go of “Perfect” opened space for progress.
Early on, I struggled with trying to find the perfect solution. But testing rough ideas—even messy ones—taught me how much clarity and momentum comes from doing, not just thinking. Prototyping became a tool for learning, not just validation.
4.
My strength is seeing the bigger picture.
This project showed me that I naturally think in systems. I found myself connecting behavior, environment, and motivation across digital and physical touchpoints—something I now realize is core to how I approach design.
If I were to continue developing BMDesk, I’d:
Conduct long-term field testing in real workplace environments to understand sustained behavior change and engagement patterns
Refine the controller’s form, interaction feedback, and aesthetics based on usability testing and workspace integration feedback
Explore smarter context-awareness—like syncing with calendars or activity levels to minimize interruption during meetings
Expand personalization in the app, including habit-stacking features, smarter feedback loops, and optional gamification
Collaborate with employers to explore how BMDesk could integrate into broader workplace wellbeing initiatives and culture shifts
"As her coach/mentor in two courses, a research-focused course, and her graduation project, I have come to know Michal as a student with great interest and talent for research. She works independently and combines this with excellent communication skills. She performed an extensive literature study on the topic of motivation and applied the knowledge gained in a tool to promote better use of sit-stand desks in the office (urging people to lessen the amount of time they sit on their chairs for prolonged periods).
Michal is very skilled in setting up and executing user research, showing next to a good sense of research validity, a creative mindset to find a smart and efficient approach in the evaluation of innovative design concepts. On top of all that she is a nice person to work with. Her enthusiasm alone will certainly spark any team!"
Renate de Bruin | Master Thesis Mentor
Practical teacher, Delft University of Technology - Industrial Design Engineering
"Michal completed her master thesis work under my supervision as a full professor in the department of Industrial Design at TU Delft. She graduated with top marks and cum laude. Michal is very motivated, a talented product service designer and has excellent planning, writing, research and social-communication skills."
David Keyson | Master Thesis Chair
Chief Diversity Officer & Professor, Delft University of Technology
