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The team created a survey using Microsoft Forms and distributed it via email to justify the problem. The data detailed in this document was recorded when the survey had 80 responses. The survey included 15 questions that were asked to get justification for the problem by proving that people are not drinking enough water and are not educated on how much they should be drinking. Through this, we gathered the information that will be helpful in developing a solution by identifying why the problem exists.
How much water would you say you drink every day? If you don't know for certain, guess or give a description of your water drinking habits.
GOAL: By determining the amount of water people drink or think they drink every day using this short answer question, the team intends to evaluate how much people drink in comparison to how much they should be drinking, which helps to verify whether the amount of water consumed by people is actually a problem.
REFLECTION: The survey found that about half of the people we surveyed drink less than half a gallon, which is approximately the amount of water people should be drinking every day. Although there is some variance in how much people actually should be drinking, this shows that there are still many people who do not drink enough water, proving that hydration is in fact a problem.
How would you rate your water consumption?
GOAL: Adding to the previous question, this question helps the team to evaluate how educated the majority of people are about how much water they should be drinking by comparing how each person surveyed would rate their water consumption habits on a 5-star scale to how they should actually be rated.
REFLECTION: In general, the survey found that most people would not say they do a good job at drinking water and that the trend in opinions compared to actuality is that the more people drink, the better they think their water consumption habits are. However, there are a lot of people on both ends of the spectrum who do not seem to be educated on the matter of hydration because there are some who drink plenty of water and rate themselves as much lower than they should while others may not drink enough water but still think they drink plenty. This proves the assumption that many people are not educated on how much water they should be drinking.
Would you say that people on average drink enough water?
GOAL: The team uses this question to elaborate on the evaluation of how educated people are about how much water people get on average in relation to how much they are supposed to get by asking for a yes, no, or maybe answer to the question of whether people on average drink enough water or not.
REFLECTION: According to the survey, most people would say that, on average, people do not drink enough water with a few who are unsure and only two people who would say they do not think people drink enough water. It was also found that everyone who said most people do drink enough water did not drink enough water themselves, which means they are likely not educated on how much they should be drinking. The most variance in responses to this question was also found in the responses given by people who rated their water consumption at two to four stars, which is consistent with the lack of complete certainty one way or another that would cause someone to choose middle values or be uncertain. This all reinforces the previous proof that a majority of people are not drinking enough water and many of them are not educated on how much water they should be having.
Why do you think that people do not have a problem drinking enough water?
GOAL: This optional short answer question asks for elaboration on why the answer to the previous question was chosen to help the team gather information about the reasons why someone might think people do not have a problem with drinking enough water.
REFLECTION: This survey found that those who do not think water consumption is a problem and think that people already drink plenty of water claim that people drink enough water because they want to stay healthy and thirst drives them to naturally drink what they need. However, this opinion was the minority, and many of the other people surveyed disagreed with these claims.
Why do you think that people do not drink enough water? What are the greatest obstacles you think prevent people from drinking enough water?
GOAL: This optional short answer question asks for elaboration on why the answer to the previous question was chosen to help the team gather information about the reasons why someone might think people do not drink enough water and what the causes of this problem might be.
REFLECTION: According to the survey responses that were received, most people would agree that, on average, people do not drink enough water, and many of them noted some of the factors mentioned later in the survey such as temperature, convenience, availability, and flavor. Many of them claimed that people do not drink enough water because it is not desirable enough compared to other beverage options and people often forget to drink it. These were the most common responses, so making drinking water desirable and easy to remember to do will be important details to consider when coming up with a solution to this problem of hydration.
Why are you unsure about whether or not people drink enough water?
GOAL: This optional short answer question asks for elaboration on why the answer to the previous question was chosen to help the team gather information about the reasons why someone might not be sure about whether people drink enough water.
REFLECTION: The survey found that many of those who were not sure about whether or not they think people drink enough water did not know how much people should drink and how much they actually do drink. They noted that everyone is different and the amount of water people should drink varies, so there is no way to know for sure, and so this shows that it is important for any solution to this problem to account for this variance so that it can be functional for all people and reduce this lack of certainty.
Which factors significantly influence how much water you drink?
GOAL: The influences on how much water a person drinks are also helpful, so this question is intended to help the team determine which influences in a list including thirst, convenience, quantity, temperature, flavor, and others have the greatest impact on the problem by asking for all applicable options to be selected.
REFLECTION: For most people, it was found that the greatest influence on how much water is consumed was thirst. This, of course, makes sense because thirst is the body’s way of saying it needs water, and it proves that this is one issue that should be explored because many things can influence thirst and hinder people’s ability to be thirsty. Additionally, other factors that were found to be influential in people’s consumption of water were the temperature of the water and the convenience of drinking it. This shows that thirst, temperature, and convenience are the three things that a solution to the problem of hydration should focus on for it to be successful.
Do you feel thirsty often? Why or why not?
GOAL: More details on thirst, one of the influences asked about previously, are helpful for the team to evaluate the problem, and so this optional short answer question asks for more information on the impact of thirst on each person by asking how often they are thirsty and why.
REFLECTION: Generally, everyone who was surveyed could be categorized through this question into those who are thirsty often, usually because of some activity they do that is tiring or because they do not drink enough water, and those who are rarely thirsty, either because they drink plenty of water or for another reason. Other research found that some medical conditions can also contribute to thirst and prevent people from responding to it in the same way, so it is important that people who are rarely thirsty monitor their water consumption. This also goes for those who are doing tiring activities because they may need more water than most other people, and so this question shows that addressing the issue of thirst will be important to developing a solution that ensures people stay hydrated.
Why might it or might it not be convenient for you to drink enough water?
GOAL: More details on convenience, one of the influences asked about previously, are helpful for the team to evaluate the problem, and so this optional short answer question asks for more information on the impact of convenience on each person by asking why drinking water is or is not convenient to them.
REFLECTION: According to the survey, many people would agree that staying hydrated can be inconvenient. What makes it inconvenient for many people is carrying around water bottles and having to refill them in order to drink enough water. Access to restrooms was also a convenience issue for many people because drinking a lot of water usually makes people have to use the restroom, and if it's not easy to use the restroom often, people might not drink enough water. These problems that make staying hydrated inconvenient, which were found through the survey, show that addressing the portability, refill convenience, and restroom accessibility in any potential solution will be important to creating a product that successfully solves this problem.
How much water are you able to access? What prevents you from or helps you to have access to the water you need?
GOAL: More details on quantity, one of the influences asked about previously, are helpful for the team to evaluate the problem, and so this optional short answer question asks for more information on the impact of quantity on each person by asking for how accessible water is for each.
REFLECTION: The survey proved that the accessibility of water was not an issue for most people and that the issue people face when trying to stay hydrated is not with the quantity of water available but with their unwillingness to drink what is available for the reasons outlined in the other questions. Therefore, addressing the quantity of water available will likely not be necessary as a solution to this problem.
What is the ideal temperature for your water?
GOAL: More details on temperature, one of the influences asked about previously, are helpful for the team to
evaluate the problem, and so this optional scale question asks for more information on the impact of temperature on each person by asking for the ideal temperature for each person to drink water.
REFLECTION: The survey found that most people prefer their water to be cool or cold with very few voting for room temperature water, only one person preferring warm water, and no one wanting hot water. This is consistent with other comments made throughout the survey about how people prefer cold water, but academic research revealed that people actually drink more when water is at room temperature than when it is cold, which may be why so many people are not getting enough water. They prefer cold water. Nevertheless, this question proves that people think having cool or cold water is important, and so the temperature of the water will be an important factor to consider when developing a solution to this problem.
What are your preferences regarding the flavor of water, and how do they influence how much water you drink?
GOAL: More details on flavor, one of the influences asked about previously, are helpful for the team to evaluate the problem, and so this optional short answer question asks for more information on the impact of flavor on each person by asking for each person to share their flavor preferences.
REFLECTION: The survey found that most people actually prefer just plain water without any added flavoring although some responses show that people do think that flavored water would encourage people to drink more water. However, as some responded, the flavor is not really a very important factor for many people, and temperature is much more valuable. This shows that the issue of water’s flavor is likely not something that will be essential to a solution to the problem.
Explain any other factors that may influence your water consumption.
GOAL: More details in general are helpful for the team to evaluate the problem, and so this optional short answer question asks for more information on the impact of any other factor on each person by asking for more elaboration on any additional factors that may have been shared in the question asked previously.
REFLECTION: There were many other influences on water consumption that were added by the people surveyed, some of which had to do with the environment, activities, or even other things that are consumed. Some found that other drinks or foods they have instead might make them less thirsty and less likely to drink water while certain activities result in more thirst and a greater desire for water. Where someone is located and the environment around them was also found to have an impact on how much they drink. These additional influences all elaborate on the complexity of the problem and prove that there will be a lot of factors to consider when thinking about solutions to the problem.
Would you say that the issue of water consumption is a problem that needs to be solved or innovated on?
GOAL: To guarantee that the problem of water consumption would be a problem worth investigating a solution to, the team uses the data gathered from this question to determine that people do see a need for innovation in the field to solve the problem presented.
REFLECTION: The survey found that most people would say that the issue of hydration is one that should be solved or innovated on while only ten percent of the people surveyed would claim it is unnecessary, which proves that the problem is a valid one that would be profitable to pursue a solution to because there are many people who would be interested in a product that helps people stay hydrated.
Provide any additional comments you may have on the presented problem.
GOAL: If the people surveyed have any more comments to add or suggestions to make regarding the problem, this optional short answer question provides a space for feedback or any more information people might think would be helpful to the team to be shared.
REFLECTION: From the additional comments that the people surveyed gave, it can be assumed that many of them do think that it is important for people to drink enough water, but, as one person said, the problem may be with personal responsibility rather than availability, and so that should be the focus of the solution. Additionally, people made comments on how water fountains are part of the problem because they do not have cold water or the water from them doesn’t taste good. That issue of temperature was also commented on by another person who claimed it is best to use water bottles that keep water cold. Though, in general, the comments prove that people do see the value in staying hydrated and would agree that it is important that people drink enough water to stay healthy.
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