As the world warms and climate migrations begin, water quality awareness becomes steadily more important. We address this issue through our design of a physical tester and a complementary digital app. The device tests for turbidity, dissolved solids, pH, and bacteria while the accompanying mobile app enhances the overall product experience. Sampl offers a holistic approach to empower users in understanding and ensuring the safety of their drinking water.
SCOPE
Product Design
Industrial Design
Brand Identity
A Multidisciplinary approach to water quality awareness
THE
CHALLENGE
Provide an accessible way to test and observe water quality through a physical and digital product system. We envision a future where anyone can test their water and understand the results in the context of their local area. The product must be applicable for three distinct users: the everyday consumer, the traveler/tourist, and those afflicted by natural disaster.
WATER QUALITY TESTER
The onset of our product development was filled with form exploration and indecision, we spent two weeks deliberating as we defined the specific use cases for our device. The first being average consumer countertop usage, allowing the user to test their home's water. Second, for travelers to ensure their accommodation's water is safe. Lastly, disaster relief as the device would give individuals affected by natural disasters the ability to test independently, without relying on the analyses of the first responders.
Final Product
Our final prototype for the tester device consisted of three essential sections: the frame, sensor compartment, and water drawer. The frame housed the electronics including the battery pack, Arduino, and exterior LED strip. To use the prototype the user simply fills the drawer with water, inserts it into the device, and presses the button. The sliding sensor compartment is then lowered to immerse the sensor into the water and moments later the LED strip indicates the test result: green for safe and red for unsafe.
Final CAD Prototype
MOBILE APP
Despite the app's straightforward purpose, serving as a supplementary product to the tester, the ideation for the application began with a site map and handrawn wireframes. These were utilized throughout the production of the lo-fi and hi-fi wireframes, offering a clear blueprint to ensure organized navigation and a user-friendly structure.
Site Map
While creating our the wireframes we engaged in productive critique's with classmates about our designs; ensuring that the final lo-fi choices would need minimal iteration once we converted them to hi-fi. After many rounds of testing, discussion, and updating, this proved to be the most time consuming aspect of the app's design process.
