This semester the Be Bold team of four Industrial Design students work on developing the Salvitae water filter; an off-grid solution for clean drinking water in India.The team spent five weeks in India to investigate target groups, their needs and the context of our product. Most research activities took place in Ivar Kandapura, a small village north of Bangalore. Local knowledge about people, products, business and culture can strengthen our position on the market.
First we performed interviews with a diverse group of inhabitants. We discussed their daily activities and how water is incorporated in their lives and culture. We used pictures and icons to stimulate the conversation and help to overcome language barriers. From 12 interviewed families, 6 were selected as a possible target group to whom we introduced our concept for feedback. We used a scale prototype and user scenario to communicate our ideas. We also compared Salvitae to current clean water solutions, which provided insights about our position in the market. Finally we tested promotion and pricing options to establish a suited business model.
We learned that you have to be flexible in planning if you want to run a research project in India. The people we met were kind and helpful and we look back on a successful research period!
Currently we incorporate our insights in a Salvitae redesign and business model suited for the Indian market. At the same time we are testing the water filter in the Botanical Gardens in Delft to optimize the clean water production.
For more updates about the project you can check: https://www.facebook.com/bebolddelft/
