Hiatus is a game-based posture-capture wellness product that serves its users by promoting healthy practices and taking breaks when working with computers. Specifically, the product addresses neck, shoulder, wrist and back problems created by spending long hours at keyboards and on screens. The project is ongoing and currently focuses on neck problems. Besides the physical benefits, Hiatus relaxes and refreshes users. After playing Hiatus, users will engage in their works more efficiently and cheerfully.

As a designer with prolonged hours facing the laptop, I experienced discomfort in my neck due to no break to stretch. I tried on various break time reminders. However, not one of them successfully motivates me to break during my work period. Therefore, I initiated this project to rethink how gamification can elevate a digital product to better serve computer workers to prevent the prevalence of neck pain and the increasing pain in the neck.

The form of the project is a computer software using the posture-capture technique. In my point of view, computer software is easily accessible to Hiatus’s target audience - computer users. When users turn on their computer screens, the software automatically opens and easily count how long the users actually work on screen. It can also provide notifications before the break-time game session pop-up. Users do not need to pull out other devices or any extra step to start the stretching game. The process is seamless and convenient.

Game Demo

Product Demo