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This research examines collective contexts where data tracking and sensemaking practices may be socially motivated, collaboratively conducted, or otherwise extend beyond the single-user assumptions of typical personal informatics tools. Given graphical metaphors can be more familiar, relatable, and therefore meaningful to users as well as provide privacy-sensitive abstraction of data, we are also designing media representations for personal devices and public displays to explore questions around flexible interpretation, social connectedness, and data ephemerality.

Sprout

Mental health is a serious issue that affects people of all ages, but is especially prevalent amongst college age youth. In the 2020-2021 school year, researchers found that around 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health condition, such as major depression or generalized anxiety disorder. Many digital interventions have been innovated in order to help address this issue. These range in type and functionality from teletherapy to medication tracking applications. Some of these digital interventions include social features that allow users to interact with other users, friends, family, or doctors; however, having social features in a mental health application inherently requires
some form of disclosure of having a condition, creating, what we call, _the dilemma of disclosure_. This project uses a mood tracking mobile app that supports privacy and incentivizes use by rewarding tracking behaviors with growth of a garden visualization. By keeping users in touch with their current emotional state, the approach aims to increase emotional intelligence and broader mental health.

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Pape Sow Traoré

Research Areas

Publications

Sprout: Using a Garden Metaphor to Visualize and Support Customizable and Collaborative Health Tracking

Projects

Sprout

Dilemma of disclosure (Sprout extension)