Designing the world’s first Smart Gas Cylinder

To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have omitted confidential information in this case study. The information in this case study does not necessarily reflect the views of the company.

Gas cylinders are vital for families, fueling essential tasks like cooking and heating.

Galp, Portugal's leading oil and gas supplier, was in the process of developing the world's first smart gas cylinder that could measure the amount of gas inside and send this information to a smartphone.

The company approached my team at Tangível to define the ideal user experience of the smart cylinder through the Mundo Galp app.

I was the Lead Service Designer and UX Researcher on the project, working with a UX designer, a fellow researcher, and the project manager.

Exploration

Initial research activities

In order to immerse ourselves into the context and the existing developments, we conducted a kick-off workshop with the main stakeholders, desk research into the use of gas cylinders in Portugal, benchmark analysis of the main competitors nationally and internationally, and a review of the existing documentation.

Then, to have a deeper understanding of the users’ experience with tradicional smart cylinders, we conducted exploratory interviews with:

  • People that use gas cylinders daily in their homes to heat water or cook,

  • Resellers of gas cylinders.

Main findings

Among other findings, our research uncovered that:

  • 2.6 million families, which represent two-thirds of Portuguese homes, depend on gas cylinders to cook or heat water, mainly in areas outside urban centers and in the interior.

  • There is no way to know how much gas is inside the cylinder once in use. People usually try to guess by shaking the cylinder and feeling the weight.

  • People often run out of gas while using the cylinder and stock up by keeping extra cylinders at home, which could be avoided with the new smart cylinder.

Our exploratory research enabled us to identify different types of users and map their current journeys, identifying their pains and opportunities we could target with the new service.

Ideation

We held internal ideation sessions to define the future journey of using the smart cylinder, including both physical and digital aspects such as:

Physical journey

Recognizing the product
Purchasing the smart cylinder
Physically installing the cylinder
Understanding how to use it

Digital journey

Installing the app
Connecting the cylinder to the smartphone
Monitoring the gas level through the app
Receiving alerts when the gas level is low
Ordering a new cylinder through the app

We prototyped both the physical and digital aspects of the service, iterating and increasing the fidelity level as we tested with users.

  • Low fidelity digital prototypes

  • High fidelity digital prototypes

  • Low fidelity physical prototypes

  • High fidelity physical prototypes

Testing

We conducted 3 rounds of tests with users, focusing on the experience with the digital artifacts, the physical artifacts, and the branding components on the cylinder.

These tests allowed us to iterate the prototypes and improve the user experience.

We simulated a kitchen environment, to provide users with a realistic experience and evaluate the experience of physically installing the product.

Implementation

The development team was involved in the design process from the start.

Once we had defined the experience and iterated on the prototypes, we collaborated with the development team to bring the service to life.

We followed the development process closely and iterated as needed, according to technological limitations.

Follow-up

After the service went live, we followed up on users’ experience by requesting their feedback in set points of the journey, and adapted the service accordingly.

We also observed and improved the physical and digital journeys of buying the cylinders in Galp stores.

Results

Galp Pluma is a revolutionary smart gas cylinder.

Its introduction to the market in November 2022 brought transformative changes in user experience and convenience.

The integration of cutting-edge technology and innovative features has led to several remarkable outcomes.

Its real-time gas monitoring feature empowers users with awareness and control, while the integrated Mundo Galp app streamlines tasks like tracking usage history and placing orders.

The product's commitment to sustainability, evident through carbon offset initiatives, aligns with eco-conscious users.

Positive feedback, higher engagement, and market differentiation highlight its success.

Additionally, the Pluma enhances Galp's brand as an innovative and customer-centric company.

This case study showcases how human-centered design can transform experiences, leading to tangible benefits for users and the brand alike.

Final product

Let’s discuss how this transformative design project can inspire your innovative solutions.

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