Data visualization and self tracking (from Nov 2013)

Activity tracker apps offer great inspiration on data visualization. Above you can see three very different views to the same run data.

Sports tracker focuses on tracking sport exercises with emphasis on distance, duration and speed. Accelerometer and GPS ensure accurate data output. The app does good job on offering the basic sport exercise tracking, but the old iOS UX starts to feel a bit dated.

Basis Watch tracks your everyday activities from sleep to running. Accelerometer and heart rate could give very detailed data on running exercise, but the app doesn’t offer a simple way to view this data. The app should also do better work on using the unique heart rate data.

Moves App offers simple activity tracking. Accelerometer and GPS offer accurate data. Minimalistic design is perfect for high level tracking, but for running I’d hope to see more detailed data.

It’s wonderful to see how different output these three apps offer for the same data. The team behind each app has been brave enough to focus on building the best experience for their own target audience. Next time when you are working on visualizing your data, think outside the box before copying the prevalent paradigm from close competitors.