1. Discovery

   
   

   Background & Challenge

Many people struggle with staying hydrated due to forgetfulness, lack of access to water, and a preference for other beverages. Poor hydration habits negatively affect health and daily performance. Our challenge was to design a digital solution that helps users build sustainable hydration habits in an engaging and intuitive way.

Research & Process

Competitive Analysis

We analyzed existing hydration apps to identify strengths and weaknesses:

• Weather Llama: Playful, gamified approach with an outdoor focus.

• Plan Nanny: Designed for busy users, offering empathetic reminders.

• Water Reminder: Basic hydration tracking with simple alerts.

Our key takeaways: Customization, engaging reminders, and gamification are crucial for user retention.

User Research: Surveys & Interviews

To understand our target audience, we conducted interviews and surveys:

• Motivations to drink water: 52% health benefits, 28% reminders, 20% personal goals.

• Biggest challenges: 62% forget to drink water, 19% lack a water bottle, 14% lack variety in beverages.

• Desired features: Personalized hydration tips, real-time tracking, and fun reminders.

  
  

Affinity Mapping

We organized our research insights using an affinity diagram, highlighting these key themes:

• Users need fun, gamified features to stay engaged.

• Forgetting to hydrate is a major pain point.

• Simplicity and customization are essential for usability.

2. Define

   
   

User Persona

Target Audience: Health-conscious individuals (ages 25–40) who prioritize wellness and hydration.

• Motivations: Personalized tips, gamification, and an engaging way to track hydration.

• Pain Points: Forgetting their bottle, lack of hydration options.

  
  

User Journey

To address the challenge of remembering to hydrate, we mapped out a user journey:

1. Connect the smart bottle and set hydration goals.

2. Receive personalized reminders throughout the day.

3. Track hydration progress and celebrate achievements.

Problem Statement

User Insight: Hydration needs to be seamlessly integrated into daily routines through engaging reminders and tracking features.

Ideation: HMW (How Might We)

1. How might we make hydration reminders more engaging?

2. How might we integrate hydration tracking with wellness metrics?

3. How might we offer fun hydration alternatives to motivate users?

Feature Prioritization (MoSCoW Method)

• Must Have: Hydration tracking, smart bottle sync, personalized reminders.

• Should Have: Gamification, goal setting, wellness metric integration.

• Could Have: Community challenges, AI-powered hydration insights.

• Won’t Have (for MVP): Extensive social features or non-water beverage tracking.

  
  

3. Ideate

User Flow

We structured the app’s main journey:

1. Onboarding: Set hydration goals and sync smart bottle.

2. Daily Tracking: Monitor water intake.

3. Reminders & Rewards: Earn badges and celebrate milestones.

   
   

Wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes were created to map out core functionality. User feedback indicated the need for a simple and intuitive UI with engaging reminders.

Concept Testing

• Users appreciated the app’s clarity but requested more playful elements.

• A unique gamification feature was needed to differentiate AquaFlow.

  
  

Mid fidelity

4. UI Design

   
   

   Visual Competitive Analysis

Branding & Moodboard

Brand Attributes: Playful — Refreshing — Eco-conscious — User-centric

High-Fidelity Design

• Home Dashboard: Displays hydration progress.

• Reminder Notifications: Fun, dynamic alerts.

• Gamification Elements: Earn badges for consistent hydration.

UI Ideas:

• Use a blue-green color palette for a refreshing feel.

• Implement animated water waves in the progress tracker.

• Feature reward animations (e.g., water splashes) for achievements.

5. Validate

   Usability Testing & Iterations

We conducted usability tests with 10 participants and gathered key feedback:

• Feedback: "Notifications feel generic."

  -Iteration: Personalized reminders based on user activity.

• Feedback: "I need more encouragement when I hit my goal."

  -Iteration: Added celebratory animations and motivational messages.

• Feedback: "I forget to refill my bottle."

  -Iteration: Introduced smart bottle integration for automatic tracking.

  
  

Desirability Testing

Users described AquaFlow as playful, colorful, and dynamic. The rewards system and hydration tracking were the most appealing features.

Results & Success Metrics

AquaFlow successfully transformed hydration into a rewarding habit. Users found it:

- Playful
- Refreshing
- Motivating
- User-centric

Next Steps

1. Beyond the Bottle Mode: Enable hydration tracking without a smart bottle.

2. Community Challenges: Users can compete with friends and share achievements.

3. AI-Powered Hydration Insights: Personalized hydration recommendations based on activity and environment.

Conclusion & Learnings

AquaFlow successfully blended technology, gamification, and user-centered design to make hydration easier and more engaging. Iterative testing and user feedback ensured the final product met and exceeded expectations, promoting healthier hydration habits in a fun and effortless way.