Short answer

Design health apps with adaptive interfaces and content that can be easily tailored to a user's current priorities and perceived value, rather than assuming a constant level of engagement.

Field: Innovation & Markets
Source: European Journal of Marketing (2021)
Method: Phenomenological exploration
Evidence: Strong effect

Engagement with health applications is significantly influenced by fluctuating situational involvement and individual characteristics, suggesting that personalized design features are crucial for sustained user retention. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2021 study published in European Journal of Marketing. Using Phenomenological exploration, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design health apps with adaptive interfaces and content that can be easily tailored to a user's current priorities and perceived value, rather than assuming a constant level of engagement.

Study

Innovation & MarketsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Situational Involvement Drives Health App Engagement, Tailoring is Key for Retention

European Journal of Marketing · 2021

Key Findings

01Healthy food involvement is a primary driver of app engagement.
02Changes in situational involvement, linked to shifting personal goal saliency, cause fluctuations in engagement intensity.
03Disengagement often stems from a lack of congruence with personal goals or an imbalance between perceived investment and value.

Application

Design takeaway

Design health apps with adaptive interfaces and content that can be easily tailored to a user's current priorities and perceived value, rather than assuming a constant level of engagement.

How to apply

When designing health apps, consider implementing user onboarding that captures individual goals and preferences, and build in mechanisms for users to easily adjust their focus or receive tailored nudges based on their current life circumstances.

Project actions

01Consider how your design can adapt to different user motivations over time.
02Think about how to measure and respond to 'situational involvement' in your user research.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat factors influence sustained engagement with health applications, and what prompts disengagement?

MethodPhenomenological exploration

ProcedureWomen from lower socioeconomic backgrounds used one of two health apps for at least eight weeks. Data was collected through accompanied shops, observations, interviews, reflective accounts, and questionnaires at various time points. Thematic analysis was used to identify influences on engagement.

ContextHealth app usage for promoting healthier food behaviors

Variables

IV["Situational involvement","Individual characteristics"]

DV["App engagement intensity","Disengagement"]

CV["App type","Duration of use","Socioeconomic background"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Employs a rich qualitative methodology to explore lived experiences.
+Investigates engagement over a significant time period.

Limitations

It can be challenging to accurately measure 'situational involvement' and 'perceived value' in a design project.

Reliability & validity

The use of multiple data collection methods (triangulation) enhances the validity of the findings. The phenomenological approach aims for deep understanding, but generalizability may be limited.

Think critically

How can designers proactively design for 'situational involvement' rather than just reacting to it?

Design Principles

"Design for dynamic user involvement by anticipating shifts in personal relevance and perceived value."

Understanding the dynamic nature of user engagement, particularly the interplay between personal goals and external circumstances, allows for the creation of more effective and sticky digital health solutions. Designing for varying levels of situational involvement can prevent premature disengagement and maximize the impact of health interventions.

What This Means for Your Design

People stick with health apps when they really care about their health goals at that moment, and they stop if the app doesn't feel useful or relevant to what they want.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify designing features that allow for personalization and adaptation based on user-defined goals and current context.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical role of situational involvement and individual characteristics in driving sustained engagement with health applications. Findings suggest that design interventions should focus on personalization and adaptability to align with users' fluctuating personal goals and perceived value, thereby mitigating disengagement.

Source

European Journal of Marketing

Exploring engagement with health apps: the emerging importance of situational involvement and individual characteristics

journal · 2021

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about situational involvement drives health app engagement, tailoring is key for retention?: Design health apps with adaptive interfaces and content that can be easily tailored to a user's current priorities and perceived value, rather than assuming a constant level of engagement. Evidence: European Journal of Marketing (2021).
Why does "Situational Involvement Drives Health App Engagement, Tailoring is Key for Retention" matter for design?: Understanding the dynamic nature of user engagement, particularly the interplay between personal goals and external circumstances, allows for the creation of more effective and sticky digital health solutions. Designing for varying levels of situational involvement can prevent premature disengagement and maximize the impact of health interventions.
How can designers apply this research?: Design health apps with adaptive interfaces and content that can be easily tailored to a user's current priorities and perceived value, rather than assuming a constant level of engagement.
What were the main findings?: Healthy food involvement is a primary driver of app engagement.. Changes in situational involvement, linked to shifting personal goal saliency, cause fluctuations in engagement intensity.. Disengagement often stems from a lack of congruence with personal goals or an imbalance between perceived investment and value.
What research method was used?: Phenomenological exploration.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2021 journal from European Journal of Marketing.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing health apps, consider implementing user onboarding that captures individual goals and preferences, and build in mechanisms for users to easily adjust their focus or receive tailored nudges based on their current life circumstances.
What are the limitations?: The study focused on women from a specific socioeconomic background, which may limit the generalizability of findings to other demographics.