AGP

Introduction

9 out of 10 times, fueling your vehicle is inconvenient. I think we all wish there was a better way. My thought was: how can I make this mandatory process easier, faster, and more efficient? These specific changes can make refueling quite less inconvenient. 

Competitive Analysis

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Personas

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Design Defense

Problem Statement

We love our car, we have a relationship with our cars because we travel almost everywhere with them. Refueling can be such a nuisance. I doubt I'm alone when I say, I dislike going to get gas because it's an inconvenience especially when I just want to get to point A to B. But our vehicles need energy so we must stop, and give it what it needs to keep going. Which involves us getting out of our cars, paying, touching the pump, waiting, then touching the pump again; it's a nuisance and an inconvenience for everyone. It's time to make it a problem.   

Target Audience

Primary Users: Frequent users/drivers of gas powered vehicles or products.
Secondary users: Users that easily adapt to advanced technology. 
Demographics: Ages 15-50, median age approx. 32yo. Income: $50,000/yr+

 

Possible Solutions

Solution Categories

This section organizes the solutions above into 4 main categories. 

1.  Other people (not consumer) that the consumer may or may not pay compensation to refuel any mode of transportation. 
• Take an Uber/ taxi
• Ride the bus 
• Take a train/ subway
• Hire a chauffeur
• Passenger pumps gas for you
• Go places that worker pumps gas for you
• Make other people do your errands 
2. Vehicles that run from a different type of energy- replacing the gasoline fueling system entirely by running, and powering, the transportation from another, less common source.
• Electric scooters
• Electric bicycles 
• No fuel vehicles 
• Electric powered vehicles 
• Solar powered vehicles 
• Water powered vehicles 
3. Extra manual labor on the consumers end, by avoiding any other type of renewable energy in the transportation process, excluding their bodies own man-power. 
• Ride bicycles
• Walk everywhere
• Scooter everywhere
• Pedal powered vehicle
• Rollerblade everywhere
4. Man-made robotic engineering and design that pumps automatically to make the refueling process simpler and less of an inconvenience for the consumer. 
• A physical standing humanoid robot pumps your gas
• A robotic arm attached to the pump pumps the gas
• A machine pumps the gas for you from the bottom of your vehicle. 

Final Solution

I chose #4 solution category because it's self sufficient. Most people are use to technology making things easier and view it as upgrading. Though it is a large engineering feat, it is a little jump in the tech world because many are use to ATM systems- which can seem like a similar experience.

Critical Feature

AGP stands for automated gas pump. This engineering feat will adapt with the times. It will feature a touch screen interface we are already familiar with at an ATM and integrating the same drive-up process. For the tech-savvy, a mobile app can be used to bypass even that feature. Using the AGP app faster service is possible by storing membership and credit card information right into your account. Automatic gas pumps are the way of the future. Stay in your car while your gas gets pumped for you with a system that is virtually hands-free.    

Scenarios/ Rational

1. Allison is staying in her car at Speedway Gas Station while using the AGP app for automatic vehicle fueling (storyboard of ATG app below). With the AGP vehicle gas tank, the fueling process happens from below vehicle. Rationale: This scenario allows Allison to stay in her car to avoid any possible fumes the gas station gives off. This will make refueling less of a struggle for someone who is pregnant or sensitive to smells. 
2. Deepdee drives up to the pump, rolls down her window, and uses AGP pump screen for gas. Accessing the AGP vehicle gas tank during the fueling process. Rationale: This scenario shows how refuelling can be just like using the ATM. Deepdee drives up to the pump and uses the touch screen, then waits for ATP to fill her tank to her desired amount. 
3. Dan walks up to the pump and uses the screen to fill a portable gas can for his lawn mower. Accessing the regular/normal pump handle we see today. Rationale: This scenario shows that the ATP can do everything a pump today does even if Dan doesn't have the AGP gas tank. 

Storyboard

This storyboard is Scenario 1 above.

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Paper Prototype

This is a paper prototype of scenario 1. This user has a new car equipped w/ AGP tank, they're at Speedway in position at the pump. They begin using the AGP app where their account is set up, membership(s) and credit card(s) info is already linked.

Wireframe

The wireframe below is a digital prototype of scenario 1. Following the exact steps as the paper prototype above. 

Summary 

Sit in the comfort of your vehicle while AGP does most of the work for you. AGP will eliminate getting out of your vehicle when you only need to refuel but major efficiency happens below. This new pump connects directly to an AGP fuel tank underneath your vehicle. 99% of fumes and product are contained which means less wastes. 

AGP - True luxury of the future. 

Final Design

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