Prime Digital Academy
Welcome Gift Redesign
Prime Digital Academy is a leading UX design and full stack engineering program located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I was tasked with redesigning a welcome gift for future full stack engineering students after feedback showed dissatisfaction with a cold and impersonal water bottle design.
Background and Problem
Prime Digital Academy is an immersive and values driven program. Their “About Prime” section simply states: “We're here to change our students' lives and the tech world for the better” and is followed by the Prime Vision and Values:
Prime is an institution that has something to say to its students and to the tech world. Prime’s full stack engineers have traditionally received a water bottle as a welcome gift. While generally a “fine” welcome gift, Prime is a place where people come to build skills for a great career in the 21st Century , not an average one. When surveyed, students reported the existing water bottle as impersonal and lacking meaning. I was tasked with designing a better welcome gift for future cohorts.
Role: UX researcher / product designer
Tools: Pencil and notepad, cellphone camera, QuickTime audio recording, Zoom, Figma, Keynote, found items for prototype
Methods: User research, fly-on-the wall research / AEIOU framework, heuristic analysis of water bottle, prototyping, evaluation and iteration, directed storytelling and think-aloud usability testing, client pitch product presentation
User Research
Fly on the wall observation / AEIUO method
My research began with fly on the wall observation of one Prime’s current full stack classrooms and around a dozen recordings of full stack students’ home workspaces. This observation painted a clear picture of full stack students as a group who value high function and a minimalist environment. Students spend long hours in the classroom receiving instruction and spend their evenings and weekends coding in their home offices. Both campus classroom and home offices were lightly decorated, with laptop and monitors front and center.
Heuristic Analysis
The existing water bottle was evaluated using Jakob Nielsen’s severity ratings for usability problems. While the water bottle was functional, several violations were observed. The exterior powder coat is no doubt “DURABLE” as the label advertises, but testing found the exterior so slick to the touch that dropping the bottle seemed inevitable. Instructions state “hand washing recommended,” but the bottle mouth was too narrow for a hand or scrub brush to get inside. While a “lock” toggle on the cap is a good feature for securing the screw lid, it’s white like everything else and was barely visible. Finally, the white powder coat may look crisp on a students’ desk on Day One, but it would likely attract grime with extended use. The bottle was usable with some problems, but completely unremarkable.
Design
Design Concept - “The Idea”
Using pencil, paper, and Figma, three design concepts were created. Other UX designers voted on the design that had the highest usability and reflection of Prime’s values.
The “Here Comes The Sun” design was the overwhelming pick. Full stack students spend long amounts of time in front of their monitors at the classroom and at home. The existing water bottle could be improved by addressing existing usability concerns, added branding, and one small feature that could make a big difference: touch activated LED downlighting. Learning to code will always involve long periods indoors in front of screens, but adding the concept of light therapy from home products could give students a comforting break that supports wellness. 40% of Americans don’t get enough Vitamin D, according to a 2022 study published in the National Library of Medicine, and it seems very likely this figure is higher for people in the tech field.
The new design would feature a grippier exterior, add color for more visible features, feature a gradient color fill for better cleanliness, a wider mouth for drinkability and washing, branding, and a USB-C rechargeable light for a comforting glow. With the design approved, a prototype was constructed at Leonardo’s Basement, a local workshop featuring a warehouse full of found objects, tools, and bits and bobs as far as the eye can see.
The Prototype
Using some cellophane, paper, markers, hot glue, and moxie, a low-fidelity prototype was constructed to be tested by actual students for feedback and evaluation. The prototype lacked final product-level functionality (grippier exterior, tap light, a working USB-C charger would have been challenging to prototype) but closely resembled the sketch and desired final product. It was time to put the product in front of real users.
Usability Testing
The prototype was placed in front of three current full stack students for usability testing, two in person, one via Zoom for a remote-only cohort student. Interviews featured a blend of directed storytelling, background analysis, and hands on think-aloud testing and evaluation of the prototype. The testing was successful, with users expressing an ability to use and understand the basic features, belief that such a design would be an improvement over the current water bottle gift, and a positive reaction to LED downlighting concept.
Interviews used a blend of directed storytelling, background analysis, and hands-on think-aloud evaluation of the prototype. Interviews were designed to determine if the prototype was more useable and better reflected Prime’s values than the initial product. Background analysis corroborated the thesis that students spent tremendous amounts of time in front of their screens without much time for breaks or sunshine. Many questions were asked, but the following three were instructive:
“Could you tell me about when you spent too much time in front of your monitor at Prime?”
“Did you understand the LED light feature?”
“What do you think of the Here Comes The Sun water bottle?”
Final Product
The final product prototype and user reception should be considered a success. Full stack students expressed excitement about the design, believed it would be more usable, and corroborated assumptions that long, uninterrupted time in front of screens was an unavoidable reality of their time in the program and that a little glow could help their mood and promote breaks and light exposure.
A client pitch presentation to Prime stakeholders was well received. The concept and product were clearly understood. My closing observation was frank: the existing water bottle really is “just fine.” However, Prime’s belief that “We're here to change our students' lives and the tech world for the better” is an inspiring statement that could be much better reflected with minor design changes, usability improvements, branding, and light functionality that provides a mental health break when walks in the sunshine just aren’t feasible (especially during Minnesota winters for in person students)!
User quotes
“I love the idea of the light! That’s a good get, a cool little feature. I love water bottles. I like the no slip powder coat. I think the locking mechanism is great. I like all the ideas behind it.”
“I’m very partial to stainless steel – but as far as plastic water bottles go, this is great. I love that it’s translucent, I think this is pretty cool for joining an organization. Branding is subtle, I think this is pretty nice.”
“I think it’s a really nice idea, having a break from the screen.”
User insights
As always, feedback with users uncovered new insights. While the concept and usability were appreciated, one user stressed that an LED battery system would need to be well designed to withstand water exposure. Further functionality could be provided with a timer that turned on the light as a reminder to drink water, or take a break. One user recommended that the grippier exterior not be too grippy. When I asked why, the user stated that he had young children, and similar “no slip” bottles were so rough that they were difficult to remove from backpacks and bags. Users liked the gradient coloring and a translucent material, but were divided on plastic vs. metal materials for environmental reasons, much like the general water bottle carrying population seems to be.
Lessons Learned
For many designers, a fixation on aesthetics over usability can lead to pretty designs with limited or no functionality. While a better water bottle with the addition of LED downlighting was not the flashiest or “coolest” design idea I came up with, it was the one that could best provide value to students, meet the design goals, and is actually something that could be made. Resisting the urge to design the wildest water bottle possible and instead focus like a laser beam on usability and value was a good decision.
Common items like water bottles are a dime-a-dozen. For this welcome gift to have staying power, better branding and something extra could make the difference between being tossed into a landfill and everyday use.
User research always pays dividends. Users brought forward ideas about material considerations, potential LED light design concerns, and additional timer features that could further improve the prototype and user experience before manufacturing.
Prototyping can be a challenge. UX researchers should resist the urge to lead users or “fill in the blanks” for the most honest assessments, but a working prototype that could hold water, have a working light with materials and functionality as close to the complete product as possible could reduce the time spent on additional product testing.