Brief 7 Waterhub
1 Brief
Danielle Harrison
The Brief
Concept
Company
To create a brand for a water supplier. Brands have a duty of care to make people’s experiences wonderful, and this was the main focus throughout the project.
Everyone uses it, so Waterhub believes water should be made simple. People don’t necessarily know where their water comes from, so accessible information and data should be provided whenever the individual requires it. By having access to this information, it should give people more control over how they use their water.
Waterhub primarily uses digital mediums to engage with its users. It is aimed at people who use technology frequently to compete daily tasks, such as banking. It is a water meter only supplier for two reasons. Firstly, all new homes are fitted with meters and secondly, it encourages people to be more conscious over how much water they use.
Brief 7 Waterhub
2 App Research
Research
Existing Apps
This was the first app that I designed, and so did a lot of research on apps beforehand. One thing that I looked at in particular were walkthrough screens - this is something I hadn’t heard of before and helped me realise what their purpose is as well as how to incorporate it into Waterhub. I also looked at how apps track a user’s usage in something and how to pay for things to see how I could create something realistic and professional.
I looked at existing apps such as British Gas and Hive which aim to provide users with information about their energy bills, since there are no apps for water suppliers. The British Gas app was very uninteresting to look at, and therefore does not create a pleasureable experience for the user. Since it is already a boring task to deal with bills, it does not motivate the user to complete the task at hand.
Danielle Harrison
Hive on the other hand looks a lot better, but I feel the interface can be quite confusing - especiialy since it is dealing with an important and serious topic. It has infographics to display information which are more visually pleasing than clear, presentable information and data. There seems to be a lack of balance between aesthetics and functionality, which is what Waterhub tries to solve.
Brief 7 Waterhub
3 Logo
Danielle Harrison
waterhub
Logo The name is very literal so that users can immediately make the connection about the type of brand it is. With important and necessary information like this, it is important to be clear and easy to understand. The word ‘hub’ relates to the fact that the app is a place for people to retrieve their water supplier information. The grey used reflects a neutral and professional experience, while the mint green makes it pop to create a fresh , calm and contemporary feel.
Brief 7 Waterhub
Walkthroughs These are the screens the user is presented with when they open the app. Walkthroughs show the user the main features of the app before they choose to sign up or log in. The illustrations created are clean, flat and are paired with limited text to keep the users attention and make it easy to digest. The flat design reflects the contemporary aspect of the brand and makes the subject more fun without being too informal.
4 App Walkthroughs
Danielle Harrison
Brief 7 Waterhub
Logging In The user has to log into their Waterhub account to access their personal information and keep it secure.
5 App Logging In
Danielle Harrison
Brief 7 Waterhub
Navigation The slide out menu provides quick and easy access to each part of the app for the user. It is easy to use since the user only requires their thumb to slide it out, meaning it is ideal if they are on the move or don’t have both hands free.
6 App Navigation
Danielle Harrison
Brief 7 Waterhub
7 App Features
Danielle Harrison
Track your Usage
Payment
Submit Water Reading
Saving Water
Users can track how much water they are using in their household via the app. They can filter by day, week, month, quarterly and yearly depending on their preference, as well as view previous timeframes. This is useful so they can track where they can cut down as well as see their usage patterns.
Paying is easy via the app, as the user only has to enter their card number. They already entered their address when they signed up to the app, keeping the process simple. They can also view a breakdown of their bill on the other tab to see where their money is going.
Users can enter their water reading via the app which saves them ringing up the supplier or waiting for someone to come around, meaning they can do it whenever is suitable for them. To input the reading, the user just swipes the numbers on the dial to change it. They can also view their previous readings to compare them.
There are various tips shown on the app to help users see how they can save water. These are things such as using hose pipes, washing machines, jacuzzi, baths and running taps. This page shows how much water and cost a shower is depending on its duration. The user just swipes the water coming out of the shower to increase and decrease the time and the information changes as it responds to it.