Challenge:

 

Improve the health of college students at the University of Michigan.

 

Result:

 

Surge is a self-powered and elegant tool that requires no skill to use. It is a smart water bottle with a sophisticated style that monitors and displays the user’s personal daily hydration level throughout the day while also fitting comfortably inside a bag or backpack.

A user’s level of hydration is displayed, in real time, inside a human pictograph on top of the cap. When the user sucks water through the straw, the turbine in the straw spins, which powers a microchip and top-facing LED display. The chip reads how long and how quickly the turbine spins in order to measure the user’s water intake throughout the day. Too remind you to keep it close by it’s form is constructed out of walnut wood reclaimed from Detroit, making it tacitly and aesthetically persuasive.

 

Process / Research:

 

After our studies showed that 80% of college students and young professionals are chronically dehydrated -- but only 30% know it -- our team knew we wanted to tackle this issue. This task was so compelling to me because college students are completely capable of keeping hydrated, all they need is motivation. First, we ideated on ways to trigger users to drink. Second, we ideated on ways to encourage users to keep their water bottles within arms reach.