The brief started with a very ordinary problem
I chose posture because it was something I personally wanted to correct. But conversations quickly showed that poor posture was much broader than my own experience. People recognised that they slouched while working, studying and even during leisure time, and many wanted to improve it. The challenge was to create a product that could help people become aware of their posture without turning into another rigid support device.
The problem was not a lack of posture products. It was a lack of awareness.
The research explored why posture deteriorates, the effects of poor posture and the existing categories of solutions.
The consequences identified included chronic neck and back pain, fatigue, lower confidence, low energy, depression, digestion issues, wear and tear of joints and spinal misalignment.
Existing solutions included posture workshops, braces and other wearables, exercising equipment, ergonomic furniture and posture trainers. Each addressed the problem differently, but several either required sustained commitment, constrained the body or depended on the user being in a particular environment.
The key decision: reminder, not corrector
One research insight became the principle for the rest of the project: continuously supporting the spine could weaken the muscles and increase injury risk. Instead of physically forcing the user upright, Alignmate would detect a sustained poor posture and remind the user to correct it themselves.
This shifted the product from a passive support device to a behavioural aid.
Design decision 01: make the product disappear into everyday life
Research highlighted that a wearable should not be something users feel self-conscious about in public. It also had to handle perspiration, remain breathable and be comfortable enough for extended use.
Design decision 02: find a sensing method that could live on the body
The project explored several ways to detect changes in posture. This became a significant part of the work because the sensing method had to be accurate enough to detect movement while still being practical to prototype as a wearable.
The strain gauge was tested using a Wheatstone circuit and then stitched onto cotton cloth and a non-elastic strap, but the output was not satisfactory enough to continue with the prototype.
The MPU6050 was connected to an Arduino UNO and tested for yaw, pitch and roll. It was sensitive to very small movements, but interpreting the values and coding the system was more complex than the project timeline allowed.
Casting the spine with ModRoc and experimenting with Polymorph was explored to understand the physical form of the back. Conductive rubber cord was also considered because stretching the cord could indicate changes in the overall spine shape.
The flex sensor produced a more consistent response. It was tested with an Arduino UNO and across different bend angles, eventually becoming the sensing direction used for the concept.
Design decision 03: turn posture detection into a habit loop
The final concept combined a wearable sensor, vibration feedback and a mobile application. The default feedback timer was 15 minutes, with alternative timer settings for different situations.
The intention was not to react to every small movement. The timer created a distinction between normal movement and sustained poor posture, making the feedback more useful and less intrusive.
Design decision 04: extend the wearable into a feedback system
The mobile application was designed to let users review their performance after using Alignmate. The concept included posture duration, daily and weekly comparisons, timer settings and selectable avatars.
The project became an electronics and prototyping problem
A major part of the work involved testing sensors, circuits and physical configurations rather than only designing the final form. The flex sensor was tested in different circuits and codes, including direct attachment to the back and different bending conditions.
The suspenders concept was also worn for a day to understand how the physical construction behaved in use. Testing revealed that a gap between the suspender and the back could affect the sensor readings, because the sensor would not follow the back continuously as the user slouched.
My role
As an individual master's project, I worked across the full design process, from defining the problem and researching existing approaches through concept development, physical prototyping, sensor experiments, electronics, interaction design and the mobile application concept.
Impact
The final Alignmate concept brought together a wearable sensor, timed vibration feedback and a companion application to help users notice sustained poor posture and correct it themselves.
Reflection
The hardest part was not designing the wearable. It was making the sensing reliable enough to trust.
The project taught me that a smart product is only as useful as the relationship between the sensor, the body and the behaviour you are trying to understand. The most time-consuming part was sensor testing. Several approaches were technically interesting but introduced accuracy, interpretation or integration problems. With more time, I would refine the sensor combination, investigate materials in more depth and explore flexible circuitry and newer wearable electronics.
This was also an important project for me because it pushed product design beyond form. I had to understand electronics, code, materials, physical behaviour and interaction design well enough to make them work together.
A smart product is only as useful as the relationship between the sensor, the body and the behaviour you are trying to understand.