WATER RECYCLING INTERACTION DESIGN
INTROD
DUCTION
The declining trend in the supply of water is now posing the threat to the whole world. According to Vörösmarty, nearly 80% of the world’s population is exposed to high levels of threat to water security. (Vörösmarty, 2011) Especially in some developing countries, how to solve the issue of water shortage and water pollution has become one of the largest challenges for the local governments. At the same time, in some countries, people waste a lot of water and other natural resources. Thus, people should have a better awareness about the current situation.
To raise awareness of severe water shortage in developing nations so that people who are not currently experiencing a water crisis will be motivated to make lifestyle changes in order to be a good steward of their water resources.
Through the use of interactive technology, we hope to motivate individuals in the US to make lifestyle changes toward water conservation and recycling.
COLLEC
CTIONS
The Poor Little Fishbowl
The shower mat, senses
The Petal Drops Rain-
Sink is designed to raise
the position of the per-
catcher is a small fun-
awareness of water
son and will shut off the
nel that screws onto a
consumed while wash-
water flow when the
standard water bottle
ing hands. While wash-
person steps away from
top. The bottle can then
ing hands, the water
the shower head.
be set out to collect rain
level in the central bowl
water to be refilled and
slowly decreases. The
reused.
fish will never be totally deprived of water, but it makes the person washing their hands more aware of the water they are using.
The Bware Water Meter
The Raindrop Mini is a
The Waterpebble is
is a small water meter
water-collecting device
a small device that is
that can be installed on
that can be attached to
placed in the floor of a
every faucet, shower,
round drainage pipes.
shower. It measures how
toilet, or any other wa-
The Raindrop Mini has a
long you have been
ter-consuming device in
removable watering can
taking your shower and
a home. They provide
that fills with rain water
will change colors from
instant visible informa-
while inside of the at-
green to yellow and then
tion about the amount
tachment and then can
to red to signal that you
of water used by each
be removed to water
should finish. It will in-
device.
flowers and other plants.
crementally reduce the time before changing colors, slowly training you to take shorter showers.
INTE
ERVIEW
We interviewed Daren Wendel, founder, Active Water <http://www.activewater.org/ >, a nonprofit organization that uses the athletic lifestyle and grassroots campaigns to bring clean water and sanitation projects to needed communities throughout the globe. During the skype conversation we explored the reasons he got into water activism and why he thought that athletic activities were a key motivator for people wanting to contribute to activism. Some of the interview questions were in the lines of: Q. What was his motivation behind pursuing water activism? Q. Why did he think that athleticism and water activism are related? Q. What kinds of activities did he do to contribute to the water issue in Africa?
Q. What was his motivation behind pursuing water activism? Q. Why did he think that athleticism and water activism are related? Q. What kinds of activities did he do to contribute to the water issue in Africa? Q. What are the challenges that one faces when venturing out in the area of activism? Q. How can an individual contribute in the cause? Q. What are the attitudes for people towards water in different countries? Q. How does one build long term relationships with the donor/charities? Q. How important is accountability for a charity? Q. How do they motivate people to join their cause? Q. How does the technology help in recruiting volunteers and portraying accountability?
INS
SIGHTS
Some of the key insights from the interview were: We followed a bottom up approach for data analysis. After the exercise on affinity diagramming we were able to relate key insights and their relationships with one another. Based on the insights we were able to construct a relationship diagram that gave us an overview of the stakeholders and where do they fit the the entire process of water activism. Insight 1: Getting the ‘Active’ In Activism back Our Understanding: Activism in its purest sense means to be rigorous, sacrificial and taking actions. With the advent of “social networking activism” there has been a rise of “armchair” activism. The participant felt that activist has to lead the way and take actions for the benefit of the global society.
Insight 2: Use people skills and talent for fundraising Our Understanding: Charities and activist organizations are looking for new ways to convince people in joining their cause. The participant believed that every individual can contribute to charity in their own way by using their talent. The charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility is to find out about them and provide a platform for them to contribute in the cause. Insight 3: Be accountable Our Understanding: Technology can help in building accountability for an organization. If the donors/contributors can visualize how their donations are used, it will help in building long term relationships with the charity. It is important for a charity to be goal oriented and focused. Donors can keep track of charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
performance and feel more involved in their working. Insight 4: Spread awareness to change attitudes of people towards the cause. Our Understanding: Technology can help in building accountability for an organization. If the donors/contributors can visualize how their donations are used, it will help in building long term relationships with the charity. It is important for a charity to be goal oriented and focused. Donors can keep track of charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance and feel more involved in their working. Insight 5: Communicate with a story Our Understanding: Story-telling is a powerful medium for communication. People wanting to get involved in activism are not sure about
the cause that they want to champion. Narrating how people in need face challenges is a persuasive way to communicate your cause to potential donors and activists. Insight 6: Build partnerships and strategic relationships Our Understanding: An important aspect of running an activist organization is to build a network of individuals and organizations that are working towards a common cause. This network not only helps to generate funds but also helps in building transparency and accountability. Insight 7: Look for long term relationships rather than short term benefits Our Understanding: A charity needs to focus on building long term sustainable relationships
with its stakeholders. Initially, it might not lead to material gains, but it helps in building mutual trust which leads to a lot of intangible benefits in the future. Insight 8: Going Glo-cal (Global with local) and teaching them(people in need) skills rather than doing it for them. Our Understanding: Global charities who raise funds in the developed countries to fund charity efforts in developing countries need to employ local people in their efforts. This helps in building trust among the native population and locals know the society better. Volunteers can train people in vocational skills so that they can fend for themselves.
SURVEY
We conducted an online survey to gauge the water conservation and usage behaviour of the general public within our extended social network. We wanted to gauge general opinion on good conservation behaviour and their awareness regarding water related issues locally and globally. We created an online survey and urged people in our extended networks to share their opinion. We had 18 responses, 60% of them were females. All of them had University education upto a bachelors degree and some were graduate students.
Insight 1: University education led to more awareness regarding water related issues around the world. Insight 2: Most of the respondents were not aware of that certain plumbing/bathroom accessories can lead to water conservation. Insight 3: All the respondents had basic awareness of efficient usage of water intensive equipments like the dishwasher. Insight 4: People are willing to contribute to charities promoting water conservation and usage but are not aware of the sources through which they can contribute.
CONCEP
PT MAP
CONC
CEPTS
1
Refill Station
Water bottle refill stations have been becoming more popular. Currently, the only incentives to use them are the money saved from buying more bottled water, and the plastic that would have been wasted in producing those bottles. A natural extension to these stations would be for businesses which have these installed to use them as a way to promote work being done in areas of the world that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have clean drinking water. Instead of merely counting the number of bottles saved, businesses can use that number to denote an amount of money that would be donated to charity. Users could choose choose the pattern of their water bottle and personalize it online. Each user has a unique barcode on their bottle, and when they refill water at water fountain or water machine, their records will be tracked.
2
Suitcase-Good
Travellers may visit areas of the world that may be experiencing a water shortage, yet they are unaware of the situation. This suitcase would detect its location and change colors depending on whether its current region is experiencing a water shortage or not. One person could give this cup to others to donate water. The more water you save in your country, the more water others could get from the local station.
3
Tube City
It is most likely the case that you do not know where your drinking water came from. This device would analyze a sample of water, and tell you where that water has been. The tube is connected to the computer and users could trace the history of this drop of water. In the picture, this drop is from Yangtze River and you could find the information of the city of Shanghai, Wuhan and Tanglha Mountain.
4
Rain-In Coat
This raincoat has upturned hems around the bottom, so that as water runs down the coat, it can be directed into a bottle that the wearer has hooked to a belt loop. A filter is placed between the jacket and bottle so that any dirt from the coat can be filtered out and the water will be drinkable.
5
Ambient Shower
This concept uses ambient visualizations to help people conserve water while taking a bath. The visualization changes according to the time/ amount of water usage while taking a bath. The rationale is that the visualization is a non-intrusive way to motivate people to conserve water. At the beginning of shower, the flower on the wall is blue, and it turns red with the water conservation. Users will be aware with the color change.
6
Zen Waterfall
The Zen Waterfall is a small, household decorative waterfall much like any other. However, the amount of water flowing is directly and inversely proportional to the amount of water consumed in the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s household. Each day the waterfall begins with maximum flow. As the day progresses and the family uses water, the flow slowly decreases. If the family uses a lot of water that day, the waterfall may come to a complete stop. This concept uses the metaphor of a waterfall to communicate the effect of water conservation on nature.
7
Toilet Virtual Fish
To raise awareness of the water used to flush toilets, the tank portion of a toilet can be made of a clear material and a fish would be placed inside. The fish would not be live, but it would behave like a real fish. Each time the toilet is flushed, the user would see the fish â&#x20AC;&#x153;struggleâ&#x20AC;? to avoid being sucked down.
8
Fish-Can
This trash can has a screen and has fish swimming on it. It could raise peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness about water pollution problems, especially in ocean. Once you put trash in the can, it could hit the fish on the screen.
9
Water Lamp
This concept uses street lamps for rain water harvesting. It re-appropriates the use of a lamp as a water filter. The purified rain-water can be supplied to the locality or water plants.
10
Info Clock
This concept leverages the affordance of a clock as a timekeeping device to promote ideal utilities usage behaviour. The hands of the clock denote the current consumption and consumption limits for the month. The concept uses the visual metaphor of running time to promote conservation behaviour.
11
Teach-a-Trick
This knowledge sharing platform helps people in developed countries with access to water conservation techniques and hygiene behaviour, share information with those who do not have access to the information. It uses individual skills and creativity and helps to transfer knowledge to those in need.
12
Smart Faucet
The majority of people spend between 5 and 10 minutes taking their showers (from survey). In order to discourage taking long showers and wasting water, this shower head will slowly taper the water flow once the person has been showering for 10 minutes. The taper will start suddenly, alerting the person that they need to finish, and then will slowly dwindle until no more water comes out.
13
Let us know
This concept helps to bring the â&#x20AC;&#x153;active in activismâ&#x20AC;? to the forefront. Whenever anybody observes any instance of water wastage or apathy towards conservation, they can report it to the concerned officials through mobile channel. The officials will follow up the matter as soon as possible. This concept provides a channel for to apply the intention of activism into action.
14
Water Dating
Meeting people on a first date is awkward most of the times. We want to create a platform for couples to meet each other and do volunteering challenges together. This can be a good ice breaker for couples who want to know each other without the normal tension that goes along with dating.
15
Waterography
This camera is special. Instead of taking standard images, this camera takes images that represent a â&#x20AC;&#x153;water mapâ&#x20AC;? of water that is in the scene. Areas of the scene with a lot of water would show up in one color and areas that are dry appear in another color. This camera would be helpful for scouting out water sources in dry areas.
16
Waterfall Lamp
This floor lamp has a clear hollow tube for support and a reservoir of water at the bottom. When the lamp is on, the water is pumped from the reservoir to the top of the tube and runs down the inside of the tube, creating a soothing waterfall effect. As the day progresses and the household consumes more water, the water level in the tube rises until it reaches the top and the waterfall effect ceases.
17
City& Charity
Airline travellers are well aware of the pains of layovers, especially when you are an international traveller with a layover in a city that you find interesting, but do not have a visa. Even if you have the time, you cannot leave the airport to visit the city. An organization can be created that, in exchange for volunteer work, will give travellers tours of their cities.
18
Water Sofa
This chair will change its level of comfort depending on the amount of water consumed in the house. The char will change from being very cushy and comfortable to being very stiff and uncomfortable if the household consumes an amount of water that is wasteful.
19
Airline Discount
Air travel can be quite expensive, even prohibitively expensive for some. In order to mitigate the cost of air travel, the airlines can institute a policy where travellers can receive a discount on the price of their tickets if they commit to and complete a volunteer activity in their destination region.
20
Info Lamp
This lamp displays information visualizations to make people aware of their water usage and water conservation targets. The user can view different visualizations to make suitable decisions when it comes to water usage and consumptions.
21
Water Balance
This concept creates an interdependent relationship between the water and energy consumption of an individual or a household. The water level will get affected by excessive energy consumption and vice versa. The rationale is to encourage â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; behaviour in the household by using the metaphor of interdependency of various constituents in nature to that of the utilities. If one of the resources is over-exploited it results in negative consequences in the other resource.
22
Hotel Incentives
As an incentive for conserving water, hotels can
offer guests benefits such as a free breakfast or a discount on their room rate. Behaviors that would qualify the guests for the incentives would include reusing bath towels and bed sheets and taking short showers.
23
Credit Rewards
Most credit cards offer some form of rewards, whether they are monetary refunds, airline miles, or other gifts. However, instead of offering rewards that simply continue the consumerism cycle, they can offer to allow the cardholder to choose to donate that same amount to an organization which performs helpful work in a region where drinking water is scarce.
24
Water Contest
Social competition is a way for people in the social circles to compete against one another for conserving water. The group will decide the water usage specifications for a given time frame and can track their and their friends real time usage.
25
Water Pals
Water pal groups individuals with a buddy in a country with water crisis. Water you have conserved here will be delivered to that person in the crisis country. The idea is create a sense of heart to heart connection and creating accountability to promote conservation.
26
Water Footprint
Water foot print calculates the amount of water used by an individual during a day. It is a personal informatics based application to monitor your daily water usage. The application tracks your water usage data and provides analysis on it. You can set your usage goals for day/ month or any period and track your performance. It also tracks usage metrics for people in your network and creates competition in order to motivate conservation behavior.
1. Poor Little Fishbowl Sink: http://inhabitat.com/fishbowlfaucet-encourages-water-conservation-or-else/ 2. Shower concepts: http://3rings.designerpages. com/2009/11/13/oli-shower-water-conservation-projectmaking-saving-simple/ 3.Petal Drops Raincatcher: http://www.envirogadget.com/ water-saving/water-conservation-with-petal-drops-raincatcher/ 4. Bware Water Meter: http://www.core77.com/greenergadgets/entry.php?projectid=28 5.Raindrop collector http://www.basvanderveer.nl/main. php?p=page&id=1 6. The Waterpebble http://www.design-4-sustainability. com/products/94-the-game-of-reducing-water-consumption
REFE
ERENCE
Subhrajit Das Andrew Hettlinger Hongyuan Jiang