Product Concept: Spine Cops
Reading time: 4 minutes
Context
Bad posture is becoming more common each day. It generates many health problems, from physical such as spinal deviation, and can even affect the nervous system.
Thinking about that, the goal of Spine Cops is to generate body awareness and help maintain a good posture, working as a preventive health in a more relaxed and fun way.
This application was built as part of the final project for a class for my Design Bachelor Degree.
Concept
The key words of the concept are: fun and gamification.
They were chosen to create a product that were not only a reminder on the cell phone, but an interactive game that helps improve people's lives in a fun way.
The app
The application's goal is to educate users about body and posture awareness in an engaging, efficient, and user-friendly way. To encourage daily use and prevent it from becoming forgettable, interactive groups were created, allowing friends to connect and engage continuously.
The game operates through group challenges and a scoring system—where increasing scores elevate player ranks, inspired by military hierarchy.
Login
Users can log in using their social media accounts or register with their email for quick access.
Home
The main screen provides an overview of the user’s profile and game progress. All players start as Soldiers, and as their score increases, they advance through military-inspired ranks. For example, reaching 70 points promotes the user from Soldier to Corporal.
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Points are earned daily — simply opening the app grants 7 points.
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An additional 3 points is awarded for maintaining good posture throughout the day.
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However, if a user is "busted" for bad posture, they lose 2 points.
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As users climb higher in rank, the rules become more challenging.
Army ranks
Advancing in rank requires more than just points:
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Users must maintain a streak of good posture days (not getting caught).
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Some ranks require completing an approved stretch, promoting healthy habits.
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Stretching is symbolic but serves to reinforce posture awareness.
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Approval for stretches is granted by group members.
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Ranks are personal achievements and remain independent of group rankings.
Groups
Users can create groups with friends, coworkers, classmates, or family members.
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Groups encourage interaction and accountability, keeping the game engaging.
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The more groups a user joins, the more support they receive in maintaining good posture.
Users can view their friends' ranks and progress and search for new people to add to their groups.
Scoring system
Points can be earned or lost in different ways:
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+7 points: Earned upon opening the app.
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+3 points: Rewarded at the end of the day if the user was not caught in bad posture.
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-2 points: Deducted when a group member "busts" the user with a posture violation.
Reporting:
busting bad posture
If a user notices a group member with bad posture, they can report it by taking a “Busted” photo:
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The user selects the group, the person being reported, and adds an optional caption.
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Filters can be added to make the experience more fun.
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The photo is posted to the group for peer voting.
Voting for fair play
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Group members vote to confirm or reject the “Busted” report.
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A majority vote in favor registers the posture violation.
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This ensures fairness and prevents biased reporting.
