Case Study

Pur Water

Reimagine water filter tracking by digitizing workflows, designing an intuitive timeline UI, and integrating iOS and watchOS for seamless user experiences.
Before
After
Project Overview
Status

Shipped

Contribution

Lead Designer

Year

2015

Product

UX/UI Design, App Design, Branding

Audience

Lead Product Designer

Skills

UX Design & Strategy
Product Strategy
User Research
Prototyping & Testing
Design System
Content Design

Problem Statement
Results & Impact

Goals

The goal was to transform an outdated, manual process into a seamless, digital experience that aligns with modern technology habits. With this Pur concept, users could gain a simplified, visual way to monitor their filters lifespan and maintain their water quality without extra effort.

Discovery
Define

Design Process

Research & Concept Development

I began by conducting some personal research to understand the pain points I faced when tracking my pur water filter usage. Part of this was me forgetting to replace filters on time due to the lack of clear, consistent reminders. Using these insights, I developed initial wireframes to define the app concept, focusing on replacing outdated manual methods with an effortless digital solution.

Branding & Visual Design

The branding reflects the purity and simplicity of water. I designed a modern logo, cohesive color schemes, and typography that convey cleanliness and clarity. These elements informed a consistent design language that unified the iOS and watchOS experiences.

Logo and Branding

The branding for Pur emphasizes clarity and modernity, inspired by the purity of water. The logo features clean, fluid lines that evoke water’s movement and simplicity, paired with a minimalist typeface for a contemporary look. The color palette is dominated by shades of blue and white, reflecting water’s purity and reinforcing the app’s focus on clean, fresh design.

This branding guided the UI design, ensuring a cohesive experience across both iOS and Apple Watch. The result is an interface that feels as effortless and natural as the product’s purpose.

Timeline UI Design

The timeline view is the app’s centerpiece. It uses a gradient that transitions from green to red as the filter’s lifespan progresses, providing users with a quick, visual summary of their filter’s health. This design eliminates the need to dive into detailed menus, making it faster and more intuitive to check the status.

For example, as a filter nears its replacement date, the timeline gradually shifts to red and triggers a notification. This design prioritizes clarity while keeping the interface simple and approachable.

Wireframe
Systems

Next Steps

Looking ahead, I plan to continue exploring app design, focusing on solving everyday problems with elegant and intuitive digital experiences. This project sparked a deeper interest in refining my ability to balance functionality with simplicity, and I am eager to pursue more opportunities that allow me to hone these skills.

Design
Deliver

Reflections

This project marked an important step in my journey into app design and fueled my passion for creating thoughtful, user-centered solutions. While Pur was a self-initiated exploration without formal user testing, the process helped me build foundational skills in designing for both iOS and watchOS, as well as applying principles of branding and interaction design to a real-world concept. This allowed me to explore how thoughtful design can simplify everyday tasks.

A proud moment was seeing Apple use a very similar gradient approach to the new complications released in WatchOS 7 when the Apple Watch Series 4 was launched in 2018 (3 years later).

Photo from Appple Newsroom

Reflections

This project marked an important step in my journey into app design and fueled my passion for creating thoughtful, user-centered solutions. While Pur was a self-initiated exploration without formal user testing, the process helped me build foundational skills in designing for both iOS and watchOS, as well as applying principles of branding and interaction design to a real-world concept. This allowed me to explore how thoughtful design can simplify everyday tasks.

A proud moment was seeing Apple use a very similar gradient approach to the new complications released in WatchOS 7 when the Apple Watch Series 4 was launched in 2018 (3 years later).

Photo from Appple Newsroom

Reflections

This project marked an important step in my journey into app design and fueled my passion for creating thoughtful, user-centered solutions. While Pur was a self-initiated exploration without formal user testing, the process helped me build foundational skills in designing for both iOS and watchOS, as well as applying principles of branding and interaction design to a real-world concept. This allowed me to explore how thoughtful design can simplify everyday tasks.

A proud moment was seeing Apple use a very similar gradient approach to the new complications released in WatchOS 7 when the Apple Watch Series 4 was launched in 2018 (3 years later).

Photo from Appple Newsroom
Impact

Apple Watch Integration

Creating the Apple Watch interface required balancing simplicity with functionality. I designed a circular timeline that represents the filter’s lifecycle in a glanceable format. Users can see real-time updates, such as filter health and replacement estimates, without needing to access their phone.

This design mirrors the iOS app function while optimizing for the smaller screen, ensuring consistency and ease of use across both platforms.

Apple Watch Integration

Creating the Apple Watch interface required balancing simplicity with functionality. I designed a circular timeline that represents the filter’s lifecycle in a glanceable format. Users can see real-time updates, such as filter health and replacement estimates, without needing to access their phone.

This design mirrors the iOS app function while optimizing for the smaller screen, ensuring consistency and ease of use across both platforms.

Apple Watch Integration

Creating the Apple Watch interface required balancing simplicity with functionality. I designed a circular timeline that represents the filter’s lifecycle in a glanceable format. Users can see real-time updates, such as filter health and replacement estimates, without needing to access their phone.

This design mirrors the iOS app function while optimizing for the smaller screen, ensuring consistency and ease of use across both platforms.

Conclusion

Conclusion

This unshipped personal project was an opportunity to merge my skills in branding, UI/UX design, and prototyping into a cohesive product concept. The lessons learned in crafting Pur continue to shape how I approach design challenges, prioritizing simplicity, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Conclusion

This unshipped personal project was an opportunity to merge my skills in branding, UI/UX design, and prototyping into a cohesive product concept. The lessons learned in crafting Pur continue to shape how I approach design challenges, prioritizing simplicity, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Conclusion

This unshipped personal project was an opportunity to merge my skills in branding, UI/UX design, and prototyping into a cohesive product concept. The lessons learned in crafting Pur continue to shape how I approach design challenges, prioritizing simplicity, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Learn More

Get to know my career journey, core competencies, os simply check out some of my case studies.

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© 2025 Dave Leal All rights reserved.

Learn More

Get to know my career journey, core competencies, os simply check out some of my case studies.

Powered by freshly pressed coffee

© 2025 Dave Leal All rights reserved.

Learn More

Get to know my career journey, core competencies, os simply check out some of my case studies.

Powered by freshly pressed coffee

© 2025 Dave Leal All rights reserved.