Thermal and flow distribution of showerheads as a method for understanding water user preferences

Water efficient products such as showerheads provide a useful means to manage and deliver water use efficiency. They are now prevalent in the market, however there remains gaps in the understanding of these products in terms of user interaction and use and the extent of how these affects user perception, and experience. These unknowns still exist since user experience of eco products influences the extent to which they consistently achieve water use efficiency beyond the short term.
This study was therefore undertook to study important parameters that define the technical efficiency of showerheads as it is associated with the perceived performance and experience of (and therefore the satisfaction with) showerheads. Technical parameters were measured in a laboratory environment and the findings were triangulated against in-home user feedback.
This study is significant because it presents a useful methodology for understanding user preferences for such water products, as well as the degrees of affordance that need to be factored into their design, deployment and use.