Four students from the Master's programme in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) won first place with their paper at the renowned Student Research Competition at the Mensch und Computer Conference 2025 in Chemnitz.
Their project, ‘The Data Billboard’, impressively demonstrates how little awareness there is of one's own data usage on smartwatches and other wearables.
The hidden side of self-measurement
Wearable technologies such as smartwatches and fitness trackers have become an integral part of our everyday lives. While they help us monitor our health and improve ourselves, concerns about data protection and the transfer of data to third parties are growing. A key problem is that users often do not know what data is being collected and how it is being processed.
A critical design approach
To explore this lack of awareness, students Ines Filipp, Imashita Tasnim, Wen-Hsing Chen and Camila Ceballos developed the concept of ‘The Data Billboard’. Inspired by critical design methodology and under the supervision of HCI Senior Lecturer Mascha Beuthel, the students designed a prototype that exaggerates data transmission. ‘The Data Billboard’ is an oversized device worn on the upper body that publicly displays personal health data in real time. It makes the normally invisible data streams visible and is intended to encourage users to reflect.
The results: discomfort and new insights
Tests with the prototype showed that the public presentation of data caused discomfort among participants, especially with sensitive metrics such as heart rate and sleep quality. The public display of the data provoked social reactions and made participants critically question their personal metrics. In the process, they experienced feelings of loss of control and vulnerability.
The study shows how critical design can help users become aware of their assumptions about data usage. ‘The Data Billboard’ is not a problem-solving product, but a tool that encourages critical reflection and highlights the need for greater data awareness.