The future of water in 2029
It’s 2029. There have been technical innovations which enable product designers to get creative with a product’s sensory characteristics, as well as how consumers experience products.
We asked visitors to our stand at Pangborn 2019 Sensory Conference in Edinburgh to be a product designer and create a new water product for the global market. They were able to blend key characteristics (some we suggested and some they suggested) to build their product identity.
We asked them to think about:
- The sensory characteristics of their product
- The identity or positioning of their product
- How the consumer can experience or engage with their product
- The consumer mood or zeitgeist
55 people took up the challenge and these were the themes and product characteristics which featured most often.
Facing up to climate challenges
Half said ‘fighting climate change’ would be an important value for a water product in 2029
Half thought ‘managing water scarcity’ would be a key consideration in 2029
Dealing with plastic
Half wanted their product to support the drive to ‘cut plastic waste’
Half chose ‘low or no packaging waste’ as one of their product priorities
4 in 10 thought ‘re-usable water containers’ should be a key product feature
A product which is right for me
1 in 5 wanted their product to offer consumers ‘personalisation’ opportunities
A third were interested in utilising technology to make their product ‘smart/intelligent’ e.g. telling people their hydration levels
1 in 5 were interested in devices to dispense their water product to consumers
Being playful with sensory properties
A third wanted to promise ‘water purity’ to their consumers
A quarter were interested in playing with product form e.g. gas, liquid, ice
A quarter chose to focus on taste and aroma as a priority
