Gas station operator console (keyboard-only)
2024 — 2025
Product designer in a cross-functional team
Designed the operator UI for gas stations: live pumps and payments, shifts, receipts, hardware status, repricing, and non-standard orders—on older monitors. Focus was product logic, readability, and negative paths: errors, cancellations, recovery after failures—plus a keyboard layer with hints validated on site
Goal
Turn complex operations into a single coherent flow: essentials visible on a weak screen, with safe rollback when something fails
Avoid a “desktop-sized” UI: density must stay manageable in queues and fatigue
Problem
Many features with non-obvious links; several flows are edge-heavy
Operators vary in PC skill; early rollouts were in smaller towns—solutions had to tolerate weak hardware and non-power users
Result
Screen logic and negative branches became more predictable for operators; support tickets dropped ~10%
Hints remain for newcomers; experienced users could reduce on-screen noise
01
Task
Keep complex capabilities—pumps, payments, shifts, receipts, hardware, repricing, flexible orders—readable on old monitors without a formal usability study, while handling failures, cancellations, and recovery so operators are not stuck in opaque states
What I did
Structured flows so the task context and the next safe action are visible—not just a pile of fields
Worked through negative branches and error copy so it is clear what happened and what to do next
Stress-tested on low-end hardware and tuned contrast, size, and grid for real viewing distances
Outcome
Operators and owners reported the system is easier to use in real shifts than previous tools
Dense screens stayed dense but more readable—critical info gets lost less often in noise
Negative paths feel less like dead ends—there is usually a clear next step
02
Task
Could not rely only on “power user” shortcuts—many operators are not that audience, yet speed on the line matters. Needed prototypes, on-screen hints for onboarding, a path to hide them for veterans, and iterations from feedback and observations at stations
What I did
Built prototypes, watched typing speed and common mistakes in internal runs and on site, and simplified combinations vs “standard” hotkeys
Added a toggle to hide hints plus quick help—support for beginners without constant noise for experts
Documented focus, hints, and states in the design system so new screens do not reinvent keyboard patterns
Outcome
Hotkeys became easier to explain and remember without long memorization drills
Hints are no longer “always on”—the UI adapts better to mixed skill levels without splitting the product
Keyboard patterns were reused across the team; support load dropped noticeably after stabilization (not tracked as a formal KPI)
