Group 2, Team 13 Empty Beer Mugs SweetWater Case

The most important user needs (in decreasing order of preference) would be:
-Functionality of the product to get rid of the impurities even in the most difficult conditions and upto a
micron level (bacteria and protozoa) maybe even viruses if that would be possible
-Ease of operating and a reduced effort needed to purify the water (in terms of physical effort, skill and
time taken) as well as easily cleanable filters
-Durability of the product with a provision to replace only necessary parts at an affordable cost and not
throw the entire purifier away and
-Ergonomically design, portability (lightweight) and compactness of the product
The users’ needs can be structured around
Must haves (Needs) Linear Satisfiers (Features) Delighters (Benefits) Neutral
Durability of filter
Durability of the purification
Micron level filtration membranes, easy to Stylish look, Color
unit
clean
Packaging of the
Ease of operation Affordable cost
external unit
Reduction in time taken Portability
Ruggedness of the product Ergonomic design
Easy to fill in the
Taste of the water
container
The competitors’ products are largely satisfying the following needs:
Needs Pocket filter First need
Filtration range Upto 0.2 micron Upto 0.4 micron

Taste Did not remove organic tastes Removed all tastes because of
due to ceramic filter carbon filter
Durability Not very durable (Can be Not very durable
cracked easily)
Cost $ 225-275 $38-60
Replacement filter cost $130 $29.95
Ease of operation Complicated + Clogging Complicated
Ergonomic design (Portability Heavy, awkward to handle Clumsy, awkward to handle
and compactness)

Recommendations:
An ideal product would be built from chemical free nontoxic, child friendly materials have a high
purification efficiency even in the most unclean waters and get rid of most of the bacteria and protozoa
and be environmental friendly. It should be lightweight, durable and not get clogged easily with clear
water. In case of clogging due to turbid water, it should have the ability to be able to be cleaned easily of
large sized particles(backwash). It should also have the ability to indicate the need for the change of the
filtration unit (cartridge) when the purification efficiency drops to a certain level by reducing the volume
of filtered water, a water level indicator to indicate the approximate amount of time(hours/days) that
water quantity would be sufficient to the user. It should use lesser pressure in the filtration and be able to
have a squeeze filtration mechanism needing only one hands pressure with clean water storage facility
within the unit itself. It should also provide a year’s guarantee along with a replacement cartridge on the
first purchase.