Lucy Mogan

Chase McAndrew
Vanessa Diaz
Nick Lloyd
Human Centered Design Research

Our Product:
A refinery/ process in which carbon dioxide is captured and stored temporarily until it can be
used or transferred somewhere else.

Empathy:
To market our product better, we need to know what the customers are looking for and what
they care about.

➔ What do we people care about?

◆ According to Pew Research, roughly 60% of Americans have some kind of
concern about the environment and want action taken. People care about real
solutions to maintain a safe and clean environment.
◆ They care about themselves and the people around them. Their own wants and
needs are people’s top priority.

➔ What is important to them?

◆ People value a reliable and affordable product or service over anything. The
quality of any product is a top factor along with the price. A comparison between
the two is normally thought of before purchasing the product.

➔ What do they need?

◆ They need to be able to attain the product and use it easily. If it is cheaper and
more accessible it is more likely that people will buy the product. They will also
continue to come back because of how great and easy the product is to maintain.
People also need products that can be understood and used by anyone. If it’s
user friendly, more people will likely buy the product.

Concepts:

Brainstorming

Who would want our product?

Who would we target when marketing our product?
What are the customers lacking?
What do they need to improve their lives or way of living?
Would all people who own a car have access to it?

Possible clients:
➔ Gasoline companies
➔ Power plants (construction of refineries)
➔ Investors
➔ Alcohol companies
➔ Pharmaceutical scientist
➔ Environmentalist
➔ Car Manufactures
➔ People who own/drive a car

As a team, we believe that gasoline companies will be our primary consumers and plan to fund
initial development from private investors and possible public grants.

Research
We have to empathize to understand our clients wants and needs to create a better product.
One that will be appealing and meet all the customers needs.

Findings:

➔ Observe​:
● Gasoline companies by law are required to insert a set percentage of ethanol into
their product (at least 2%)
● They want to assure their customers that their fuel will be the best for their cars
and for the environment.
● Most companies receive their raw materials from abroad, making at home
competition difficult (roughly $2 billion worth of ethanol is imported every year into
the US which equates to about 1.5 billion gallons annually), however, over the
past 5 years imports have dropped by as much as 10% due to international
disputes making at home production both feasible and profitable. (Source: US
Department of Agriculture)
● Public marketing will require us to focus on the green energy aspect of the
product as well as the job creation possibilities
➔ Engage​:
● When in negotiations the failing of international ethanol trade will be corner stone
of our arguments
● When speaking with investors, we will need to appeal to their sensibilities which
will require us to receive some kind of government funding or backing (Texas
would be the best place to start as it accounts for 41% of US crude oil production
and 25% of US natural gas production) Source: Baker Institute
➔ Immerse​:
 ● The attitude of many involved in the production of new energy technologies are
often incredibly idealistic and can be easily appealed to in terms of the greater
good.

❖ What did you find that people have in common?

❏ In general, the fossil fuel industry has an incredibly large incentive to produce
cleaner energy, as not only does it help the environment but their companies
have the ability to profit tremendously.
❏ They all value their customers' needs as a top priority and try to market the best
product that fuels people's cars.
❖ What did you find that was different?
❏ The dedication to finding alternative energies and processes is incredibly diverse
and often has to do with their relationship with the government and lobbying (how
much do they receive in subsidies).
❖ What was surprising?
❏ More than not, oil companies are in active pursuit of technologies that can clean
their emissions. All natural gas companies have a huge push to go green with
their energy. Especially fueling companies for cars have started many projects
with carbon capture and other carbon scrubbing technology.

Padlet link: ​https://padlet.com/vadiaz2/dt4y7t8lx42j2act

Marketing Padlet link: ​https://padlet.com/lumogan/48qhsv5a3obvloxt

Problems to Solve:
● Production costs
● Accessibility to power plants
● Financial connections
● Acquiring state support
● Developing market relationships
● Keeping carbon out of the atmosphere
● Car and power plant emissions

Our problem to solve:​ We want to reduce energy waste by reducing CO2 emissions from top
contributors like cars or power plants. The leftover carbon dioxide could then be sold for profit
and permanent storage. This also allows for the process to become more profitable and
affordable.