water filtration pitcher

Gita Vaysburg
Fall ‘06

San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Water Filtration
in Leifeng, China.

Abstract

The following case study will explain the design

process behind the Water Filtration Pitcher that
was designed in DSID 124 in Fall of 2006 at San
Jose State University in the Industrial Design
program. Topics covered will include the history
of the region, market assessment, and day in
the life of a Leifeng villager to begin to show how
and where the user of our product lives and how
our solution ties into his/her lifestyle and regional
resources. Full detail specs will be presented of
the final solution, including final model, breakdown
of parts, how it will be used, how it will be made,
and a business model to represent the benefits that
our product provides to the villagers. Some of the
design process will be covered as well, including
ideation through sketches, form inspiration through
existing Chinese pottery, as well as mockups to work
out design details.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Introduction

DSID 124 is a class that focuses on

designing for the majority. 5.3 billion people on earth
are not able to enjoy a standard of living that the
remaining 600 million people do. Industrial design is a
profession that has catered to people who have the
resources to be able to buy products that do more
than their function, while billions of people cannot even
afford such functional items as bowls and silverware,
furthermore food. With more and more people
beginning to understand the need for sustainable
design, energy efficiency, and supporting those
in need, this class proposes the question: Can
a designer be able to understand the needs and
resources of those less fortunate and come up with
a solution that solves one of their needs? The answer
of course is yes.

After several weeks of researching different

under developed nations and their people’s needs,
our group chose to concentrate on a village in Jilin
Province called Leifeng. This small village is
located in north-east China, near Russia and
suffers from severe water contamination from the
surrounding industries. Leifeng has recently been in
the news due to their polluted water supply, which has
large amounts of fluoride, arsenic, and bacteria in it.
Because water is vital to a healthy life, we
thought it would be an important issue to try
and resolve. Our solution takes into account the
people’s lifestyle, surrounding resources, both
monetary and material, and future by designing a water
filtration pitcher that not only cleans the contaminated
water but also becomes a source of income for the
village by creating a business and job opportunities
for the villagers.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
History of Leifeng, China
Image source: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0623/p01s03-woap.html?s=hns
Leifeng is located in Jilin province. It is located in
the middle part of northeastern China. Notable
features of the province include the Baitou
Volcano and a forest in the mountains of the southeast.
Inhabiting the forest are many rare plants and
animals which include wild mountain ginseng,
Manchurian tigers, leopards, hares, and snakes.
The inhabitants actually keep the snakes and
domesticate them to use later as rat catchers to
protect their farms and orchards.
Around 1600, the region around Jilin was inhabited
by tribes that had very little contact with the outside
world. Nurhachi, a Manchu leader conquered Jilin
and all of China in 1644 to set up the Qing Dynasty.
Jilin was then used to set up a military government.
In the 1700’s, farmers from northern China ended up
settling there and started to establish an agricultural
economy. The imperial government discouraged this
kind of living, but finally recognized it in 1799. In the
1800’s, railways and industrialization brought many
Chinese immigrants to Jilin, but on the opposite end
of the spectrum, the industrialization
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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
intrigued Russia and Japan and eventually got
conquered by the Japanese in 1931. In the 1960’s,
heavy industry ended up taking over agriculture as the
main economic source. Instead, the province started
creating income from automobile and locomotive
manufacturing plants, steel, chemicals, petroleum,
and other products.
The name Leifeng comes from a soldier with the
same name. He was born in 1940 into a poor family.
Both his parents died at the very young age of six and
soon after became a beggar on the street. In 1949,
liberation had come to his town and the government
began to take care of him. After he turned 16, Lei
Feng joined the People’s Liberation Army. When he
was in the army, Lei studied many different tasks
and enjoyed and mastered everything that he did. In
1961, he was killed in an accident while on the job.
To honor him, the army published his voluminous
diary.
When read by the nation, people started to find
out that Lei Feng had dedicated himself to helping
others and rarely looking out for himself. He came
up with the motto: “To live is to serve the people -
live to make others happy.” This inspired many of
the younger ones. In 1962, Mao Zedong wrote an
inscription and proclaimed to the nation, “Learn from
Comrade Lei Feng.” From that day on, many have
been inspired by what Lei Feng had done during his
life and also how much Mao Zedong believed in what
Lei had done.
Day in the Life Market Assessment

While researching, our team came across an article Leifeng is located in the Jilin Province of China and
that describes the daily life of a small boy named Zhang is a relatively small village to which there are no
Guanghui that lives in Leifeng. He is 11 years old, and lives specific statistics regarding the villagers. Statistics
with his cousin. Both their parent’s died from diseases represented are those from the Jilin Province itself.
they contracted from the water. They live in a four-room
concrete home, and have to take care of everything from In 2004, there was a population total of 27 million.
washing their face and hands to preparing food. At their The 2000 census recorded five different nationalities
young age they already have jobs in the village and the populating the area: Han Chinese, Koreans, Manchu,
responsibilities that come with them. Because money Mongol, and Hui. The Han Chinese had a population
and time are tight both of the boys drink dirty water that of 24,348,815 which made up about 90.85%
they pump from a well beneath the home. The untreated of the population, the Koreans had a population
water was never purged of the toxins that severely has of 1,145,688 which made up about 4.27%, the
stunted their growth. Still, they drink the water, which Manchu’s had a population of 993,122 which made
develops an oily film just seconds after it is pumped to up 3.71%, the Mongols had 172,026 which made
be used. up 0.642%, and the Hui’s had 125,620 people which
made up 0.469% of the population.
The Jing Quan rice-wine factory down the road is where
Zhang’s mother worked for three months in 2002, etching The education system in Jilin is very modernized for
bottles by dipping them into hydrofluoric acid with only it is made up of 4 different school systems, those of
rubber gloves for protection. This same factory dumped which include 35 universities and institutes of higher
ton upon ton of used acid into an unlined pit according learning, 2,034 vocational schools, 1,951 middle
to court and government documents. The acid seeped schools, and 9,435 primary schools. About 4.8%
into the village’s groundwater, poisoning the wells of of university graduates comprise Jilin’s population
hundreds of families. Subsequent tests showed fluoride which makes it seem as though there are not that
levels in the water thousands of times higher than is many high level jobs for educated people in Jilin.
considered safe. Neither the factory nor
government has done any cleanup; water tests done In 2004, the GDP reached USD 36.69 billion, the
a year ago show pollution remains. There is no other GDP per capita reached USD 1,130 and in 2003,
water source leaving the villagers no choice but to drink foreign trade was 6.17 billion. These statistics were
this water everyday. due to the main industries that comprise Jilin which
are automobile production, petrochemicals, and
agriculture.

Even when accumulating so much money into one

province, none of it is going towards helping the
village of Leifeng so this makes for a good opportunity
to create an alternative water solution and income
source for the villagers.

Women washing clothes in pots by a

Mules are used as a source of water source outside of the
transportation and labour. village.
Image source: www.DORS.Org/UK Image source: www.DORS.Org/UK

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Problem
The people of Leifeng, China have no choice but
to consume unfiltered water that is full of fluoride,
arsenic, and bacteria. The industries around the
village pollute the water source with waste. The
government has done little to establish pollution
guidelines for the industries, or providing some sort
of help to the villagers. Unable to afford any type of
filtration, the villagers are left with no choice but to
consume the deadly water supply that has killed
many older villagers and has left an entire youth
generation in great medical distress. The problem
is clear: empower the people of Leifeng, China by
providing a means for them to filter their water supply
so that they can live a better life.
Existing water filtration products.
Top image source: http://shopping.msn.com/results/
Left image source: http://shopping.msn.com/results/shp/?bCatID=5590,av=12-4574494
Bottom image source: Seldon Laboratories, LLC
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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Existing Solutions Research
The issue of clean water is not unique to Leifeng.
Many other countries including other parts of China,
Africa, India, and even the United States suffer from
unsanitary water. There have been many products
produced to try and help this issue. From research
it was concluded that there were three categories
of water filtration products on the market today (left
bottom images). The first, depicted by the blue water
storage tank, deals with natural disasters. In these
situations families need to be able to store water
in case help does not arrive for many days. These
storage containers are made out of plastic and are
sold in stores such as REI and can be ordered off of
the Red Cross website. Although this solution would
help out the villagers of Leifeng, the containers are
expensive and manufactured with expensive plastics
and processes. The second type of product is the
personal water filtration system, depicted below by
the water bottle. These products focus on providing
campers with a way to filter water in small amounts
for personal use. This type of solution is too small
for a family and is not cost effective. The third type
of solution deals with expensive technology such as
carbon nanotube technology. These expensive filters
are state of the art and cannot be afforded by the
villagers. Through this research we began to see a
need for a water filtration device that is affordable,
long lasting, good for family use, and appropriate to
the region.
Existing Filtration Methods Research
It was imperative to understand all of the filtration
methods available today. Knowing each of these
methods helped us to immediately figure out which
methods were best suited for the area, which
methods were too expensive such as UV Filtration,
and which methods filtered out the correct type of
bacteria that is found in their water supply.
Initial Ideas Final Solution Development

After the initial research we began to brainstorm all The strongest concept was a water container that
of the possible ways to resolve Leifeng’s problem. collects, filters, and stores water. Although there
The solutions depicted below were the strongest. are products out on the market that do all of these
The first solution dealt with attaching a filter to their things, these products are not appropriate for Leifeng
existing faucets. These type of filters are available because they are costly and not intended for everyday
for relatively high costs to those more fortunate. use, are made out of rotational molded plastic in
However, there is not a less-expensive alternative. square shapes that are difficult to transport and do
This concept would solve the problem of cleaning not fit the aesthetics of Leifeng. The solution must
the water but it does not have a way of storing water not only be functional and fit into it’s surroundings but
for times when water is scarce. The second concept also create more value to the villagers by turning the
dealt with a water storage container that would be product into a small business that the villagers could
multi-functional by providing water storage, water maintain for income.
filtration, water collection, and water distribution.
Filtration

After researching all of the filtration methods available

two seemed to rise to the surface: Clay Filtration and
Activated Charcoal. The water in Leifeng has high
amounts of fluoride, arsenic, and bacteria. Therefore,
the need to remove organic and inorganic substances
is key. Clay Filtration is an inexpensive method that
filters out inorganic substances by the use of a clay
pot that is made out of the clay found in the region.
“Potter’s for Peace” is an NGO that specifically helps
under developed villages produce these clay pot
filters. Activated Charcoal Filtration removes most
organic substances. Activated charcoal cannot be
made by the villagers and therefore needs to be
bought. Locally there is a company that produces
A filtration device that attaches to existing faucet fixtures. activated charcoal. With these two filtration methods
the water filtered will be safe to drink by all of the
villagers.

A multi-functional water storage container. It not only can be used to collect rainwater, but Clay pot filter and activated charcoal bits.
also filters inside the container and stores enough water for the daily needs of a small family. Top image source: www.potpaz.org/pfpfilters.htm
Bottom image source: www.activated-charcoal-carbon.com

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Inspiration
One of the key factors to any successful product is
aesthetics. The existing plastic, box-shaped storage
containers would not fit in to the environment of
Leifeng. Existing art in the region is in the form of fired
pottery and porcelain. We looked to this for inspiration
to come up with the form language. Chinese pottery
is very intricate in its detailing. The paintings found
on each piece are unique and make the pottery more
special and more relevant to the culture it resides in.
More stout, fat shapes in colors such as white, black
and green seemed to be preferred by the people in
the region. The use of color was introduced through
the intricate paintings done on the pottery.
Chinese pottery inspiration.
Image Source: Travelchinaguide.com
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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Form
Our goal was to assimilate Chinese pottery aesthetics
into a modern, functional product. Some factors,
such as the necks of the pots, needed to be changed
in order to make the product more functional. The
necks needed to be much wider in order to fit the
filtration pot which sits inside the storage pitcher.
Other factors such as move-ability also changed the
form. This product needs to be easily movable by
young children and the elderly. Therefore, the neck of
the pot became a place where hands could possibly
fit around to lift. Other considerations included
size. The taller a vessel the easier it is to tip over.
Furthermore, there needed to be enough volume
to fit enough water for three people. Each of these
functional requirements needed to be seamlessly
blended into the overall form creating a beautiful
product that is also very functional.
Mockups, middle form was chosen as final direction.
Final Solution

A household storage container that utilizes two filtration

methods to purify the contaminated water: activated
charcoal, which removes organic substances from the
water and is bought from a local manufacturer, and
clay filtration which removes inorganic substances,
leaving the water 98.9% clean, which is made out of
the local clay. The netting and storage pot is made
by the villagers out of local materials. The pitcher
holds 1.5 gallons of water, which according to the
Red Cross is a sufficient amount for a family of three’s
daily needs.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Final Solution: Technology

Activated charcoal and clay filtration will be utilized

to remove 99.9% of all bacteria and particles from
the water. The activated charcoal will be purchased
from a local manufacturer: YIWU Import & Export
Co. Ltd. and the clay filtration pots will be made by
the villagers using their own soil with guidance from
“Potter’s for Peace.”

Activated Charcoal: This sits inside the clay filtration

pot and removes all organic compounds. It will be
bought from a local manufacturer.

Clay Filtration Pot: This pot sits inside the clay

storage pitcher. It is made by the villagers with help
from “Potters for Peace” who will show the villagers
how to make these pots using their own soil.

Storage Clay Pitcher: This pitcher houses all of the

technologies and is fired in the kiln in order for it to be
water tight. It will be made by the villagers. It can be
decorated in any way the villagers see fitting to their
culture.

Netting: The netting holds the storage clay pitcher,

provides a cover for the clay filtration pot and a
handle for easy carrying. The netting will be made by
villagers using bought local materials.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Business Model

The solution provides a viable way for the

villager’s of Leifeng to make money.

The process would begin with The Asian Development

Bank, which would serve as a microlender, lending
money to the villagers to buy the activated charcoal
and supplies for the netting. In the beginning the
villagers would also spend the
money on building a kiln and any other things that
they would need to begin their business. This may
include building a small “factory.”

The villagers would then get help from “Potters for

Peace,” which is an NGO that works with under
developed villages and shows them how to create
clay filtration pots out of the soil that they have in
the area. The making of these filtration pots would
require labor, meaning that villagers could work as
potters.

Secondary potters would create the fired pitchers

that the filtration pot sits in. These can be painted
and decorated how the village chooses.

There would also be villagers who would make the

netting that goes around the pot.

There would also be villagers that would serve as

buyers, buying the materials needed from
surrounding industries and keeping track of what
Complete business model.
supplies are running low.

There would also be villagers who would distribute

finished pitchers around their area and neighboring
villages.

This solution therefore not only provides clean

water, but creates many new jobs and brings money
into the village.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
Conclusion

The Filtration Pot is a solution that not only

provides the Leifeng villagers a way to clean their
water, but takes into consideration their bigger needs:
providing jobs, bringing money to the
village, and establishing a relationship between
local manufacturer’s and the village. The solution is
appropriate to the area by utilizing resources that the
villagers have and can get locally. Instead of giving
the villager’s filtration pots that are fully made, we
have empowered them by giving them a solution that
will provide much more than it’s
inherent function, but a source of survival. The product
is simple and easy to make and does a great job
of cleaning the water. This product will change the
villager’s life dramatically. It will help their population
thrive and succeed. The younger generation will
be able to grow up healthy and strong benefitting
everyone in the village. This product will allow the
village to create it’s own identity in the region by
being known by the community for having filtration
pitchers and by establishing an aesthetic that can be
painted onto these pitchers. The Filtration Pitcher is a
promising solution to those in need in Leifeng China.

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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006
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San Jose State University / Industrial Design Program DSID124: Design for the Majority Professor: Leslie Speer Fall 2006