Ripples
Make every drop count: shorter showers, bigger ripples.
Project overview: the Ripples Project addresses the challenge of water conservation by redesigning the shower experience to inspire sustainable behavior change. It introduces a gamified companion device, the "Shower Pet," and an app to track and promote mindful shower habits, integrating water conservation with user delight.
Objective: to reduce water and energy waste during showers by encouraging users to shorten shower durations while enhancing their overall experience through personalized, interactive, and sustainable interventions.
Sept- Nov 2024
Stakeholders: SCAD, Apple, Smartphone users
Role: Sustainable Strategist and Service Designer
Timeline: 10 weeks
My Role
Research & insights: conducted surveys, interviews, and sensory mapping to understand user behaviors, motivations, and barriers. Identified emotional drivers like relaxation and escapism to influence behavior change.
Competitive analysis: mapped existing solutions to identify gaps and opportunities using the Force Salience Matrix.
Design & development: created personas, user journeys, and a service blueprint.
App and UI design: designed the Ripples app with features like real-time feedback, gamification (leaderboards and rewards), and a personalized dashboard. Integrated seamless user experiences from onboarding to goal tracking.
Prototyping & testing: iterated on the Shower Pet and app based on user testing to enhance usability and engagement.
Sustainability strategy: applied circular design principles with recycled materials and gamified incentives to drive sustainable habits.
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Methodologies
Behavioral Mapping: Charted user habits and motivations through primary research.
Personas: Crafted archetypes like "The Evening Unwinder" to empathize with diverse user needs.
Service Blueprint: Mapped the interplay between user actions, app feedback, and device interactions.
User Journey Mapping: Illustrated touchpoints from pre-shower to post-shower, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience.
App and UI Design Methodologies
User-Centered Design: Focused on intuitive interfaces that adapt to user preferences.
Gamification: Designed features like point systems, ranks (e.g., "Water Wizard"), and rewards to motivate sustainable behaviors.
Data Visualization: Created dashboards that show shower statistics and impact in visually engaging formats.
Real-Time Feedback: Enabled instant alerts through the app and device, fostering mindfulness during showers.
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Methodologies
Gamification for Sustainability
Designed a rewards system and point-based gamification using ranks and achievements to encourage water-saving habits.
Impact Quantification
Measured water savings (913 gallons annually per user) and demonstrated the cumulative environmental benefits of behavior change.
Fogg’s Behavior Model
Applied the B=MAT framework (Behavior = Motivation, Ability, Trigger) to ensure sustainable habits are achievable and engaging with well-timed prompts.
CREATE Funnel Method
Implemented cues, reactions, evaluation, ability, timing, and experience to guide users toward positive, sustainable shower practices.
Behavior Mapping
Analyzed shower behaviors to identify intervention points, such as prolonged showering due to escapism or relaxation, to suggest actionable changes.
Octalysis Framework
Used the 8 Core Drives of gamification (e.g., accomplishment, ownership, and social influence) to design a compelling user experience that motivates sustainable habits.
Three Horizons Framework
Explored immediate (H1), near-term (H2), and long-term (H3) strategies for water conservation behavior change and system evolution.
Alignment with SDGs
Focused on contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean water conservation and responsible consumption.
Strategy & Methodologies
Shower Pet:
A smart device that tracks water usage, duration, and temperature, providing real-time feedback with playful interactions.
Ripples app & features
Ripples App:
Personalized Dashboard: Displays water usage trends and environmental impact.
Rewards System: Gamifies conservation through points, ranks, and incentives.
Real-Time Feedback: Alerts users on shower duration and efficiency.
Circular Design:
Made from recycled PET materials with thermochromic features for interactive feedback.
an emotional
interaction
It’s more than just an app and a toy…
The shower pet creates an emotional connection with users, fostering sustainable habits through playful engagement:
personalization: Users name and customize their pet, building ownership and accountability, which encourages shorter showers.
real-time feedback: The pet's mood and color change reflect user behavior, offering positive reinforcement (happy pet) for water-saving actions.
gamification: Nurturing the pet motivates users to maintain habits, linking their actions to tangible rewards and progress.
behavioral triggers: Subtle cues like a sad pet when shower time exceeds limits gently prompt self-regulation without judgment.
By integrating Fogg’s Behavior Model and Self-Determination Theory, the design aligns motivation, ability, and triggers with intrinsic goals, making sustainability engaging and achievable.
Project impact
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Promoted shorter showers without compromising the relaxation experience.
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Each user can save over 900 gallons of water per year, collectively impacting global water scarcity.
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Reduced energy consumption tied to water heating, lowering carbon emissions.
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Fostered mindfulness about the intersection of personal health and environmental stewardship.
