The Haptic Body Scale: Designing Imprecision in Times of the Quantified Self

Followers of the Quantified Self movement track, analyze and compare vital and environmental data to optimize themselves. It can be stressful to keep all the measured values under control when pursuing this ambitious way of life. Body weight can be an especially emotional issue for many people and slight differences can be perceived as lack of discipline, although little fluctuations are natural. In this paper, we present a tangible display for body weight, based on floor rigidity. It displays body weight without numbers, which makes it less suitable for comparisons, while still giving the user an idea about their weight. We describe the metaphorical foundations of the concept, as well as the development of two prototypes, which implement the envisioned full-body weighing experience. We demonstrate how the design of a display can influence the users' connotation of data.