AquaVigil | UI/UX DESIGN CASE STUDY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Name: AquaVigil
Duration: 16 Weeks
Objective: Develop an app that helps people track and manage their at-home water usage.
Target Audience: Adult Homeowners
Focus: Help homeowners keep track of exactly how much water their household is using, while also providing ways for them to reduce their water use and incentivizing them to save as much water as possible.
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MY ROLE:
Researcher | Conceptual Designer | UI/UX Developer | Brand Identity Designer | Prototype Developer
I was the lone designer on this project, so I was responsible for the entire design process.
This included…
-
Concept Ideation
-
Research
-
User Persona Development & Journey Mapping
-
Wireframing
-
Interactive Design
-
UI/UX Design
-
Prototype Development
-
Usability Testing
-
Brand Design
THE PRODUCT:
AquaVigil is a mobile app designed to make using less water at home easier than ever.
Features
-
Daily summaries of your household's water use.
-
Tips to increase water efficiency with each appliance.
-
Projection of how much water each tip could help you save.
-
-
Automated features like leak detection, pressure regulation, and sprinkler control.
-
A reward system; save more water, get more money.
For a more detailed look at the AquaVigil app prototype, and all its interactivity, click the button below.
HOW AQUAVIGIL MEETS THE OBJECTIVE:
1a: Daily Report At The Top
1b: Visual Comparison Shows Water-Saving Progress
1c: Appliance List With Individual Water Summaries
2a: Same As 1a, But Customized For Each Appliance
2b: Tips To Increase Water Use Efficiency For Appliance
2c: Option To Check Water-Saving Potential Of Each Tip
3a: Save Water = Earn Money
3b: Gain All Points In A Tier To Make Its Reward Available
3c: Guide To Water-Saving Landmarks That Earn Points
4a: Detect Leaks As They Start
4b: Regulate Pressure To Passively Reduce Water Use
4c: Control Sprinklers To Avoid Wasteful Use
RESEARCH:
Methods
The initial stages of research involved…
Secondary Data: Gathered through online research.
-
Focus:
-
What kind of at-home water-saving solutions already exist.
-
What kind of gaps there are that my product could fill.
-
How my water-saving app could actually function.
-
The technology it would need to work.
-
-
Key Findings
-
There are existing at-home water-saving apps, but they don't…
-
Guide users on how to use less water.
-
Incentivize users to save as much water as possible.
-
Do much to make it easier to use less water.
-
They simply track the water that's being used.
-
-
-
Pre-existing at-home water-saving apps measure water use through a device attached to the household's water meter and a bridge that transmits the data to the app.
USABILITY TESTING:
Main Takeaways
-
Much of the difficulty participants had came from being new to the system, rather than it being a bad interface.
-
Certain interactable elements were not clear to the user.
-
Smaller text was difficult to read.
-
The point guide was not organized in a clear way and was too text heavy.
-
The list of brands to choose for a reward card was not organized well.
-
Participants were largely complimentary of the interface, proving the bones of it are good, but that it just needs a little makeover.
BRAND IDENTITY:
Name
The name "AquaVigil" comes from combining the Latin words for "water" and "watchful" (Aqua + Vigil), telling customers that this product will sit vigil to keep track of your water usage, and be like your own little water-saving vigilante.
Colors
AquaVigil's color scheme is inspired by the California Department of Water Resources' logo. The blue maintains more of a connection to water-saving than other apps that use more neutral colors.
Typography
The typography was chosen to contribute to a unique visual identity, one that was sophisticated, but also friendly in a way that makes what can be a very overwhelming task (saving water at home) seem less intimidating.
Logos
Each of the AquaVigil logos (vertical and wordmark) are my own original designs. An eye mask replaces the crossbar of the "A," evoking the idea of AquaVigil being your personal water-saving hero. And the "V" imitates ripples in water that gradually fade away.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
Challenges
My main difficulty was ensuring that the AquaVigil app was engaging, informative, and easy-to-navigate. Keeping track of your household's water usage is not exactly amazingly entertaining, so I had to design the interface in a way that made a boring subject more engaging. And balancing the information the app provides while keeping it easy-to-navigate was difficult because I had to fit all of the necessary information onto a tiny phone screen.
Learnings
Throughout this project, I learned about many integral elements of UI/UX design.
What stands out to me most is…
-
The importance of clarity in how you phrase the tasks given to participants during user testing.
-
Learning how to balance the readability of text on a phone screen with what looks good to me while I'm designing on a computer screen.
-
The absolute necessity of ensuring that whatever icons I choose to represent the different pages of my app are clear and make sense to the people who would actually use the app.
AquaVigil | UI/UX DESIGN CASE STUDY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Name: AquaVigil
Duration: 16 Weeks
Objective: Develop an app that helps people track and manage their at-home water usage.
Target Audience: Adult Homeowners
Focus: Help homeowners keep track of exactly how much water their household is using, while also providing ways for them to reduce their water use and incentivizing them to save as much water as possible.
MY ROLE:
Researcher | Conceptual Designer | UI/UX Developer | Brand Identity Designer | Prototype Developer
I was the lone designer on this project, so I was responsible for the entire design process.
This included…
-
Concept Ideation
-
Research
-
User Persona Development
& Journey Mapping -
Wireframing
-
Interactive Design
-
UI/UX Design
-
Prototype Development
-
Usability Testing
-
Brand Design
THE PRODUCT:
AquaVigil is a mobile app designed to make using less water at home easier than ever.
Features
-
Daily summaries of your household's water use.
-
Tips to increase water efficiency with each appliance.
-
Projection of how much water each tip could help you save.
-
-
Automated features like leak detection, pressure regulation, and sprinkler control.
-
A reward system; save more water, get more money.
For a more detailed look at the AquaVigil app prototype, and all its interactivity, click the button below.
HOW AQUAVIGIL MEETS THE OBJECTIVE:
1a: Daily Report At The Top
1b: Visual Comparison Shows Water-Saving Progress
1c: Appliance List With Individual Water Summaries
2a: Same As 1a, But Customized For Each Appliance
2b: Tips To Increase Water Use Efficiency For Appliance
2c: Option To Check Water-Saving Potential Of Each Tip
3a: Save Water = Earn Money
3b: Gain All Points In A Tier To Make Its Reward Available
3c: Guide To Water-Saving Landmarks That Earn Points
4a: Detect Leaks As They Start
4b: Regulate Pressure To Passively Reduce Water Use
4c: Control Sprinklers To Avoid Wasteful Use
RESEARCH:
Methods
The initial stages of research involved…
Secondary Data: Gathered through online research.
-
Focus:
-
What kind of at-home water-saving solutions already exist.
-
What kind of gaps there are that my product could fill.
-
How my water-saving app could actually function.
-
The technology it would need to work.
-
-
Key Findings
-
There are existing at-home water-saving apps, but they don't…
-
Guide users on how to use less water.
-
Incentivize users to save as much water as possible.
-
Do much to make it easier to use less water.
-
They simply track the water that's being used.
-
-
-
Pre-existing at-home water-saving apps measure water use through a device attached to the household's water meter and a bridge that transmits the data to the app.
USABILITY TESTING:
Main Takeaways
-
Much of the difficulty participants had came from being new to the system, rather than it being a bad interface.
-
Certain interactable elements were not clear to the user.
-
Smaller text was difficult to read.
-
The point guide was not organized in a clear way and was too text heavy.
-
The list of brands to choose for a reward card was not organized well.
-
Participants were largely complimentary of the interface, proving the bones of it are good, but that it just needs a little makeover.
BRAND IDENTITY:
Name
The name "AquaVigil" comes from combining the Latin words for "water" and "watchful" (Aqua + Vigil), telling customers that this product will sit vigil to keep track of your water usage, and be like your own little water-saving vigilante.
Colors
AquaVigil's color scheme is inspired by the California Department of Water Resources' logo. The blue maintains more of a connection to water-saving than other apps that use more neutral colors.
Typography
The typography was chosen to contribute to a unique visual identity, one that was sophisticated, but also friendly in a way that makes what can be a very overwhelming task (saving water at home) seem less intimidating.
Logos
Each of the AquaVigil logos (vertical and wordmark) are my own original designs. An eye mask replaces the crossbar of the "A," evoking the idea of AquaVigil being your personal water-saving hero. And the "V" imitates ripples in water that gradually fade away.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
Challenges
My main difficulty was ensuring that the AquaVigil app was engaging, informative, and easy-to-navigate. Keeping track of your household's water usage is not exactly amazingly entertaining, so I had to design the interface in a way that made a boring subject more engaging. And balancing the information the app provides while keeping it easy-to-navigate was difficult because I had to fit all of the necessary information onto a tiny phone screen.
Learnings
Throughout this project, I learned about many integral elements of UI/UX design.
What stands out to me most is…
-
The importance of clarity in how you phrase the tasks given to participants during user testing.
-
Learning how to balance the readability of text on a phone screen with what looks good to me while I'm designing on a computer screen.
-
The absolute necessity of ensuring that whatever icons I choose to represent the different pages of my app are clear and make sense to the people who would actually use the app.
AquaVigil | UI/UX DESIGN CASE STUDY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Name: AquaVigil
Duration: 16 Weeks
Objective: Develop an app that helps people track and manage their at-home water usage.
Target Audience: Adult Homeowners
Focus: Help homeowners keep track of exactly how much water their household is using, while also providing ways for them to reduce their water use and incentivizing them to save as much water as possible.
MY ROLE:
Researcher | Conceptual Designer | UI/UX Developer | Brand Identity Designer | Prototype Developer
I was the lone designer on this project, so I was responsible for the entire design process.
This included…
-
Concept Ideation
-
Research
-
User Persona Development & Journey Mapping
-
Wireframing
-
Interactive Design
-
UI/UX Design
-
Prototype Development
-
Usability Testing
-
Brand Design
THE PRODUCT:
AquaVigil is a mobile app designed to make using less water at home easier than ever.
Features
-
Daily summaries of your household's water use.
-
Tips to increase water efficiency with each appliance.
-
Projection of how much water each tip could help you save.
-
-
Automated features like leak detection, pressure regulation, and sprinkler control.
-
A reward system; save more water, get more money.
For a more detailed look at the AquaVigil app prototype, and all its interactivity, click the button below.
HOW AQUAVIGIL MEETS THE OBJECTIVE:
1a: Daily Report At The Top
1b: Visual Comparison Shows Water-Saving Progress
1c: Appliance List With Individual Water Summaries
2a: Same As 1a, But Customized For Each Appliance
2b: Tips To Increase Water Use Efficiency For Appliance
2c: Option To Check Water-Saving Potential Of Each Tip
3a: Save Water = Earn Money
3b: Gain All Points In A Tier To Make Its Reward Available
3c: Guide To Water-Saving Landmarks That Earn Points
4a: Detect Leaks As They Start
4b: Regulate Pressure To Passively Reduce Water Use
4c: Control Sprinklers To Avoid Wasteful Use
RESEARCH:
Methods
The initial stages of research involved…
Secondary Data: Gathered through online research.
-
Focus:
-
What kind of at-home water-saving solutions already exist.
-
What kind of gaps there are that my product could fill.
-
How my water-saving app could actually function.
-
The technology it would need to work.
-
-
Key Findings
-
There are existing at-home water-saving apps, but they don't…
-
Guide users on how to use less water.
-
Incentivize users to save as much water as possible.
-
Do much to make it easier to use less water.
-
They simply track the water that's being used.
-
-
-
Pre-existing at-home water-saving apps measure water use through a device attached to the household's water meter and a bridge that transmits the data to the app.
USABILITY TESTING:
Main Takeaways
-
Much of the difficulty participants had came from being new to the system, rather than it being a bad interface.
-
Certain interactable elements were not clear to the user.
-
Smaller text was difficult to read.
-
The point guide was not organized in a clear way and was too text heavy.
-
The list of brands to choose for a reward card was not organized well.
-
Participants were largely complimentary of the interface, proving the bones of it are good, but that it just needs a little makeover.
BRAND IDENTITY:
Name
The name "AquaVigil" comes from combining the Latin words for "water" and "watchful" (Aqua + Vigil), telling customers that this product will sit vigil to keep track of your water usage, and be like your own little water-saving vigilante.
Colors
AquaVigil's color scheme is inspired by the California Department of Water Resources' logo. The blue maintains more of a connection to water-saving than other apps that use more neutral colors.
Typography
The typography was chosen to contribute to a unique visual identity, one that was sophisticated, but also friendly in a way that makes what can be a very overwhelming task (saving water at home) seem less intimidating.
Logos
Each of the AquaVigil logos (vertical and wordmark) are my own original designs. An eye mask replaces the crossbar of the "A," evoking the idea of AquaVigil being your personal water-saving hero. And the "V" imitates ripples in water that gradually fade away.
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
Challenges
My main difficulty was ensuring that the AquaVigil app was engaging, informative, and easy-to-navigate. Keeping track of your household's water usage is not exactly amazingly entertaining, so I had to design the interface in a way that made a boring subject more engaging. And balancing the information the app provides while keeping it easy-to-navigate was difficult because I had to fit all of the necessary information onto a tiny phone screen.
Learnings
Throughout this project, I learned about many integral elements of UI/UX design.
What stands out to me most is…
-
The importance of clarity in how you phrase the tasks given to participants during user testing.
-
Learning how to balance the readability of text on a phone screen with what looks good to me while I'm designing on a computer screen.
-
The absolute necessity of ensuring that whatever icons I choose to represent the different pages of my app are clear and make sense to the people who would actually use the app.