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Render of the Hydrop hydration system

03

Hydrop

Hydration system for senior living facilities

Group project — render & tech lead

A hydration reminder system designed for senior living, ensuring consistent and accessible water intake for improved health.

01Brief & research

Nourishing later life.

Tasked with supporting elderly nutrition and well-being, our team explored three areas: physical nourishment, mental and emotional nourishment, and digital services.

Physicaldiet & hydrationMental & emotionalcognitive & emotional healthDigital servicesnourishment through technology
Research board: the three focus areas as overlapping circles filled with product and service examples
Research board mapping existing products and services onto the three areas

02Ideation

Ten ideas each.

Each of the four team members sketched ten ideas. My set focused on the digital side of nourishment, from a simplified tablet to a safety watch.

Idea sketch 1 of 10
Idea sketch 2 of 10
Idea sketch 3 of 10
Idea sketch 4 of 10
Idea sketch 5 of 10
Idea sketch 6 of 10
Idea sketch 7 of 10
Idea sketch 8 of 10
Idea sketch 9 of 10
Idea sketch 10 of 10
Simple tabletWalk-a-dog programmeTech-help programmeExplore-nature programmeWarmhearth portalSafety watchInteractive learning appActivity expoSimplified smart homeActivity box

03Converging

Forty ideas, one direction.

Two rounds of interviews with elderly people narrowed forty ideas down to three concepts, and then to the one that answered a real, everyday problem.

  1. 4Team members
  2. 40Ideas10 each
  3. Interviews
  4. 3ConceptsVideo calling · smart water bottle · simple digital interface
  5. Interviews
  6. 1Smart water bottle
A thin stream of water pouring from a tap against black

Problem

Elderly people commonly forget to drink water, leading to dehydration and further health concerns.

Solution

Habit stacking. The water dispenser is placed in a frequently visited area, with reminders, so drinking becomes convenient, appealing and satisfying.

04Developing

From bottle to living room.

The interviews showed most elderly people spend their time at home. So we moved from a smart water bottle to a water dispenser for the living room, making hydration easier to reach.

Perspective sketch of a rounded countertop dispenser with caustic light
Front sketch of the dispenser with a glass under the spout
Render of the white countertop dispenser casting light patterns

05Pivot

Built in, not added on.

Concerns about frequent refills made us rethink the small dispenser. Feedback from mentors and the architecture-focused brief led to a more integrated solution: a permanently installed hydration station in new living spaces, refined through a moodboard.

First iteration: white countertop dispenser
Lit wall niche in a bathroom
Grazing light on a textured wall
Dark kitchen with integrated shelving
Wood and stone water dispenser
Built-in appliance with a lit glass compartment

06Prototyping

Built at full scale.

3D-printed parts and a wooden cabinet came together in a working prototype, tested in a living-room setting.

3D-printed prototype parts laid out on a workbench
Sanding the wooden prototype housing
A hand opening the lit glass door of the prototype
The prototype cabinet placed in a room
Prototype station installed in a wall unit with a lit compartment
  • My roleRenders and technical development within the team of four.
  • Always in sightPlaced where residents already spend their day.
  • Fewer refillsPermanently installed, answering the refill concern of the countertop version.

07Result

Hydration, designed into the room.

Living room render with the hydration station built into a wooden wall unit
Top-down detail of the station's lit compartment
Close-up of the glowing water compartment with glasses
The station seen from outside through a window
Final render of the living room with Hydrop built into the wall unit
Final render
Next projectBraun Vacuum/Mop