Redefining Liquid Culture on Campus at Prime Digital Academy
Protecting technology by decreasing risk potential through design
Methods & Tools: User Research, Fly-on-the-Wall Observation, Sketching, Heuristic Analysis, Design Concept Development, Prototyping, User Feedback, Design Analysis ad Iteration, Stakeholder Pitch
Stakeholders at Prime Digital Academy requested assistance in creating a new welcome gift for full-stack developer students. The old water bottle model is no longer being manufactured, and the replacement must be a meaningful and usable solution to the problem. Campus beverage culture was observed through fly-on-the-wall observations in order to gain an understanding of how these students use and interact with their water bottles.
The Challenge
Propose a meaningful and usable solution for a welcome gift to new full-stack development students at Prime Digital Academy.
Discovery
The majority of students own and use a personal reusable water bottle. These bottles vary in style, size, shape and materials that are unique to their individual preferences. Full-stack students spend the majority of their day at the computer and most eat and drink at their desk. The most important take away from these observations is that students are constantly challenging the disaster potential of liquids near their computers. The disaster potential of this behavior is reinforced in the costly expenses of data recovery services and replacement laptops.
The discontinued water bottle was evaluated to identify pain points and opportunities in its design. We filled it, drank it, observed it, held it, spilt it, washed it, moved it, sketched it, and asked questions. This hands-on investigation was then processed using Neilson-Norman's Principles for Heuristic Analysis and some key principles surfaced that would inform design decisions moving forward.
Key Design Principles:
Must be Spill Proof
Simple
Customizable
Convenient
Easy to Clean
Unique
Pivot Point
This project reached a defining pivot point that drastically shifted my perspective and design approach. Design choices for a spill-proof water bottle became meaningless when considering the larger context of beverage culture at Prime. A water bottle won’t solve the problem if there are similar offenses in close proximity. These images demonstrate the existing hazards near technology on a student’s desk.
While a new water bottle may not solve the problem, the initially identified design principles must still guide the solution. These findings informed a proposal for three design concepts that address the overall liquid safety system on campus as well as respect each students unique preferences and established habits.
Additional Research:
Some missing information was identified as a result of zooming out to address the overall liquid safety system. I created a survey that would further define and quantify student habits.
Hard Drive back-up Habits of Development Students at Prime
Other:
"not enough"
"I don't know"
"twice in my life"
"when provoked with anxiety"
Current Beverage Habits at Prime
“I need a huge water bottle, I appreciate that it works with what I have”
“I use the (Prime Kitchen) Coffee Mug, I’ve definitely lost my coffee” ”
Key Findings
- Overall concern over the magnet system in proximity to computers and concept will not move into future development
- Students appreciated the identification components of the lid system
- The system must be adaptable to both the prime kitchen and students personal containers
The Solution
Desk Attachment Feature
These sketches and graphics further explore size, shape, proportion, and construction of the beverage caddy desk attachment. Design exploration focused on material use, shipping and manufacturing, content specs, and connectivity. Next, the shape and proportions of these designs will be evaluated through experience prototyping. The team will observe a variety of liquid containers in relation to the proposed desk caddy. Ergonomic analysis will be considered in size, shape, reach, clearance, and posture. After a shape is selected, the next steps are materials research, manufacturing specs, style and customization considerations, and packaging design.
Prime Pint Glass and Coffee Mug Reusable Lids
Field tests will be conducted to evaluate the performance of the new lid system in controlling liquid as intended. The lids will be made of silicone and flexible in fit. User research will guide style and customization choices reflective of student preference.
