Tailor My Zwift: How to Design for Amateur Sports in the Virtual World
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2022
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
Physical activity is entering the virtual realm. Zwift is an at-home cycling system that is enjoying increasing
popularity, yet the specifics of the experience of a virtual cyclist have not been studied to date. Building virtual
sports systems can make physical activity accessible to more diverse user groups. To understand how and
why users engage in virtual cycling, we conducted n=22 interviews with Zwift users. Through charting the
motivations behind using Zwift, we determined that it allowed users to engage in a range of cycling activities
traditionally reserved for professional cyclists. Our work reports on key motivations and identifies five key
strategies which Zwift uses to create an engaging virtual sports experience. Further, we discuss how Zwift
creates a world of virtual professionalism. Our findings offer a structured understanding of the experience of
Zwift which can be used to inspire the design of future virtual amateur sports systems.
popularity, yet the specifics of the experience of a virtual cyclist have not been studied to date. Building virtual
sports systems can make physical activity accessible to more diverse user groups. To understand how and
why users engage in virtual cycling, we conducted n=22 interviews with Zwift users. Through charting the
motivations behind using Zwift, we determined that it allowed users to engage in a range of cycling activities
traditionally reserved for professional cyclists. Our work reports on key motivations and identifies five key
strategies which Zwift uses to create an engaging virtual sports experience. Further, we discuss how Zwift
creates a world of virtual professionalism. Our findings offer a structured understanding of the experience of
Zwift which can be used to inspire the design of future virtual amateur sports systems.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
ACM
Official URL
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
jasmin.niess@unisg.ch
Eprints ID
268347
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Zwift-Bentvelzen.pdf
Size
3.62 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
59712a20dad54bb188c7419a2990d4ad