As water is really important for us to sustain our lives, and today people do not

recognize the importance of water. Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, but fresh

water that we can use is less than 1% of all the water on Earth. This small amount of

water is used for drinking, industry, and agriculture, etc. However, New York City’s

treat 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily. This wastewater includes sanitary flow, tap

water, washing machine, flushing a toilet, etc. This system is complex but we can’t live

without. Therefore, people should know this situation.

For my thesis, I want to study the water system in New York City. This informa-

tion of water includes where water comes from (water resources), how much people

waste water (shower, toilet), and where used water goes. It is more closed to education

field, so people who live in New York City easily understand water. It does not limit the

age of people, and it will good for teenagers to aware of benefit information. Before I

research the water, I had no idea about water, where water does come from and how

much we waste it. Even New Yorkers do not know where water comes from.

Precedent / inspiration

United Geological Survey (USGS) New York Water Science Center provides

national water data, maps, and recent water projects. There are numerous projects that

contain problem and result. In addition, some of precedents have a lot of text with few

images, so it does not attract people, no interesting, and no interactive.

problem and result. In addition, some of precedents have a lot of text with few images,

so it does not attract people, no interesting, and no interactive.

Besides using text, I would use various visual images, because we remember visual

images much easier and better than words. This infographic: the secret life of drinking

water shows two thirds of the world’s population will suffer water shortage in 2025,

and it indicates importance of drinking water. The designer, Mairi Mackay uses only

blue and white color code to make mood of water. This illustration of pipe harmonize

with small amount of text, and it makes easily understand.

- CNN Designed by Matt Barringer

Methodology

I am still research useful information that improves my thesis. Actually, to find the

exact water resources are difficult. My thesis will be a journey of water. It is based on

research, so it includes water sources, wastewater, and where used water go. The used

water goes to the river around in New York, so it does not go back to recycle step.

Most of data is from USGS and other reference books. I would like to use two media,

information design and web design. First of all, information design is efficiency to

organize complex data and express its meaning more clearly to audiences. Information

design includes all productive data that will draw people. Secondly, website will focus

on more interactive design that users can play with information. When users click the

button of each place, then it will show how water resources flow to the Manhattan. It

will arouse interest.