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# System prepended metadata

title: Our new prototype

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# Our new prototype

![](https://i.imgur.com/4vYfNj9.jpg)
![](https://i.imgur.com/HBWtFrU.jpg)
![](https://i.imgur.com/5gjkuTe.jpg)

Protocol
Ideal user profile: All people from all age range, especially the environmentalists, the ones who do the households, and people who owns public or private facilities which needs a lot of hot water.

The ideal duration of our test: 15 minutes.

Goal: Our goal is to improve the awareness of saving water, and to make sure if our equipment is desired and regarded as something useful in either household or for private/public facilities.

Main features we want to test: We want to test its practicability, its frequency of utilization, and whether it has a market.

The actions that the user will have to perform: Answer the questions from our questionnaire, giving an overall attitude toward the product.


Introduction
Hello, my name is Ksenia/Alexandre/Oscar/Xiang/Xinyi and I am conducting a survey in order to test the prototype our group had made. Your opinion would be of great use for us: it will help us determine product’s weak points and we will do our best to improve it in the future. Our project is about reinventing the water heating experience using the smart grids technology.
First of all, do you have any questions?
General questions
To start with, I will ask you some questions about your habits regarding the use of water heating systems in your house:

How many people do you live with?
What is your average electric charge by month?
How do you feel about electricity consumption in your house? Is it used efficiently? Could it be used more efficiently? (If yes question below, if no, next part)
What are some methods that you thought/did in order to reduce this consumption?
Specific qusetions
What is the biggest energy consuming part (shower, water tap in the bathroom, water tap in the kitchen, dishwasher, etc) that consumes the biggest amount of water heating energy?
What is the estimated time (in seconds) do you usually wait until the water becomes hot during shower (in average)?
How many times per days is shower used in your house?
Presentation of the product: video explanation of the principle of its functioning
Do you have any questions about the way it functions or the purpose of the project?
Please, feel free to comment anything on the product.
Constructive suggestions to improvement
What seems to be an issue in this product?
Are there any problems/flaws according to the product?
What would you suggest we could improve, what could be made to facilitate the use of the product?
How can we change it to reach even better results?
Thank you so much for participating in this survey! Your answers are of GREAT use for us!

Specification:
Our product is an object that attaches to the diaper pommel, it is made of iron.
The purpose of our product is to recycle cold shower water.
The cold water would then go into the toilet tank and will be recycled thanks to our prototype.
Our prototype is fixable and removable
The prototype is therefore fixed on the shower head and is connected via a link . The link is connected to the toilet tank.
We have thought of putting a thermometer in the prototype, as soon as the temperature set on the prototype will be the right one, hot water will then be able to flow through the prototype.
For our next prototype, we would like to add a screen where we could see our real time water consumption and a limit function.


Questionnaire Results
Participant 1
Introduction
Hello, my name is Ksenia/Alexandre/Oscar/Xiang/Xinyi and I am conducting a survey in order to test the prototype our group had made. Your opinion would be of great use for us: it will help us determine product’s weak points and we will do our best to improve it in the future. Our project is about reinventing the water heating experience using the smart grids technology.
First of all, do you have any questions?
General questions
To start with, I will ask you some questions about your habits regarding the use of water heating systems in your house:

How many people do you live with?
2
What is your average electric charge by month?
What I paid for the house rent covers the electric charge.
How do you feel about electricity consumption in your house? Is it used efficiently? Could it be used more efficiently? (If yes question below, if no, next part)
I have totally no idea, but I believe it can be used more efficiently.
What are some methods that you thought/did in order to reduce this consumption?
I don’t know.
Specific questions
What is the biggest energy consuming part (shower, water tap in the bathroom, water tap in the kitchen, dishwasher, etc.) that consumes the biggest amount of water heating energy?
The shower.
What is the estimated time (in seconds) do you usually wait until the water becomes hot during shower (in average)?
Over 10 seconds.
How many times per days is shower used in your house?
2 times.
Presentation of the product: video explanation of the principle of its functioning
Do you have any questions about the way it functions or the purpose of the project?
Please, feel free to comment anything on the product.
No
Constructive suggestions to improvement
What seems to be an issue in this product?
I’m afraid my toilet will explode with that water pressure.
Are there any problems/flaws according to the product?
I think it’s the water pressure the system will cause to the toilet. It will either explode or cause a waterfall in my bathroom.
What would you suggest we could improve, what could be made to facilitate the use of the product?
Maybe redirect those water to the water tank is better, separated or not.
How can we change it to reach even better results?
Splitting the water to another place, or make sure the toilet could stand the pressure.
Conclusion
Interviewee: 19 years old, college student, rent a house.
Viewpoint: neutral, lean to negative.
Improvement: need to redirect the water into another place.
Something unexpected: the electric charge is covered.
Issue: Worries about the toilet might explode or cause a waterfall with the water pressure.
Thank you so much for participating in this survey! Your answers are of GREAT use for us!

Participant 2
Introduction
Hello, my name is Ksenia/Alexandre/Oscar/Xiang/Xinyi and I am conducting a survey in order to test the prototype our group had made. Your opinion would be of great use for us: it will help us determine product’s weak points and we will do our best to improve it in the future. Our project is about reinventing the water heating experience using the smart grids technology.
First of all, do you have any questions?
General questions
To start with, I will ask you some questions about your habits regarding the use of water heating systems in your house:

How many people do you live with?
4
What is your average electric charge by month?
70 Euros
How do you feel about electricity consumption in your house? Is it used efficiently? Could it be used more efficiently? (If yes question below, if no, next part)
Maybe, we turn off every electric appliance when we don’t use them. we hope it can be more efficient.
What are some methods that you thought/did in order to reduce this consumption?
I don’t know.
Specific questions
What is the biggest energy consuming part (shower, water tap in the bathroom, water tap in the kitchen, dishwasher, etc.) that consumes the biggest amount of water heating energy?
The Dishwasher and showering.
What is the estimated time (in seconds) do you usually wait until the water becomes hot during shower (in average)?
30s.
How many times per days is shower used in your house?
4 times.
Presentation of the product: video explanation of the principle of its functioning
Do you have any questions about the way it functions or the purpose of the project?
Please, feel free to comment anything on the product.
Where is that tube direct to? Is it to the toilet tank? How does the tube connect to the toilet tank? How does that plate attach on the shower head?
Constructive suggestions to improvement
What seems to be an issue in this product?
I think that tube is not really convenient, attractive and aesthetic, it may cause injury to my children.
Are there any problems/flaws according to the product?
No.
What would you suggest we could improve, what could be made to facilitate the use of the product?
Make it more aesthetic and convenient.
How can we change it to reach even better results?
Change something about the tube.
Conclusion
Interviewee: 40+ years old, housewife, mother of 2, environmentalist.
Viewpoint: neutral, lean to positive.
Improvement: refine the tube.
Something unexpected: The safety problem of the tube.
Issue: That tube is not convenient, attractive and aesthetic, it may cause injury to children.
Thank you so much for participating in this survey! Your answers are of GREAT use for us!

Participant 3
Introduction
Hello, my name is Ksenia/Alexandre/Oscar/Xiang/Xinyi and I am conducting a survey in order to test the prototype our group had made. Your opinion would be of great use for us: it will help us determine product’s weak points and we will do our best to improve it in the future. Our project is about reinventing the water heating experience using the smart grids technology.
First of all, do you have any questions?
General questions
To start with, I will ask you some questions about your habits regarding the use of water heating systems in your house:

How many people do you live with?
3, with 4 dogs.
What is your average electric charge by month?
120 Euros
How do you feel about electricity consumption in your house? Is it used efficiently? Could it be used more efficiently? (If yes question below, if no, next part)
We care a little about the efficiency, so I don’t think we use it efficiently. But it’s something we can start to pay attention to.
What are some methods that you thought/did in order to reduce this consumption?
Turn off electric devices when they are not in use.
Specific questions
What is the biggest energy consuming part (shower, water tap in the bathroom, water tap in the kitchen, dishwasher, etc.) that consumes the biggest amount of water heating energy?
Shower. Instead of cleaning myself, I also need to clean my dogs.
What is the estimated time (in seconds) do you usually wait until the water becomes hot during shower (in average)?
Over 20 seconds.
How many times per days is shower used in your house?
Usually 3 times, But for the days when I clean the dogs, it’s 7 times.
Presentation of the product: video explanation of the principle of its functioning
Do you have any questions about the way it functions or the purpose of the project?
Please, feel free to comment anything on the product.
No.
Constructive suggestions to improvement
What seems to be an issue in this product?
Although we use shower many times a day, but we don’t use toilet that much because my dogs don’t use toilet. I think the options for the use of those water are too limited. It could be used for something else.
The durability of the tube. My dogs maybe bit it, it could be broken easily.
Are there any problems/flaws according to the product?
The durability could be a problem.
What would you suggest we could improve, what could be made to facilitate the use of the product?
Make something that can show how much water is saved by it directly, not restricted with only the toilet.
Make the tube stronger or design it to somewhere invisible.
How can we change it to reach even better results?
Give more options for the use of those water been saved. Making improvement about the tube.
Conclusion
Interviewee: 20+ years old
Viewpoint: positive.
Improvement: More options for the use of saved water, revise the tube.
Something unexpected: People who owns pets may not buy it since they could destroy the product. He asked about how much for it and how long it will take to cover the cost by the saved electric and water charges.
Issue: The options for the use of those water are too limited; The tube could be destroyed by the animals.
Thank you so much for participating in this survey! Your answers are of GREAT use for us!

Participant 4
Introduction
Hello, my name is Ksenia/Alexandre/Oscar/Xiang/Xinyi and I am conducting a survey in order to test the prototype our group had made. Your opinion would be of great use for us: it will help us determine product’s weak points and we will do our best to improve it in the future. Our project is about reinventing the water heating experience using the smart grids technology.
First of all, do you have any questions?
What are smart grids?
What is the purpose of our prototype?
General questions
To start with, I will ask you some questions about your habits regarding the use of water heating systems in your house:

How many people do you live with?
4
What is your average electric charge by month?
I have no mean to know my water consumptions because I live in an apartment where the water is shared by all the 16 households.
How do you feel about electricity consumption in your house? Is it used efficiently? Could it be used more efficiently? (If yes question below, if no, next part)
Yes, it’s important for me, we always try to reduce it.
What are some methods that you thought/did in order to reduce this consumption?
Change of suppliers of electricity
Specific questions

What is the biggest energy consuming part (shower, water tap in the bathroom, water tap in the kitchen, dishwasher, etc) that consumes the biggest amount of water heating energy?
Showering
What is the estimated time (in seconds) do you usually wait until the water becomes hot during shower (in average)?
1-2 minutes.
How many times per days is shower used in your house?
4 times a day
Presentation of the product: video explanation of the principle of its functioning
Do you have any questions about the way it functions or the purpose of the project?
Please, feel free to comment anything on the product.
It’s a water saving device
It’s an interesting product, but I think that you can put an additional information on the prototype about the consumptions on Liters. Moreover, you can also add a limit on your prototype, for instance you decide that each shower must not use more than 40 liters.
Constructive suggestions to improvement

What seems to be an issue in this product?
This could be hard to set up on my shower. If it’s too expensive I can’t afford it.
Are there any problems/flaws according to the product?
Water consumption and limits consumption
What would you suggest we could improve, what could be made to facilitate the use of the product?
Customer service with a free phone number, Tutorials on the website, a clear manual of instructions.
How can we change it to reach even better results?
Show the consumptions
Add limits
Easy utilization, affordable price
Conclusion

Interviewee: 49 years old, a teacher.
Viewpoint: Positive, it’s a good idea because I am aware of saving water.
Improvement: Customer service with a free phone number, Tutorials on the website, a clear manual of instructions.
Something unexpected: The complexity of setting up the product can stop people from buying.
Issue: The product could be hard to set up, it could also be expensive.
Thank you so much for participating in this survey! Your answers are of GREAT use for us!

