Framing Water: Exploring Tensions between Social Norms and Environmental Sustainability through a Data Physicalization Game

Paper Title

Framing Water: Exploring Tensions between Social Norms and Environmental Sustainability through a Data Physicalization Game

Publication Info

• Topic area: Sustainable HCI and reflective game design for environmental awareness.
• Keywords: Sustainable HCI, water scarcity, mountain huts, data physicalization, reflective games, climate change, overtourism, environmental sustainability, social norms, resource conservation.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Mountain huts in the Alps face increasing water scarcity due to climate change and overtourism. Current interventions often fail to address individual awareness and collective resource management effectively.
• Significance: Raising awareness among tourists about water scarcity and encouraging conscious consumption is critical for preserving fragile mountain ecosystems and ensuring equitable resource use.
• Motivation and related work: Prior HCI research has explored eco-feedback systems and reflective games but has often been criticized for being overly prescriptive or detached from real-world contexts. This paper builds on these approaches by combining data physicalization and reflective game design to foster awareness and dialogue.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Framing Water, a data physicalization-based puzzle game designed to prompt reflection on water consumption during overnight stays at mountain huts.
• Novelty:
  1. Integration of data physicalization with reflective game mechanics to represent water consumption visually and tangibly.
  2. Open-ended gameplay that balances clear goals (staying within a 37-liter limit) with flexibility in decision-making.
  3. Exploration of tensions between individual needs, social norms, and environmental sustainability.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Design inspired by mountain hut life and constraints (e.g., off-grid settings, limited resources).
  • Hexagonal puzzle pieces represent water consumption for activities like toilet flushing and personal hygiene.
  • Gameplay involves selecting, arranging, and scoring pieces within a 37-liter limit, supported by LED feedback and animal-themed messages.
  • Evaluation included pre- and post-interaction questionnaires, observations, and think-aloud methods.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • 70% of participants agreed the game prompted reflection on their habits.
  • 62% found the physicalized data easier to understand, and 70% saw a clear link between consumption and impact.
  • Participants rated the data as highly reliable (Utility = 6.32, Plausibility = 6.01, Trustworthiness = 6.03, Accuracy = 5.75 out of 7).
• Advantage over baselines: Unlike traditional eco-feedback systems, Framing Water combines tangible interaction and reflective gameplay to foster deeper engagement and awareness.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Tested with 56 participants in diverse settings (e.g., tourist offices, Alpine clubs, mountain huts).
  • Mixed-methods approach: questionnaires, think-aloud, and thematic analysis of reflections.
  • Participants included both experienced hut visitors and newcomers.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Limited testing in actual mountain huts during periods of evident water scarcity.
  • Game content and dynamics predefined by researchers, potentially influencing discussions.
  • Future work could include transmedia information systems (e.g., QR codes, posters) and pre-visit awareness campaigns.

Summary

Framing Water is a data physicalization-based game designed to raise awareness of water scarcity in mountain huts by prompting reflection on daily water consumption. The game combines tangible puzzle pieces with reflective gameplay, encouraging players to explore trade-offs between individual needs, social norms, and environmental sustainability. Evaluation demonstrated its effectiveness in fostering engagement and understanding, with participants expressing increased awareness of water consumption impacts. While addressing water scarcity requires interventions at multiple scales, this game offers a promising approach to educating tourists and promoting conscious resource use.