LIVE, DUCKI LIVE
NEW FUTURES HACKATHON FOR WATER SECURITY
Overview
I participated in a Hackathon organised by the I2N Integrated Innovation Network and the University of Newcastle. The event's goal was to bring together individuals with diverse backgrounds in the tech industry to identify the obstacles associated with water usage and devise strategies for creating a sustainable future. Alongside my team, we aimed to educate and contextualise the significance of water responsibility through gamification.
Team
Rod Victoria, Flynn Barbary, Sarah Leah Andreas & Keegan Pratt
Role
UX/UI Designer
Duration
9 Hours
Tools & Methods
Secondary research | User flows | Sketches | Wireframes | Prototypes | React | Node.js | NPM | CSS
The Problem
WATER MATTERS
Water scarcity affects over 40% of the world's population, with only 3% of water being drinkable. By 2050, at least 25% of people will face recurring water shortages. Improved water usage and management are critical to meeting growing demand.
Locally, Newcastle and Hunter Region, Australia's driest inhabited continent, are experiencing the lowest dam water levels in 20 years. With a projected 120,000 population increase in the next 20 years, individuals must contribute to protecting the water systems locally and globally.
"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one."
Jacques Yves Cousteau
The Solution
GAMIFYING THE WATER USE
Our solution involved designing an app promoting sustainability and early childhood training education. By gamifying the impact of water usage, we aimed to create a fun and practical learning experience that helps users understand how their actions affect the environment. We aim to educate students and families about responsible water usage and encourage intelligent decision-making regarding this precious resource.
The Brainstorm
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR WICKED CHALLENGES
We brainstormed solutions to address water security's various challenges, such as efficiency, sustainability, and reliability.
Three promising ideas emerged:
1. An intelligent water system that uses IoT sensors to collect real-time data.
2. An educational app aimed at teaching kids the importance of water conservation.
3. A farmer's water marketplace that enables buying and selling of water between farms using the existing grid.
After careful consideration, our team collectively decided to pursue the second option of developing an educational app, despite it being a relatively common solution. We recognized the potential impact it could have in addressing the issue of water conservation. We were confident in creating a basic prototype within the given time constraints. Additionally, we deemed it a feasible and easy-to-implement solution that would be well-received by both the market and the community.
The Research
A HOLISTIC APPROACH
To gain valuable insights, we drew upon the "Water Conservation in Schools" podcast series from the Australian Water Association, highlighting the importance of schools as community hubs that bring together teachers, students, and families. We were inspired by the efforts of sustainability specialists in the city of Gold Coast, who improved local schools' water literacy by providing real-time water consumption information.
Our approach also aimed to take a holistic approach and utilize technology to make a difference. Engaging with students, schools, and families was crucial in changing habits and attitudes towards water conservation. To achieve the best results, we recognized the need to meet the user at their level and prioritize engagement.
The Inspiration
FINDING INSPIRATION IN THE WORLD AROUND US
We took inspiration from successful commercial and social initiatives, such as Tamagotchi and Dumb Ways to Die. By finding inspiration in things that matter, we can develop solutions that impact people's lives.
TAMAGOTCHI
A hand-held device released in Japan in 1996 was widely considered the first virtual pet. It was successful because it required users to commit to caring for the virtual pet as if it were an actual living creature, leading many users to feel genuinely attached to it. As of 2010, it had sold over 76 million copies worldwide.
DUMB WAYS TO DIE
It began as a simple, light-hearted song to raise awareness for public train safety. Its success can be attributed to its effective storytelling and communication methods. The content was shareable, cute, and morbidly "funny", making it entertaining while still conveying the message. The campaign expanded to include station posters, a children's book, a website, and a game app. More importantly, Metro Trains found a 21% reduction in train station incidents following the campaign.
The User
OUR FUTURE GENERATION
In Australia, water is usually abundant and easily accessible in most households, which makes it challenging for children to understand its importance fully. Therefore, it is essential to teach them about the significance of water from an early age to impact their lifelong habits.
Our team focused on elementary school students because they respond more to interactive designs like game apps. Additionally, elementary schools are community hubs where students interact with peers, teachers, parents, staff, neighbours, and local councils.
Therefore, developing an effective product for elementary school students has the potential to reach a larger audience. Children can create a sense of responsibility, feel safe, and build healthier lives by incorporating water conservation habits into their routines.
The Product
MEET DUCKI
We came up with an adorable character called Ducki for our water-saving game. The game involves users controlling Ducki and completing water-saving tasks around their virtual home. Users need more time to complete these tasks and must keep the local dam full to measure their success. If the dam runs dry, Ducki will not survive. Moreover, the game is designed to be location-specific, reacting to seasonal changes like droughts and storms in the user's area.
The Prototype
BUILDING OUR WATER-SAVING APP
We utilized React, Node.js, NPM and CSS to create our water-saving app. The development began by establishing the app's core interactions and user experience. While the development team worked on the basic functionalities, the UX/UI team focused on creating an engaging story, an intuitive interface, and immersive interactive experiences. We seamlessly integrated design and functionality by working together to create a cohesive and user-friendly app.
The Challenges
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES IN DESIGNING FOR BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Designing a game for behaviour change requires a delicate balance between making it fun and educational without losing sight of the intended purpose. One of the biggest challenges we faced was to create a game that wouldn't detach players from the real-world issues of water scarcity. We tackled this by creating a character, Ducki, that users would become attached to and care about whether it thrives or dies.
Another challenge was to make the game contextually relevant to Newcastle by incorporating a geo-location feature allowing users to interact with water issues in their neighbourhood. Finally, user research and usability testing were also challenging due to the time constraints of a Hackathon. However, we plan to continue testing with a mid-fidelity product.
The Takeaways
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LEARNINGS
We are thrilled that we created a product that can help children understand the importance of water in a meaningful way. We hope they will realise that we are all responsible for water security. As a first-time Hackathon participant, I was still determining what to expect.
None of us had engineering or environmentalism backgrounds, yet we could leverage our individual strengths and work together seamlessly. Our approach was to generate ideas quickly and avoid becoming too attached to any specific direction. The final solution was a culmination of our diverse knowledge and skill sets.
Team Water Dragons
For my next Hackathon, I would like to research and synthesise possible design solutions ahead of time. It would give us a better chance of creating a more developed product and improving our odds of winning.
Nonetheless, I had a great experience and learned valuable lessons that will benefit me professionally. A big shoutout to my colleague Flynn Barbary for his excellent UX/UI work and our full-stack developers Sarah Leah Andreas and Keegan Pratt. Although we didn't win, we are proud of what we accomplished together.
