︎ ElevateMe
ElevateMe is a digital platform that helps University of Michigan students easily access wellness activities, foster social connections, and maximize the use of campus spaces.
By Urja Kaushik ︎ , Sibora Berisha ︎, Shuxin Yin ︎, Xiaoyan Zhao ︎
ElevateMe Logo
︎Hypohesis
We hypothesize that integrating ElevateMe, a wellness-focused platform that empowers students to suggest and organize health-oriented activities during class breaks or regularly, will significantly improve student engagement in physical and mental well-being practices. By providing a user-driven, accessible tool, ElevateMe addresses barriers such as time constraints and lack of awareness, creating a collaborative environment where students can actively prioritize their health amidst academic pressures while also utilizing the existing campus.
We hypothesize that integrating ElevateMe, a wellness-focused platform that empowers students to suggest and organize health-oriented activities during class breaks or regularly, will significantly improve student engagement in physical and mental well-being practices. By providing a user-driven, accessible tool, ElevateMe addresses barriers such as time constraints and lack of awareness, creating a collaborative environment where students can actively prioritize their health amidst academic pressures while also utilizing the existing campus.
︎Who
Jasmine Parekh, a 20-year-old senior architecture student at Taubman College, hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and lives off-campus near Briarwood in Ann Arbor. She relies on public transportation and walking for her busy routine, balancing 16 credits, long studio hours, and a part-time job as a Union Information Center desk assistant. Her schedule leaves little time for self-care, and she struggles to find affordable, accessible fitness options close to campus.
Jasmine enjoys yoga, cardio, and painting to de-stress but finds maintaining a consistent wellness routine challenging due to cost and time constraints. She seeks nearby wellness spaces to support her physical and mental health amidst her demanding lifestyle.
Meet Jasmine Parekh
Jasmine’s Schedule on Weekdays & Weekends
Jasmine’s Routine across Ann Arbor
︎Why
Problem Space and Research Objectives:
Research shows that physical activity reduces chronic disease risks, enhances mental well-being, and boosts life satisfaction, yet college students often face a decline in activity due to barriers like time constraints, accessibility, and fatigue. Balancing academics, part-time jobs, and extracurriculars exacerbates stress and burnout, while misconceptions about healthy eating being costly further deter wellness efforts. Mental health challenges, including body image concerns and eating disorders, compound these issues.
Universities often fail to optimize existing spaces for student wellness. At the University of Michigan, despite over 500 buildings spanning 37.48 million square feet, many areas remain underused. The Campus Plan 2050 emphasizes new infrastructure, such as the North Campus Innovation District, without addressing inefficiencies in current facilities or integrating technological solutions for wellness. This expansion-first approach neglects opportunities to create accessible fitness and wellness zones.
Objective:
To bridge the gap between underutilized spaces and student wellness needs by leveraging innovative, accessible, and technological solutions. The aim is to repurpose existing campus spaces and integrate wellness activities, making them more visible and engaging to support students' physical and mental health.
To bridge the gap between underutilized spaces and student wellness needs by leveraging innovative, accessible, and technological solutions. The aim is to repurpose existing campus spaces and integrate wellness activities, making them more visible and engaging to support students' physical and mental health.
︎How
How might we create a convenient and engaging platform that encourages Jasmine and other University of Michigan students to integrate wellness activities and foster social connections while maximizing the use of existing campus spaces?
To explore opportunities for integrating wellness into students’ routines at the University of Michigan, this project used a combination of methods that included surveys, mapping analysis, and design development. Surveys were conducted to implement a user-centered approach, assessing student needs, preferences for wellness activities, and food habits. The survey also assessed the desire to receive specific wellness-related information via a mobile app, providing insight into potential means of communication.
To explore opportunities for integrating wellness into students’ routines at the University of Michigan, this project used a combination of methods that included surveys, mapping analysis, and design development. Surveys were conducted to implement a user-centered approach, assessing student needs, preferences for wellness activities, and food habits. The survey also assessed the desire to receive specific wellness-related information via a mobile app, providing insight into potential means of communication.
Relevant Answers from Survey Responses
Moreover, there were multiple map analyses that were conducted. View below for a more detailed description for each of the maps.
Underutilized Study Spaces for University Students
Potential Activity Spaces in Campus 2050 Masterplan
Weekly Heat Map for Local Activities and Potential Spaces for Ann Arbor Campus
︎What
ElevateMe is a wellness-focused platform designed to help the University of Michigan community discover, participate in, and organize activities while revitalizing underused campus spaces. Its aim is to create a dynamic ecosystem that promotes wellness, fosters social connections, and transforms overlooked areas into vibrant hubs for personal growth.
Prototype:
ElevateMe Prototype
Key features of the platform:
Users identify the areas on campus they frequent most and their activity interests. This data personalizes recommendations for nearby events and activities.
Saved Locations: Allows users to save spaces they find appealing. Based on these preferences, ElevateMe suggests activities in those areas. Users can also contribute to the directory by adding new spaces they discover, promoting exploration and accessibility for others.
Event Discovery: Highlights a wide range of campus activities, including those that are close to you, based on your saved locations. Also, it emphasizes opportunities in underutilized spaces that have potential to foster wellness. Users have the option to bookmark events to receive personalized recommendations for similar activities.
Event Creation: Create your own wellness events by entering basic details and specifying whether the event is open to all or invite-only, targeting a specific community. Additionally, users can choose if the event is a one-time occurrence or recurring.
Space Contribution: When adding a new space, users need to add basic details such as location, amenities, and access restrictions, enabling others to make informed choices when selecting a venue for their events.
︎So What
The EvelateMe app provides students with opportunities to access spaces featuring activities and healthy food options, fostering real-life connections among peers.
By bridging the gap between digital organization and physical engagement, it contributes to a healthier and more vibrant campus life.
ElevateMe positions itself as a pivotal initiative within the broader framework of the Campus 2050 Masterplan, addressing the critical intersection of wellness, sustainability, and campus vibrancy. It transcends the boundaries of a conventional wellness app, transforming underutilized spaces into dynamic wellness hubs. These hubs are more than just physical spaces—they are the embodiment of the 2050 UMich Masterplan's vision for an inclusive, health-oriented, and sustainable campus environment.
The initiative responds to key challenges identified in modern campus life, such as declining physical activities. campus obesity, mental health struggles, and a lack of social connection. By fostering spaces for all-weather fitness, social interactions, and immersive digital-physical experiences, ElevateMe contributes to a culture of lifelong wellness and community engagement. This alignment with the Campus 2050 Masterplan ensures that the project is not just a standalone intervention but an integral component of a long-term strategy to enhance student well-being and campus sustainability.
︎Now, Near, Future
The immediate focus of our project is to address the urgent needs of campus wellness by introducing ElevateMe, a platform that transforms underutilized spaces into dynamic wellness hubs. These hubs combine physical infrastructure, such as all-weather fitness zones and social spaces, with digital tools to provide immersive wellness experiences. By leveraging existing campus resources and aligning with the Campus 2050 Masterplan, we aim to enhance physical activity, mental health, and social engagement in the short term.
In the near term, ElevateMe will expand its functionality and reach by incorporating advanced data analytics to personalize wellness programs. Collaboration with campus planners and stakeholders will enable the redesign of additional spaces, fostering a stronger connection between digital and physical environments. These efforts will focus on measurable outcomes, such as increased student participation in wellness activities and reduced rates of mental health challenges. ElevateMe will also pilot new features, including gamification and AI-driven recommendations, to deepen student engagement.
Looking into the future, ElevateMe aspires to become a cornerstone of campus life by scaling its model across multiple universities. This long-term vision includes integrating with smart campus infrastructure, such as IoT-enabled wellness monitoring and seamless AR/VR experiences, to create an interconnected ecosystem. These advancements will not only promote lifelong wellness habits but also establish a standard for health-centered, sustainable campus environments, fully realizing the vision of the Campus 2050 Masterplan.
︎Design To Outcomes
ElevateMe seamlessly integrates design, outcomes, and the Campus 2050 vision through a structured design continuum. This continuum involves three key phases: information, product, and urban realm, which collectively ensure a cohesive alignment of the design intent with measurable outcomes.
Information Layer: By organizing wellness data and resources, ElevateMe empowers informed decision-making. The platform’s emphasis on accessible and actionable information aligns with the Campus 2050 goal of leveraging data-driven insights to improve campus functionality and student experience.
Product Layer: ElevateMe’s digital tools, including interactive touchpoints and immersive interfaces, serve as functional extensions of the physical campus. This integration bridges the gap between digital and physical environments, ensuring that technology actively enhances health outcomes and fosters engagement.
Urban Realm Layer: The transformation of underutilized spaces into multifunctional wellness hubs epitomizes the master plan’s aim to reimagine campus spaces for adaptability and sustainability. These hubs connect physical infrastructure with digital tools to provide fitness zones, social spaces, and immersive experiences, ensuring a tangible impact on student wellness and community engagement.
Design Continuum
Together, these layers form a comprehensive framework that links design interventions to clear outcomes, such as increased physical activity, improved mental health, and stronger social connections. ElevateMe exemplifies the alignment of practical design touchpoints with the visionary goals of the Campus 2050 Masterplan, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness as a cornerstone of campus evolution.
Links to Follow:
︎︎︎Two Page Report
︎︎︎Report Video
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Works Cited
- APPA. (2012). 2012 thought leaders report: The future of higher education. APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.appa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/APPA-2012-Thought-Leaders-FINAL.pdf
- Arizona State University. (2011). Misconceptions about healthy eating: Students think eating healthy is expensive. Retrieved from https://eoss.asu.edu/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). Physical activity and chronic disease: Physical activity reduces chronic disease risk. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2018/17_0560.htm
- Ferreira Silva, R. M., Mendonça, C. R., Azevedo, V. D., Raoof Memon, A., Noll, P. R. E. S., & Noll, M. (2022). Barriers to high school and university students' physical activity: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0265913. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265913
- Frontiers in Psychology. (2020). Exercise and mental health: Physical exercise improves well-being and mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 11. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00011/full
- Harvard Health Publishing. (2020). Exercise recommendations: Moderate exercise promotes mental health. Harvard Health Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
- Michigan News. (2023). Mental health challenges: High rates of depression and anxiety among students. Michigan News. Retrieved from https://news.umich.edu
- Suhag, K., & Rauniyar, S. (2024). Social Media Effects Regarding Eating Disorders and Body Image in Young Adolescents. Cureus, 16(4), e58674. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.58674
- Tavolacci, M. P., Ladner, J., & Déchelotte, P. (2021). Sharp Increase in Eating Disorders among University Students since the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients, 13(10), 3415. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103415
- Office of Budget and Planning, University of Michigan. (2023). Almanac Chapter 11: University finances. University of Michigan. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://obp.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubdata/almanac/Almanac_Ch11.pdf
- Think Confluence. (2022). Campus design and social connection: Students need more peer interaction spaces. Think Confluence. Retrieved from https://www.thinkconfluence.com/who-we-are/insight/attracting-students-back-to-campus-with-open-space-design
- University of Queensland. (2023). Overcoming exercise barriers: Time, cost, accessibility, and fatigue are common obstacles. University of Queensland.