Filtrete Water Station for 3M

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Message Filtrete Water Station Wanting to convince current bottled-water devotees to bottle their own tap water instead, 3M approached IDEO to help design a consumer- and environment-friendly water filtration product. Unlike the company’s other water filters, which are installed under the sink, 3M wanted to create a more intuitive, countertop-worthy system that would take advantage of its new “real-time” water filtering technology and appeal to those with on-the-go lifestyles. Going into consumers’ homes with rough, working prototypes in hand—over a dozen different types of pitchers, jugs, individual and multiple-bottle systems were shown—the IDEO team watched people struggle to filter water in crowded sinks, spill water on floors and counters, and complain about the slow filtering times of current products available on the market. It soon became clear that to convince hard-core bottled water users to adopt “greener” drinking habits, 3M would have to deliver strongly—and unfailingly—on promises of better tasting water, convenience, and portability. Armed with these insights, designers and engineers from IDEO and 3M collaborated closely on a hit-list of product must-haves: user-friendly interaction ergonomics, no-leak valve closures and sealing mechanisms, eco-conscious design choices, and an iconic, contemporary look and feel. The result of these efforts is the Filtrete Water Station, which launched at Walmart in July 2010, and will be available at more retailers soon. Promising a water filtering process that is significantly faster than traditional filtering pitchers, the Water Station has a wide filling basin that directs tap water through a specially formulated carbon filter into four 16.9oz reusable, BPA-free plastic bottles below. In seconds, the Water Station helps reduce sediments, chlorine taste and odor from tap water. To encourage grab-and-go filling behaviors, four unique valves allow consumers to fill one, two, three, or all four bottles at a time without spilling a drop, while flexible bottle handles double as leak-proof bottle caps. For consumers who prefer chilled water, extra bottles can be purchased, filled, and stored in the fridge. Fast, convenient, and highly portable, the Filtrete Water Station not only delivers on the promise of “bottled water from the tap in seconds,” but carries a “green” promise as well: helping to eliminate the cost and waste of up to 3,000 disposable water bottles per family per year. http://www.ideo.com/work/filtrete-water-station

Wanting to convince current bottled-water devotees to bottle their own tap water instead, 3M approached IDEO to help design a consumer- and environment-friendly water filtration product. Unlike the company’s other water filters, which are installed under the sink, 3M wanted to create a more intuitive, countertop-worthy system that would take advantage of its new “real-time” water filtering technology and appeal to those with on-the-go lifestyles.

Going into consumers’ homes with rough, working prototypes in hand—over a dozen different types of pitchers, jugs, individual and multiple-bottle systems were shown—the IDEO team watched people struggle to filter water in crowded sinks, spill water on floors and counters, and complain about the slow filtering times of current products available on the market.

It soon became clear that to convince hard-core bottled water users to adopt “greener” drinking habits, 3M would have to deliver strongly—and unfailingly—on promises of better tasting water, convenience, and portability. Armed with these insights, designers and engineers from IDEO and 3M collaborated closely on a hit-list of product must-haves: user-friendly interaction ergonomics, no-leak valve closures and sealing mechanisms, eco-conscious design choices, and an iconic, contemporary look and feel.

The result of these efforts is the Filtrete Water Station, which launched at Walmart in July 2010, and will be available at more retailers soon. Promising a water filtering process that is significantly faster than traditional filtering pitchers, the Water Station has a wide filling basin that directs tap water through a specially formulated carbon filter into four 16.9oz reusable, BPA-free plastic bottles below. In seconds, the Water Station helps reduce sediments, chlorine taste and odor from tap water. To encourage grab-and-go filling behaviors, four unique valves allow consumers to fill one, two, three, or all four bottles at a time without spilling a drop, while flexible bottle handles double as leak-proof bottle caps. For consumers who prefer chilled water, extra bottles can be purchased, filled, and stored in the fridge.

Fast, convenient, and highly portable, the Filtrete Water Station not only delivers on the promise of “bottled water from the tap in seconds,” but carries a “green” promise as well: helping to eliminate the cost and waste of up to 3,000 disposable water bottles per family per year.