Safe Water Project

Client

  • PATH

Sectors

  • Consumer Goods
  • Water

Services

  • Ethnography
  • Product & Service Solutions
  • User Experience Testing

Access to clean drinking water remains a critical challenge for low-income households across rural and peri-urban India. Despite the availability of household water treatment and storage (HWTS) products, uptake has been limited, with many solutions falling short of users’ real-world needs. Products are often designed without sufficient consideration of cultural practices, maintenance constraints, or day-to-day usability—resulting in abandonment over time and minimal long-term impact.

To address this, PATH, an international nonprofit focused on advancing public health through innovation, commissioned Quicksand to lead a comprehensive study into barriers to adoption and potential design interventions. The objective was to embed a user-centered approach into both the strategic framework and the development of a new, low-cost water filter for bottom-of-the-pyramid markets. Combining immersive field research with hands-on innovation to develop contextually grounded solutions, the project marked a rare opportunity to work across the full spectrum of insight to implementation.

Extended User Testing (EUT) Study

Between March and December 2009, Quicksand conducted a long-term field study in low-income settlements in Andhra Pradesh, India. Over ten months, five commercially available gravity-fed water filters were placed in 20 households to observe real-world interaction, use patterns, and failures. The research team lived and worked closely with participants to understand how users engaged with these products as part of their daily routines.

A combination of methods were used to capture the richness of the user experience. This included video ethnography, in-depth interviews, participatory design workshops, role plays, feature comparison exercises, and even self-documentation through disposable cameras. These methods allowed Quicksand to surface not just practical barriers to adoption—like cleaning difficulties or breakage—but also deeper perceptions around taste, safety, trust, and status. The study offered critical insight into the aesthetic, functional, and cultural dimensions of water use at the household level.

From Research to Product

Following the insights gathered during the EUT study, PATH brought Quicksand into the product development phase to lead the design of a new, low-cost water treatment solution. The intention was to reimagine what a household water filter could be when designed with the user at the center, while still meeting stringent cost, performance, and scalability benchmarks.

The new product needed to address multiple demands. It had to be significantly more affordable than existing products—targeting a cost of goods sold that was less than half of market alternatives—while offering greater durability and better usability for non-expert users. The device also had to meet or exceed international standards for water treatment efficacy. In addition, it was important for the product system to allow for variations that could be adapted across regions and user types.

Quicksand led the industrial design process in close collaboration with engineering, manufacturing, and technology teams in both India and Seattle. Drawing from its deep understanding of user behavior, the studio played a central role in translating ethnographic data into a concrete, viable product. This included prototyping, field testing, and continuous iteration with end-users and key stakeholders. From early sketches to working beta prototypes, the development process was completed in just six months—a testament to the collaborative momentum across global teams.

Outcomes and Legacy

The project led to the creation of a functional, low-cost water filter tailored to the realities of underserved households. Designed with a clear focus on usability, affordability, and contextual fit, the product succeeded in setting a new benchmark for its category. In field testing, it was found to perform well on both user acceptance and treatment efficacy, while remaining well below the price point of comparable commercial offerings.

Beyond the product itself, the engagement created a replicable framework for user-centered design in public health innovation. The methodologies used during the Extended User Testing phase were documented and shared as a toolkit and set of design guidelines, offering valuable resources for PATH and its partners. The project also demonstrated the value of integrating design research into early strategy—ensuring that user insights didn’t come at the end, but shaped the entire process from the beginning.

This project remains one of Quicksand’s most meaningful engagements; it served as an early blueprint for how deep contextual work can drive real-world innovation, particularly when addressing complex development challenges.

Resources