CONTEXT
Eliminating the plastic bottle was the ambitious challenge Les Mousquetaires entrusted to our four-student team during an eight-week academic project.
The agri-food group aimed to anticipate France’s plastic ban by 2040 and explore a disruptive solution grounded in real user behaviors.
RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
To address the need, I led a full field immersion: supermarket observations, interviews, surveys, and semiotic analysis.
This process generated actionable insights and a clearly defined design challenge.
VERBATIMS
“ I CAN’T STAND TAP WATER
IT TASTES BAD AND
IT'S DANGEROUS. ”
“ I ONLY BUY MONT ROUCOUS
PACKS. THEY’RE THE ONLY
ONES I CAN CARRY. ”
“I GO FOR THE CHEAPEST
PACK, NO MATTER
THE BRAND.”
“I CHOOSE THE WATER
WITH THE LOWEST PH.”
“I ONLY BUY HEPAR
FOR THE MAGNESIUM.”
“THEY SAY EVIAN IS THE
BEST WATER FOR
NEWBORNS.”
INSIGHT 1 :
No emotional attachment to plastic
FINDING:
Consumers still buy bottled water. Not out of attachment to plastic, but because it meets all their needs : taste, price, composition, convenience, size, and hygiene.
OPPORTUNITY:
Design a plastic-free water solution that delivers the same benefits with a clear added value.
INSIGHT 2 :
Water as a functional medium
FINDING :
Consumers choose their water based on specific benefits tied to physiological needs or personal beliefs.
OPPORTUNITY :
A single water solution for everyone, personalized to individual needs: “the perfect water.”
DESIGN CHALLENGE
“ How can we replace the plastic bottle with a reusable water system that provides enough added value to sustainably change consumption habits ? ”
DESIGN
SOLUTION
Reusable water pouch, refillable at supermarket stations, customizable to individual needs.
Personalized : composition tailored to specific needs or beliefs.
→ Personalized mineral enrichment at the refill stationSafe & hygienic : plastic-free, self-cleaning.
Easy adoption : same benefits as bottled water with real added value : water that fits you + cheap + eco-friendly.
WATERWAY
TECHNICAL
SYSTEM
Simply connect the bag, then no user intervention is required.
STORE
IMPACT
Zero plastic waste
Less handling effort for staff
Shelf space optimized → more room
Boosted customer loyalty → users shop where they refill their water
TEST DE
DESIRABILITE
OBJECTIVE:
Test concept acceptance for the water pouch without a prototype.
METHOD:
Pose as Intermarché staff.
Tell customers : “Bottled water ends next month…”
Explain the pouch system via flyer.
Collect spontaneous reactions and feedback.
Explore feelings naturally and informally.
RESULTS:
Almost full validation → most participants accepted the concept and confirmed our insights.
RESERVATIONS:
Some initially doubted the pouch met their needs (“I need water with magnesium”), but accepted it after learning about personalized options.
PROJECT IMPACT:
POC confirmed natural adoption of the concept.
Communication around personalization refined.
Concrete proof the solution meets real user needs and tensions.
