Overview
The study aims to analyse the factors that influence users’ behaviour to opt for a particular hydration product besides water in the current dehydrating scenarios and how can it be critical in the future of hydration.
The project focuses on analyzing the user behavior to discover opportunity gaps that can positively impact users’ decision making.
Duration: 7 weeks (Fall Semester 2019, CMU)
My Role: User Research, Visual Design
Tools: Concept Mapping, Interviews, Survey, Co-Design, Literature Review
To study and analyze the factors influencing user behavior in choosing hydration products besides water.
Hypothesis
Hydration during water crisis can be controlled by advancing the users’ reliability on water-alternatives.
Questions to Address:
How to make users think beyond water for hydration?
How to categorise factors influencing user behaviour in choosing a product?
On what basis can products be narrowed down, to get a broader user behaviour data pertaining to those specific products?
What makes any product hydrating or dehydrating?
Mind Map
Interviews
In the absence of water, what do you consume to hydrate yourself?
What factors make you decide a water-alternative?
Do you prefer hot coffee or cold coffee? Which one hydrates you more?
I interviewed 3 users for this research:
Boris, Swimmer, Univeristy of Pittsburgh
Boris is a swimmer and has participated in a lot of university championships. This was a good reason to understand the demands of hydration during rigorous workouts, and what is the general preference of athletes for water-alternatives.
Satyan, College Student, CMU
Satyan is from India, which is a country with extremely hot climate. I wanted to understand his preferences in hot weather conditions, and mostly pertaining to Indian products.
Som, Fitness Enthusiast, KPMG
Som is in his early-thirties and goes to gym every day. He was a good example to know about how the hydration products vary with age.
Online Survey
Besides interviewing, I put up a questionnaire on water alternative choices on social media, where in I received responses from a wide-ranging audience, leading to informative patterns within different categories of choosing a product.
For instance, Coconut Water (preferred unpackaged) is the most popular alternative in terms of hydration, because of its high nutrition value and low sugar content compared to juices.
Hydrates you
Coconut Water > Juice > Water Rich Fruits > Beer > Coffee > Milk
Make you pee
Beer > Coffee > Juice > Milk > Water Rick Fruits > Coconut Water
Most preferred
Beer > Coffee > Juice > Milk > Water Rich Fruits > Coconut Water
Observations
Initial Insights
Texture of the product influence users perception about hydration, that is, users think, more the liquid texture in the product, more likely it is to hydrate. This is in contrast to milk, which has a thick texture compared to juices but hydrates better.
Users have strong habits acquired over a time period that makes them choose a particular product every time. They have a self- awareness about what influences their product choice. For example: one of the user knew he wanted sugar rush through his coffee.
Co-Design
Through the insights from Interviews and surveys, the focus area narrowed down to factors that contribute in breaking the acquired habits of users.
Planning
The activity was planned to understand the following questions:
What hydration products do they consume through a day with respect to their activities?
Why do they like only specific alternative and if they dislike any, why?
How frequently do users switch from one hydration product to another?
What makes them choose a new product?
Execution
The activity was carried out with 4 participants at iii studio. Below is how activity processed:
Choose top three choices in water-alternatives and describe why did you choose it?
Switch sheets with other participants and on the basis of their reasoning, would you try or not try the product?
Select a flavour from the list and draw the story of what made you try that flavour for the first time.
Choose the cards of bottles packaging and reason the choice
Persona
Ron, 27, final year MBA student at CMU
“I want something that shouldn’t ruin my thirst but should energise me like coffee”
Ron is doing his MBA from CMU. He lives on coffee, drinks 5-6 cups everyday to energise himself. He attends a lot of business meetings throughout the day and likes to drink on weekends, which makes his dehydration worse. Besides coffee, he likes to iced coffee or but doesn’t like milk separately
Needs
Energy rush for morning classes through black coffee with extra sugar
A better alternative to coffee that gives him a similar rush and matches his taste
Frustrations
Hectic daily schedule, doesn’t get time to make coffee in morning.
Repeats same order at Starbucks everyday, doesn’t know what new to try when he is bored with his choice
Gets dehydrated often during a day
On somedays, coffee makes him hyperactive
Journey Map of the Persona
Product Opportunity Gap
It is difficult for users to choose water-alternatives if no one in their social circle has suggested them the product. Hence, recommendation system of products from a reliable source is critical in choosing hydration products
To create a marketing experience that can break users’ habits/acquired taste and make them aware about other types of products with respect to their preferred flavour, nutrition value, brand and within their cost factors.
Guiding Principles
Must potentially align to users’ purpose of using the product and their preferences
Should be accessible from anywhere and create an experience of comprehending detailed suggestions
Could be placed both in physical space or virtually accessed