Development of an emotional interface for sustainable water consumption in the home

Abstract

The design of an application to monitor, analyze and report individual water consumption within a household is introduced. An interface design incorporating just-in-time feedback, positive and negative reinforcement, ecological contextualization, and social validation is used to promote behavior change. Reducing water consumption behavior in the shower is targeted, as it is the leading source of discretionary indoor water use in a typical home. In both in-shower and out-of-shower scenarios, interface designs aim to address user needs for information, context, control, reward, and convenience to reduce water consumption. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.