DEVELOPERS AND WATER BOTTLES​

Development students at Prime Digital Academy are an in a unique situation that many people would never experience. Dev students are expected to learn, produce, and improve all in a week all while being in a completely new realm. To say the least, they need their equipment to meet their basic needs. 

User Research

Dev had opinions and ideas around what they needed. Simply asking them what they expected a basic human tool to function as provided a view into their life. During this research stage I found an expectation of forgiveness. Water and electronics do not mix and dev students are well aware of this. 

Concept Development

This research was a keystone for the design of the water bottle prototype. Taking an expectation of separation of water and electronics was first priority. Caps are good for a secure method of water containment but dev students are not always capping their water bottles when they place them.

Prototypes

Product Usability Testing

Dev students when confronted with the prototype knew exactly what the design was accomplishing and appreciated the functionality. When placed “legs” for the water bottle would expand and stabilize the overall bottle. This would prevent the water bottle from spilling on expensive electronic equipment regardless if the student applied the cap or not. This second layer of forgiveness resonated with development students in a serious way that showed the design was catered to their needs. 

Reflection

Students wanted a solution that would accommodate to their daily needs. The design that catered to those needs stood out in a visual way but resonated highly with their expectations. Keeping the user’s needs in the fore-front was the leading factor that promoted this product to in the market’s mind.