Lifeguard Watterbottle is a project created by Kristine Vodon. This was her major project in her second year of Industrial Design undergraduate degree, she chose a unique user group with very specific user criteria for a water bottle and this is what ended up driving the final design. Read on and enjoy!

One of my best friends and my mother were both lifeguards at one point in their life, and I was training to be one. I have a lot of respect for the position and thought it would be great to design something geared in that direction.

- Kristine Vodon

The process started with an exploration of problems lifeguards face when interacting with a water bottle while on duty. These problems outlined clear design criteria, and from there a lot of sketches, and foam models were made to test out the fit and feel of different designs. Once a final design was chosen, a final appearance model was made to convey design intent.

- Kristine Vodon

The final prototype was made out of RenShape and formed acrylic, and finished with a paint job to make it look realistic. I used a bandsaw, multitude of hand tools, airbrush, and I’m sure lots of other tools I can’t quite remember. The biggest challenge I had was naming it - I’m still not happy with a name yet.

- Kristine Vodon

The design process is very iterative in the beginning stages, I probably went through 30 different sketches, 6 different foam models, then I resigned the design as the process moved on. This project was one of the first that I worked on in my undergrad that really solidified my love for this field. Given the chance to do this project over again I know there are things I would do differently, especially with the number of tools I have learned to use since my second year and the fact that I have redefined my aesthetic language over the years. I will always treasure this project as an early stepping stone in my path to a successful design career.

- Kristine Vodon

About Kristine Vodon

Kristine Vodon is currently in her final year in my Masters of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary with a thesis focused on the research and development of performance footwear. She love to create things, she is always learning new creative skills and tools that can help her further herself as a designer. She currently currently takes on clients for web design, visual communication, branding development, art work and many other facets of design. Her ultimate dream is to work in footwear and lifestyle design. You can find more of her works on her Behance profile or website.