Teal Flower
Teal Flower

Discovery

Water usage is largely invisible. While users care about sustainability, they lack feedback at the point of action.

Existing solutions either track data passively with little behavior change or present too much information, requiring effort to interpret. This revealed an opportunity to design for awareness in the moment, not analysis after the fact.

Water usage is largely invisible. While users care about sustainability, they lack feedback at the point of action.

Existing solutions either track data passively with little behavior change or present too much information, requiring effort to interpret. This revealed an opportunity to design for awareness in the moment, not analysis after the fact.

Interviews

After two rounds of interviews and market research, it became clear that most users lack a strong understanding of their water usage and billing. Early insights revealed key pain points, which informed the initial product direction, and follow-up feedback helped validate that the solution addressed those needs. From there we were able to set some goals for the app.

After two rounds of interviews and market research, it became clear that most users lack a strong understanding of their water usage and billing. Early insights revealed key pain points, which informed the initial product direction, and follow-up feedback helped validate that the solution addressed those needs. From there we were able to set some goals for the app.

Over half of our interviewees admitted to
not being able to understand their water bills.

Over half of our interviewees admitted to not being able to understand their water bills.

Over half of our interviewees admitted to
not being able to understand their water bills.

Goals

Keep users informed of water usage in real-time.

Raise awareness of usage habits for individuals within the household.

Share data in a way all members of the household can understand (not just your dad).

Keep users informed of water usage in real-time.

Raise awareness of usage habits for individuals within the household.

Share data in a way all members of the household can understand (not just your dad).

Information Design

The challenge was not what to show, but what to remove.

Instead of focusing on exact metrics, the app emphasizes relative understanding over precise numbers, visual signals over raw data and trends over isolated events.

This allows users to build intuition naturally, without cognitive load while also presenting information in a way everyone in the family can understand.

The challenge was not what to show, but what to remove.

Instead of focusing on exact metrics, the app emphasizes relative understanding over precise numbers, visual signals over raw data and trends over isolated events.

This allows users to build intuition naturally, without cognitive load while also presenting information in a way everyone in the family can understand.

Planning & App Structure

With the core interaction defined, the focus shifted to how the app behaves across moments of use.

Two primary states emerged, active use (real-time feedback) and passive review (lightweight summaries).

Designing these flows early clarified what needed to be immediate versus what could remain in the background—keeping the experience simple without losing usefulness.

With the core interaction defined, the focus shifted to how the app behaves across moments of use.

Two primary states emerged, active use (real-time feedback) and passive review (lightweight summaries).

Designing these flows early clarified what needed to be immediate versus what could remain in the background—keeping the experience simple without losing usefulness.

Shaping the Experience

After figuring out the pain points from the user interviews and getting feedback on the user flow, I was able to move onto wire-framing. My goal here was to make sure I included all the information required to meet the user needs and present it in a way that was easy to understand while still going into depth on their water usage.

After figuring out the pain points from the user interviews and getting feedback on the user flow, I was able to move onto wire-framing. My goal here was to make sure I included all the information required to meet the user needs and present it in a way that was easy to understand while still going into depth on their water usage.

Wireframes

Early wireframes focused on structuring information and defining how users would move through core tasks. Iterating at this stage made it easier to refine usability before committing to higher-fidelity design.

Early wireframes focused on structuring information and defining how users would move through core tasks. Iterating at this stage made it easier to refine usability before committing to higher-fidelity design.

UI

After finalizing wireframes and making sure all the requirements were met from user testing, I moved on to creating a design system as well as a clickable prototype. My goal was to design a bright, colorful interface that would keep everyone in the family engaged while still highlighting the water usage data.

After finalizing wireframes and making sure all the requirements were met from user testing, I moved on to creating a design system as well as a clickable prototype. My goal was to design a bright, colorful interface that would keep everyone in the family engaged while still highlighting the water usage data.

Product Launch

Following another round of testing of both the app and the product itself, it was time for to prepare for the online product launch. The goal of this launch was to "sell" our idea to others through an e-commerce page to gauge audience interest and validate demand.

Following another round of testing of both the app and the product itself, it was time for to prepare for the online product launch. The goal of this launch was to "sell" our idea to others through an e-commerce page to gauge audience interest and validate demand.

Marketing Website

With the app finalized, the focus shifted to creating a marketing site that clearly communicates what Drip is, how it works, and why it matters. The site played a critical role in a live showcase and online launch, where users made purchasing decisions based solely on the product experience presented.

As a result, the design prioritized clarity, storytelling, and quick understanding. This led to the highest number of purchases and overall profit compared to the 5 other water conservation solutions in the mock web launch.

With the app finalized, the focus shifted to creating a marketing site that clearly communicates what Drip is, how it works, and why it matters. The site played a critical role in a live showcase and online launch, where users made purchasing decisions based solely on the product experience presented.

As a result, the design prioritized clarity, storytelling, and quick understanding. This led to the highest number of purchases and overall profit compared to the 5 other water conservation solutions in the mock web launch.

Outcome

Drip combined a clear product experience with strong communication, resulting in the highest number of purchases and overall profit at launch. By focusing on real-time feedback and low-friction interaction, Drip successfully turned an invisible behavior into something users could easily understand and act on.

Drip combined a clear product experience with strong communication, resulting in the highest number of purchases and overall profit at launch. By focusing on real-time feedback and low-friction interaction, Drip successfully turned an invisible behavior into something users could easily understand and act on.

Experience in Action

Key Features

The final feature set was shaped directly by insights from early research, focusing on increasing visibility, supporting shared accountability, and helping users take action on their usage.

The final feature set was shaped directly by insights from early research, focusing on increasing visibility, supporting shared accountability, and helping users take action on their usage.

Keeping everyone in the loop

Keeping everyone in the loop

Keeping everyone in the loop

By being able to add all your household members, everyone shares the same data across all devices. This keeps other people within household aware of their individual usage.

By being able to add all your household members, everyone shares the same data across all devices. This keeps other people within household aware of their individual usage.

Room by room breakdowns

Room by room breakdowns

Room by room breakdowns

See how all rooms compares each day. Then, at the end of the month, come together and view your usage recap to see who's improving and where.

See how all rooms compares each day. Then, at the end of the month, come together and view your usage recap to see who's improving and where.

Goals set by you

Goals set by you

Goals set by you

By being able to set usage and spending goals, the household admin has the ability to set usage and bill goals for the household that will be tracked as the month goes on.

By being able to set usage and spending goals, the household admin has the ability to set usage and bill goals for the household that will be tracked as the month goes on.

Product Summary

Drip is a buildable water tracking system aimed to help with water conservation by encouraging usage awareness throughout the house. By displaying easy to understand metrics as well as monthly recaps across multiple devices, all members of the household will be aware of their usage and how it contributes as a whole.

Drip is a buildable water tracking system aimed to help with water conservation by encouraging usage awareness throughout the house. By displaying easy to understand metrics as well as monthly recaps across multiple devices, all members of the household will be aware of their usage and how it contributes as a whole.

By using magnetic sensors to calculate the flow rate of the water and the time it is in the pipes, we are able to offer a plumbing free, quick to install attachment that provides real time water usage data. With this new design, installation has never been easier. As long as the sensor is flush to the pipe, it will track the water flowing through and send that data back to your phone through its wifi connected chip.

To install simply adjust to fit your pipe or faucet, attach with the magnetic closure, and sync to the app with the press of a button.

By using magnetic sensors to calculate the flow rate of the water and the time it is in the pipes, we are able to offer a plumbing free, quick to install attachment that provides real time water usage data. With this new design, installation has never been easier. As long as the sensor is flush to the pipe, it will track the water flowing through and send that data back to your phone through its wifi connected chip.

To install simply adjust to fit your pipe or faucet, attach with the magnetic closure, and sync to the app with the press of a button.

Next Steps

Although there was extensive iteration and evolution during the beginning stages of production, we were able to get more feedback at the showcase. With this feedback, there were a few things I would like to go back and work on in my free time. I would like to go back and work on transitions and animations between screens to make the experience flow a bit better. I would also like to explore other ways to get younger household members invloved, whether this be with games or other challanges.


Overall I am very happy with how this product turned out. It was exciting starting out with nothing but a problem and then taking it all the way to a working product showcase.

Although there was extensive iteration and evolution during the beginning stages of production, we were able to get more feedback at the showcase. With this feedback, there were a few things I would like to go back and work on in my free time. I would like to go back and work on transitions and animations between screens to make the experience flow a bit better. I would also like to explore other ways to get younger household members invloved, whether this be with games or other challenges.

Overall I am very happy with how this product turned out. It was exciting starting out with nothing but a problem and then taking it all the way to a working product showcase.