Researcher
Industrial Designer
Saltless
A saltwater purification system for use in rural communities
A saltwater purification system for use in rural communities
Saltless is a desalination system designed to supply clean drinking water to rural communities along the coast of Mexico. The primary goal of this system is to enhance the quality of life for residents, enabling them to perform daily activities with access to clean water. Our solution not only offers ease of use but also fosters a sense of community, encouraging meaningful connections among its members.
Researcher and Industrial Designer
Industrial Designers
Rural communities on the coasts of Mexico with water scarcity.
Company associate for the project:
Technology and Research Companies:
The project was executed amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which constrained the undertaking of various activities. Some of these limitations included:
A systemic map was crafted to explore the intricate dynamics of water-related issues and their intersection with human rights. This comprehensive visualization elucidated the intricate connections between governmental entities, organizations, and the methodologies employed to acquire this critical resource. This strategic approach provided us with a holistic and graphical understanding of the key stakeholders involved, guiding our efforts in approaching them for information. Moreover, it offered insights into the anticipated limitations we might face throughout the project.
As a long-term project addressing a topic of significant interest to future generations, it was crucial to grasp the trajectory of societal interests and anticipate the impact of current events in the years to come.
Conventional approaches to water supply, relying on snowfall, rainfall, river runoff, and easily accessible groundwater, are overexploited and inadequate to meet the growing demand for freshwater in water-scarce areas.
Considering the challenges of sustainable development related to water in arid regions, the use of unconventional water resources emerges as an opportunity to bridge the gap between supply and demand.
To assess these technologies and determine the specific resource to be addressed in the design proposal, we conducted an efficiency and cost comparison of the project. Additionally, we performed an individual analysis of the installation and maintenance complexities associated with each technology.
Although water desalination and fog water collection systems exhibit high efficiency, their successful implementation requires substantial investments. Additionally, ongoing support from organizations or community involvement is essential to ensure these systems function effectively and provide water to those in need.
When researching existing solutions in Mexico, we discovered a prototype developed by Dr. Carlos Antonio Pineda Arellano. During our interview with him, he generously shared documents and the prototype's design, allowing us to incorporate improvements and modifications into our proposal for the project's implementation.
Design, construct, equip, and operationalize a self-sustaining water purification system powered exclusively by solar energy.
The stakeholders in this project include the users, who are rural communities in coastal Mexico suffering from water scarcity. The design and manufacturing team consists of companies with expertise in water management and sustainability, tasked with creating solutions aligned with the communities' needs and the selected unconventional resources. The technology and research team focuses on developing technology and conducting research to enhance the efficiency of water management systems. Additionally, organizations and the government play a crucial role in connecting with communities, disseminating technology, and ensuring compliance with environmental and human rights standards.
She is passionate about ensuring the well-being of her family. Her interests are focused on providing her children with a solid education and improving the quality of life in her community. However, she faces daily frustrations, such as a shortage of clean water and economic constraints. Her goal is for her children to be independent and successful, driven by deep family love and determination. Rosa needs access to clean water, economic support, and a strong network to cope with her daily responsibilities. Local culture, along with the influence of friends and family, are key factors that shape her decisions and values, while environmental conditions impact her day-to-day life.
Among the most noteworthy discoveries is their ongoing struggle with the scarcity of potable water, evident in the necessity to cover long distances and the challenges in securing quality water. A substantial workload is apparent, arising from domestic responsibilities and the care of their young children. Despite these challenges, her unwavering love for her family and her steadfast commitment to her children's education, serving as the driving force behind her daily actions, stand out. The lack of economic resources and the significance of determination in her daily life also emerge as key aspects.
Within this framework, we identified the emotions and experiences that users encounter at each stage of implementing a technological project in rural areas. As a result, we provided recommendations tailored to each situation to ensure a positive user experience. This positive experience is cultivated through collaboration, open communication, and continuous consideration of the community's needs.
After gaining a comprehensive understanding of the community's situation and exploring various technological solutions, we formulated the community's needs as perspectives. This resulted in a clear list of elements that the system must encompass, keeping our users and the reasons behind their needs at the forefront.
These perspectives were then articulated as questions using the How could we? framework, marking the initiation of the ideation phase. This phase aimed to generate a brainstorm of ideas for potential answers and identify areas of opportunity for each question. Beyond serving as a tool for idea generation, this approach facilitates the evaluation of whether the proposed design adequately addresses each question, ensuring a thorough assessment of potential solutions.
In the prioritization process, we uncovered critical insights into the water needs of rural communities. The use of the Eisenhower Matrix played a crucial role in distinguishing urgent and important requirements, guiding the project team to focus on paramount aspects that require immediate attention. The perspectives of the users were instrumental in determining the urgency of issues, such as the need for an efficient water system, understanding the consequences of consuming non-potable water, and asserting their water rights. This strategic approach not only streamlines the project's immediate objectives but also ensures a user-centric design, aligning the project with the pressing concerns and perspectives of the communities in question.
The users' perspectives served as a foundation for us to identify areas of opportunity that could be developed throughout the project. Some of these opportunities were directly focused on the water purification system, while others explored community education and awareness, as well as the future of the company in the coming years.
The system should be strategically located to ensure easy access and use by the community, taking into account geography and local needs.
The system must be able to provide approximately 100 liters of water per person per day to ensure an adequate supply for daily needs.
The design and implementation of the system should prioritize environmentally friendly materials to minimize negative impacts on nature.
The design of the system should be in harmony with the local landscape, contributing to the aesthetics of the environment and encouraging its acceptance and use by the community.
Minimal interaction between the user and the system is sought, with simple actions in the cleaning process to ensure easy and effective use.
The implementation process should include active community participation at all stages to ensure that their needs and expectations are considered and valued.
A detailed and visual manual should be provided in plain language, clearly explaining features, parts of the system, and maintenance procedures for easy and attractive understanding.
Establish a dedicated communication channel between the community and the responsible organization to resolve doubts, share information, and build trust in the project throughout its implementation.
Before creating the proposal sketches, we developed a mood board to visually capture the style, shapes, and message we aimed to convey in the design. This tool assisted us in filtering and discarding ideas generated during ideation, ensuring the essence of the proposal remained intact.
These are some of the sketches created during the brainstorming session. The aim of this phase was to generate as many ideas as possible to ensure a wide variety of options. Some of these sketches depict specific components of the system, such as the solar panels or the containers, while others illustrate the entire system at a human scale for size comparison.
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In this second phase of ideation, we explored proposals that focused more on the functionality of each part of the system, as well as its interaction with people and their community.
Throughout this process, we asked ourselves the following questions:
How can we help filter out the larger elements present in the water to facilitate the desalination process?
How can we transport the collected water to the desalination system?
What other uses can the structures and designs of the system have for the community?
With these questions, we were able to generate different options for solutions, which were then sketched to analyze and evaluate their viability, desirability, and feasibility.
With the first design proposal, we addressed the questions from the previous phase, resulting in a comprehensive system that extends beyond water purification. This proposal aims to create a space for community interaction, enabling them to appreciate the resource, participate in its cleaning process, and enhance their overall quality of life.
The system consists of the following elements and functions:
The design of the panels was focused on creating architectural structures that, not only support the solar panels but also provide shade, creating a communal space reminiscent of plazas and gardens.
The design is inspired by the buoys found at sea. These containers have a capacity of 20 liters and feature a flexible nylon mesh inside to filter out larger contaminants, streamlining the desalination process.
The decision was made to create a less environmentally invasive means of transporting the buoys. Other proposals would have necessitated significant alterations to the space and facilities in the area.
This element encourages community participation in the water collection and cleaning process, a crucial aspect of valuing the resource. The design aims to simplify the user's task of placing, pulling, and pushing the trolley to the desalination system.
A social space was designed in the form of a bar where community residents can gather to chat and wait while the system, located inside, performs the filtration and purification process.
This bar has a water inlet for emptying the saltwater container and then exits through the faucet, allowing users to fill their second container with drinking water to take home using the buoy transport.
Immerse yourself in the visionary world of Saltless, where innovation and sustainability converge to revolutionize water access in coastal regions.
At the heart of our system is Cocos Nucifera, represented by solar panels that not only power our desalination process but also create a welcoming communal space beneath their shade. Buoys are ingeniously crafted water containers, efficiently storing and transporting 20 liters of water. Parténope, our water transportation system, elegantly combines form and function, making water transport seamless and eco-friendly. Finally, Alta Mar stands as the epicenter of our design, housing the sophisticated desalination system. This space not only ensures purified water but also fosters community connections.
To illustrate the potential impact of our solution, we aimed to narrate Rosa's story a few months after the installation of the system in her community. Through these visuals, we witness the transformation of the daily challenges she once faced into moments of community connection, a space for appreciating and valuing natural resources, and a newfound opportunity to enhance her overall quality of life.
The proposal received a very positive response from the client, as it focused on proposing solutions to complex problems without reaching the manufacturing and installation stages. The client perceived this initiative as a valuable area of opportunity for the company, highlighting how large companies can play a crucial role in improving the quality of life of communities facing difficult situations.
I emphasize the importance of integration and compromise in large-scale projects to ensure functionality and durability. As designers, we cannot simply impose our proposals; design is an iterative process that requires the perspective and input of everyone involved. Acceptance of our solutions goes beyond intrinsic quality; it involves active collaboration and understanding of the real needs of the users.
At the business level, this project has highlighted the necessity of engaging with communities before manufacturing and installing a product. It is not merely about imposing solutions but about actively collaborating in their development, considering the well-being of the users beyond commercial benefits. It is imperative to listen to the communities, integrate them seamlessly into the process, and acknowledge their valuable contributions. The success of a project is measured not only by the effectiveness of the product but also by the positive impact and active involvement of the community.
