Andrea Kim: Assignment 3 - Design Precedents

I chose the AquaStar Plus because I value the lifestyle it addresses. This product was featured in the Design for the Other 90% Exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt.

For those who do not know what it is:

AquaStar is a product, designed to be sold to a high-end market to fund an application in the developing counties like Borneo, Malaysia, India, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Australia, New Zealand. AquaStar Plus, is more expensive and used for very harsh environments (i.e. travelers, the military, and rescue workers.)

How it works:
Unsafe water is poured into the bottle and it is exposed to UV-C light which damages the DNA and RNA in microorganisms that can cause disease and makes them non-infective.

Overall, I value its consideration for the less fortunate, its use of technology, and its versatility for where it can be used. It is an interesting product that necessarily may not be “good looking,” but there is a bigger beauty in what it can do for people.




I chose the ipod/mp3/headphones not because it is a revolutionary product, in what it provides us when it comes to entertainment. I chose it because of the behaviors that surface from the use of it. From personal experience and from what I have seen on the train, people use their musical devices as a method of protection, a sense of space, and comfort. People use their ipods or whatnot as a way to deflect unwanted conversations and can turn an ordinary task into a different experience. The act of putting on your headphones can mean “you’re too loud,” “I’m bored,” “I can’t concentrate,” etc. But the act of taking them off can also send a strong message of your interest in a conversation. Products like this are revolutionary in how people behave and the psychology behind how and why they use it is extremely remarkable.