Vhembe Filter (a Good Design Awards 2009 Winner)
Formy MTech project at the University of Johannesburg, I developed thedesign of a low cost water filter for use within the rural areas ofSouth Africa. This design, and the linked research has been presented in South Africa, Ireland, Denmarkand the United States of America. Furthermore it was credited with anaward in the Good Design Awards 2009 in the Energy Systems category.These design awards are presented and hosted by The Chicago Athenaeum:Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European Centre forArchitecture Art Design and Urban Studies. This is an InternationalDesign Competition “The world's top corporations win over 500prestigious good design™ awards setting the highest standard for thebest, most advanced product designs, branding, and graphics for 2009.”
Formy MTech project at the University of Johannesburg, I developed thedesign of a low cost water filter for use within the rural areas ofSouth Africa. This design, and the linked research has been presented in South Africa, Ireland, Denmarkand the United States of America. Furthermore it was credited with anaward in the Good Design Awards 2009 in the Energy Systems category.These design awards are presented and hosted by The Chicago Athenaeum:Museum of Architecture and Design, and the European Centre forArchitecture Art Design and Urban Studies. This is an InternationalDesign Competition “The world's top corporations win over 500prestigious good design™ awards setting the highest standard for thebest, most advanced product designs, branding, and graphics for 2009.”
This projectaimed to develop the Potpaz water filter into animproved filter design optimally suited to South African ruralconditions so as to provide potable water rather than contaminatedwater to households. [This was part of a larger collaborative researchproject between the University of Johannesburg and the University ofVenda, and was funded by the Water Research Comission through theUniversity of Venda]
The improved filter design may prove to be suitable for use in otherrural areas through South Africa and abroad. Communities that do nothave access to in-house treated water often end up with a contaminatedwater supply, as the water to be consumed is usually stored incontainers and sourced from communal taps.
This project utilised Industrial Design by concerning it with therequirements of the user, as well as knowledge regarding productdesign, development and manufacturing.
Sixty-five households used the existing Potpaz home water treatmentdevice for more than two months and were approached to provide feedbackregarding its use. From the feedback, it became evident that there wereaspects of the Potpaz design that needed modification towards animproved water filter more suited for its intended use in ruralhouseholds.
An Action Research-influenced methodology and user-centred designapproach informed the collection of original data and feedback on areasof improvement. This, together with visits to local shops and communitypotters, provided sufficient background to understand the needs andpreferences of the intended rural users regarding the use of thedevice. This informed the design process and increased the chances ofdeveloping a readily accepted, more suitable product which was designedaround the needs and preferences of the intended users and the domesticenvironment in which they live.
This suitable product will be more usable than existing filter typesand incorporates existing tried-and-tested water treatment technology.If this filter design were to be researched and developed further, andfinally-manufactured on a mass production, it will provide ruralhouseholds with a well designed, easy-to-use product, able to providepotable drinking water for their entire family.
This is not a conceptual idea of a product in the future, but aproduct in the final stages of its design, utilising currenttechnology, able to be mass-manufactured and distributed to manydifferent rural people groups, in turn targeting the problem ofcontaminated drinking water on a local or global scale.
The improved filter design may prove to be suitable for use in otherrural areas through South Africa and abroad. Communities that do nothave access to in-house treated water often end up with a contaminatedwater supply, as the water to be consumed is usually stored incontainers and sourced from communal taps.
This project utilised Industrial Design by concerning it with therequirements of the user, as well as knowledge regarding productdesign, development and manufacturing.
Sixty-five households used the existing Potpaz home water treatmentdevice for more than two months and were approached to provide feedbackregarding its use. From the feedback, it became evident that there wereaspects of the Potpaz design that needed modification towards animproved water filter more suited for its intended use in ruralhouseholds.
An Action Research-influenced methodology and user-centred designapproach informed the collection of original data and feedback on areasof improvement. This, together with visits to local shops and communitypotters, provided sufficient background to understand the needs andpreferences of the intended rural users regarding the use of thedevice. This informed the design process and increased the chances ofdeveloping a readily accepted, more suitable product which was designedaround the needs and preferences of the intended users and the domesticenvironment in which they live.
This suitable product will be more usable than existing filter typesand incorporates existing tried-and-tested water treatment technology.If this filter design were to be researched and developed further, andfinally-manufactured on a mass production, it will provide ruralhouseholds with a well designed, easy-to-use product, able to providepotable drinking water for their entire family.
This is not a conceptual idea of a product in the future, but aproduct in the final stages of its design, utilising currenttechnology, able to be mass-manufactured and distributed to manydifferent rural people groups, in turn targeting the problem ofcontaminated drinking water on a local or global scale.
