TapTallinn l Accessible free water
Product design
Service design
Client
INVL - life insurance company
My role
Desk research
User interview
Product design
Service design
Timeline:
2024 Mar - May
The initial problem addressed by the project was the excessive use of plastic water bottles and the environmental impact associated with it. Tourists visiting Tallinn faced difficulties in finding safe and accessible drinking water, leading them to rely on bottled water. Key challenges included a lack of information about public water taps, difficulty finding maps with details on tap functionality, and the fact that most outdoor taps were only available during the warmer months. This situation contributed to the ongoing problem of plastic waste and highlighted a need for better solutions to support sustainable water consumption.
Problem
To tackle these issues, the "TapTallinn" project was developed with a focus on improving access to and information about public drinking water. The project includes a comprehensive website integrated with the "Visit Estonia" initiative, providing daily water quality updates and essential details about public water taps. An interactive map on the website shows the locations of both outdoor and newly designed indoor taps, indicating their functionality and whether they are open year-round. By redesigning outdoor taps for better visibility and adding indoor taps, the project ensures that tourists can easily find safe drinking water regardless of the season, reducing their reliance on bottled water.
Solution
The "TapTallinn" project significantly impacts both environmental sustainability and the tourist experience in Tallinn. By making public water sources more accessible and providing clear, reliable information, the project encourages tourists to choose tap water over bottled alternatives, thereby reducing plastic waste. The year-round availability of both outdoor and indoor taps ensures that visitors have consistent access to safe drinking water, enhancing their overall experience and promoting more sustainable practices. Integration with the "Visit Estonia" platform further broadens the project's reach, fostering greater awareness and adoption of eco-friendly habits among tourists.
Impact
The project focused on understanding public perceptions and behaviors around water consumption, particularly the choice between tap and bottled water. It began with a series of interviews conducted with people from various backgrounds and locations to gather insights into their preferences, habits, and concerns. The research identified key factors that influence these choices, such as convenience, health considerations, taste, cost, and environmental impact. By analyzing the collected data and reviewing existing studies and reports on water quality and consumption trends, the project highlighted the need for greater transparency and information on tap water safety and quality.
Research
Based on information from user research and initial interviews, further discussions were held with Tallinnavesi, the Estonian water company. The primary objective was to explore potential areas where design could positively impact the project. These additional interviews aimed to uncover the company's challenges and needs in greater detail, which in turn helped identify specific opportunities where design could enhance the project’s efficiency, improve service delivery, and better address user needs.
Interviews
Key takeaways from the research include that Tallinn attracts 4.6 million tourists each year. Additionally, TallinnaVesi faces challenges in collaborating with hotels because of their individual branding. Furthermore, tourists struggle to find and verify the safety of public water taps online, which leads them to prefer bottled water.
User journey
With the user personas and a clear understanding of the problems to address, work began on developing the app's user flow. This process involved mapping out the necessary functions and features, ensuring that the app would provide a seamless and intuitive experience for users. By visualizing the entire user journey through the app, it became easier to identify key interactions and design the project in a way that effectively met user needs while also aligning with the project’s goals.
Ideation
After identifying key phases of the user journey where design could make an impact, three main pain points emerged. First, there is a lack of information available to tourists about public water access. Second, maps that do exist are hard to find and often provide minimal or no details about the condition or location of the water taps. Third, most available taps are outdoors and are closed during winter, leaving tourists without access to public drinking water during colder months.
TapTallinn
Based on the insights from research, interviews, and brainstorming, the "TapTallinn" project was created. The main goal of this project is to help tourists easily find safe drinking water in Tallinn. It aims to provide clear information about tap water quality and make public water taps accessible throughout the year, even in winter. By making it easier for tourists to locate and use public water sources, the project encourages sustainable choices and improves their overall experience in the city.
Information
Before traveling, people often research their destination, looking for things to do, places to visit, and whether the tap water is safe to drink. This is why the project should be integrated into the already well-known “Visit Estonia” initiative. The website would provide users with monthly water quality updates, along with other useful information they might need to know about drinking water in Tallinn.
Map
The website includes a map of public water taps where tourists can see the locations of all the taps. It also provides information on whether each tap is functioning, offers directions to the taps, and indicates whether they are indoors or outdoors.
Taps
As part of the project, both outdoor and indoor water taps have been designed to make it easier for tourists to access drinking water. The outdoor taps have been redesigned to be more visible throughout the city, but they are only available during the warmer months. To address this limitation, indoor taps have been introduced to ensure that tourists have access to safe drinking water all year round, regardless of the season.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the "TapTallinn" project began with the goal of reducing the use of plastic water bottles and exploring how design could help address this issue. Through extensive research, interviews, and analysis of the tourist experience, the project uncovered key challenges related to accessing safe drinking water in Tallinn. As a result, "TapTallinn" was developed to provide clear information, an easy-to-use map, and both outdoor and indoor water taps, ensuring year-round access to safe drinking water for tourists. By integrating with the "Visit Estonia" initiative, the project encourages more sustainable practices and enhances the visitor experience, ultimately reducing reliance on plastic water bottles.
Credits
This project happened with colaboration with
Maris Vahter
Research, marketing
Sandra Luks
Research, marketing
Emma-Liisa Kalvik
Research, marketing
Liina-Mai Kaunissaare
UX-UI, marketing
Let’s talk
Whether you are interested in working together or just want to find out more, please feel free to reach out. I'd be more than happy to set something up!