Trip Planner for Electric Cars
Requirement:
Scenario: For users who own an electric car planning long trips is not easy, because the availability of charging stations is limited and it needs to be accommodated in the trip.
User Scope
Design a mobile application that will help these users
Plan long trips easily
creating itineraries that accommodate the charging requirements,
reminding user about upcoming charging stations,
helping user find things to do while the car is charging, etc.
Think in terms of a complete experience for the entire trip.
Point to be noted
car can be connected to the mobile app via Bluetooth,
send data from car through its various sensors to the mobile.
Challenge
leveraged to make the experience seamless, especially while driving.
Please note that driver's safety is of utmost importance here.
Research:
We are humans and we have certain needs. Some are became basic and some are not evolved yet. One of the most derivational industry is automobile. Every little things is now in the process of refining. Automobile industry is articulating, so when we are saying redefining meant to drivers experience and handling. HCI can make it happen. Functional areas where we need to understand our environment and build the trust on system where we depend on, Where in automobile industry has control of critical consequences.
-Establishing Trust
-Maintain Transparency
-System Adaptability
-Engagement of user
User Research Process:
User insight: Understand what problems user wants solved
Functional Priorities: Analyse how important these problems to user
Usability: What product and feature we can develop to solve these problem
I usually prefer double diamond approach where i would like to find general problem then narrow down them with research and analysis
-UX Research
-Insights
-Ideation
-Prototyping
Diamond 1 — Research and Synthesis
Competitor Analysis
I did competitive research on direct competitors like Tesla/ Hyundai /mahindra/BMW
And while global research i found something interesting about China could be the World's First All Electric Vehicle Ecosystem.
Insight
Availability issues : Mazor problem is the right information at right time.
Accommodation issue: Possible option for accommodate car charge in parking spaces where you can plug in while you shop
Navigation issue: In any app navigation is not that easy and informatic
Future of AV’s
Depletion of these concerns
-Accidental Death
-debilitating traffic
-lost productivity
-an aging population
-paradigm for human mobility can’t arrive soon enough.
User Research Method — Interviews
I have chosen interviews as our user research method, to understand the stories behind EV app usage. Our empathy maps helped me derive the questions for app’s users.
User wanted a hassle free journey without any fear of interruption of car battery failure
User Persona
User Empathy Map
User Scenario: Planning long trip with electric car
Defining a use case : For users who own an electric car planning long trips is not easy, because the availability of charging stations is limited and it needs to be accommodated in the trip.
User needs or pain point identification
Fears Cause: Discharging at middle of the journey
Pain points:
Anxiety to charging
Availability of charging station
Accessibility of charging slots
Compatibility issue with slots
Gain
Find and get directions to charging stations.
See charger and charger compatible with your electric vehicle, as well as live status of chargers.
Hassle free ride without worry about changing
Diamond 2— Ideation and Prototyping
“Design is not just like how it look, it’s like how it works”
Features list:
-Map feature
-Search option
-Filter
-Other activities
-Notification or status(others and own)
-Profile- history / bills/ charges/wallet
Control through mobile APP
-Schedule charging, temperature and defrosting
-Delay commands
-Set charge limit
-Start / stop charging
-Monitor vehicle on map
Other possibilities
-Open / close sunroof
-Start vehicle
-Camper mode
-Control temperature from home screen
-Lock / unlock doors
-Honk horn
-Flash lights
-Control temperature
-Control conditioning
Search
-Search charging station in Current Location
-Search charging station in specific location or user can search available points on the way of destination
-Search charging station in between one point to another
-Booking Charging point with slot and date
-Get direction of selected station
Profile
-History record
-Maintain timeline (Month/year/day wise)
-User can see the data “when was Last charged”
-Home much the expense through wallet or any medium
-User can track Travelling frequency
-User can track charging frequency to maintain battery life
-Wallet maintenance
-User can Load money from any medium
-User can track Money/order expenses
-Payment gateway
Notification
-Status of car Health(Passed/Fail) In terms of battery capacity to travel
-Notify me whenever available the selected option of charging point
-Notify me When will battery charged fully
Filter option
-Option Available According to user’s Charging port type
-Option Available Which is near by or any specific one location
-Option Available Distance range given by user
-Option Available Having amenities
-Option Available on the basis of Active condition
Planning trip
-With any search option user can plan a trip eg-point to point
-User can see multiple route option to travel
-Status of car Health Its can Passed It can be Fail in terms of battery capacity
-User can start the trip on the tap of button
-As per the input given by user — accessibility to plan a trip
-Details for the trip [-Point location A and B/ -Date and Time]
-App provide recommendation for routes based on the battery health and status
Charging point profile
-Amenities available at this point
-next slot availability
-User can check in/check out
-Booking Charging point with slot and date
-Get direction of selected station
While Traveling on board
-Available charging points on the middle of the journey
-User can see Current battery Status of the car on the tap of CHECK-IN
-Distance remaining/traveled
-Application should be Intelligent to analyse the battery vs miles curve
-Emergency level of charging LOW- MID-HIGH
-Engagement activities while charging
Charging mode
-% remaining for full charge
-Status of Current voltage of charging
-Battery Temperature
-Suitable or need rest
-Health of car in terms of battery
-User can check in/check out
Control Settings
User Stories:
3W: WHO WHAT WHY?
Who are we building it for, who the user is? — For users who own
an electric car planning long trips is not easy, because the availability of charging stations is limited and it needs to be accommodated in the trip.
What are we building, what is the intention? — Quick and easy to use application within
Scope
-Design a mobile application that will help users
-Plan long trips easily
-Creating itineraries that accommodate the charging requirements,
-Reminding user about upcoming charging stations,
-Helping user find things to do while the car is charging, etc.
-A complete delightful experience for the entire trip.
Why are we building it, what value it brings for the user.?
-Establishing Trust
-Maintain Transparency
-System Adaptability
-Engagement of user
User Story: As a rider, I want a simple and easy to use application so that I can enjoy my trips hazel free without any rush of charging our car.
Application feature list
FIND: Discover all EV charge stations close to you, where and when you need it.
FILTER: Checking charger type (regular or fast) and port type on stations. Find the specific plug you need for your EV, charge stations with real time information
PROFILE:
Wallet: Payment required charging stations.
Remember to fill your billing data to avoid charge errors.
History : Have access to all your active charges, the past ones and
all your historical information.
CHECK-IN: Check your charge to show that you are actually using the charge station or comment the problems of the charge station you are facing. All the EV community will benefit.
ACTIVATION OF CHARGE PROCESSES - Start and stop your charge operations easily to plugin or out at top right of screen
MORE FILTERS - Find the right charge point easily on station;s profile page
CHAT - Talk with other APP users.
Remotely control your car with the app. Control everything about your vehicle, make schedules, activate charging mode, delay commands etc.
After usability testing of this prototype i revised the prototype below I would like to describe what was the problem with the previous prototype listed below
Draft 2: Prototype
Solving problem which i have identified while usability testing phase with Draft1.
-User friendly interface and layout for a better user experience
-Without leaving the map, Interactivity user can locate and check charging station details
-Directions to selected charging station through Google Maps
-Live status of rapid chargers to check whether they’re available, in use, or out of order before you get there
-Searching stations using filtering on charger type, port type, or status
Quick searching of stations
Checking in to stations to let others know how long you’ll be using the charger
User found difficulty to understand current status of battery- i improved with first screen with level of the container symbolize the the level of battery capacity
The text under search box not clearly understandable mostly user interpret its a finding of charging point station- but the scenario is to plan trip
Draft 3: prototype: User Flow with screen
