A smart home companion app for cleaner, healthier and more eco-friendly water
Mitte, a Berlin-based tech startup, has developed a smart home water system that purifies and enhances water through a process inspired by the natural water cycle - all controlled by a simple companion app. The first of its kind system not only purifies water but also enhances the purified water with essential minerals.
The challenge for Goodpatch was to create a meaningful companion app for the water purification machine.
Start with why
But why does the user need a companion app for a smart home appliance? What is the benefit, and how does this add value to the product? In response to these questions, we saw the app as an extension of the hardware UI. To keep the hardware design pure and minimalistic, we decided that we could outsource some functionalities (onboarding, maintenance, etc.) to the app.
We started the project with a one-week designathon with the Mitte team. This ensured a comprehensive understanding of the problem and possible solutions. In just four days, we moved from idea to high fidelity prototype that we could real users from our identified target group.
Smart home solutions aren't one size fits all
Based on our user research, we identified three primary user needs: personalized health, automated delivery of cartridges, and sustainable consumption.
Water is not just hot and cold; countless temperatures exist in between. We came up with the concept of “water recipes,” and programmed predefined settings in the app (coffee, black tea, detox water, etc.) and made it possible for users to customize their own “water recipe.”
To address the second need, we created an automatic ordering setting. The app detects when the cartridge is running low and automatically reorders a fresh one via the information stored in the app. This way, users never run out of clean and healthy water.
The bigger picture - more than just an app
We are all quite aware that clean water is a privilege in the developed world. Mitte donates a day of clean water for every liter that is dispensed by your machine. With the app, users can check their personal contribution to those who need it the most.
Kickstarter
The mitte Kickstarter campaign was a full success! With the help of 827 supporters, Mitte was able to raise 272.000 €, exceeding the funding goal by almost 200.000 €. It was inspiring for Goodpatch to help Mitte develop a high-potential IoT product that provides its users with clean, sustainable, and nutrient-packed water.
We were happy to speak with Moritz, Mitte’s founder and CEO in our Goodpatch Podcast, “Designer on Board.” Tune in to learn about the growing problem regarding our future water supply, the challenges of a smart home startup, and the advantages of Mitte water compared to other filter systems.
