Amazon Toco

In the near future, automation will be the driving factor in businesses to cut costs and increase efficiency. Drone grocery delivery will be introduced to the public to fulfill immediate delivery solutions, and more and more stores will become warehouses to cater toward a more “automated” future.

But in this future, where efficiency drives design, how might we reimagine grocery shopping while preserving aspects of the in-store shopping experience? 

Inspired by the Asian fruit trucks, Amazon Toco leverages Amazon Prime’s shopper database to curate the best selection of goods for select neighborhoods (imagine a bodega that grows to suit the community's needs over time). Deployed at certain times of the day, customers can look for nearby Tocos through the app to find goods they need, allowing for a more spontaneous and social engagement when grocery shopping.

How it works

Amazon Toco

Toco is an automated service by Amazon that provides neighborhoods with spontaneous grocery shopping options.

Catered Products

By leveraging Amazon Prime’s database, Tocos will be able to offer products catered to community needs.

Spontaneous Shopping

Tocos are deployed from hotspot warehouses to scheduled locations and customers can look for nearby Tocos through the app to grocery shop.

The Bodega of the Future

Four different product categories are offered by the Toco each with a unique name. Every Toco has its own identity and voice, similar to corner stores.

Live Information

The Toco app provides customers with live information on products offered in nearby Tocos. The “Live View” can also be used to check for freshness!

Private Partnerships

Private partnerships with Tocos can provide customers with unique shopping experiences that are suited to the environment–Imagine buying Philz Coffee by the beach!

Navigation

The Toco app can be used to help find the Toco you are looking for. When you are nearby, the Toco will blink to say Hi!

Open the Toco

With a simple tap, you can open Deby to shop for your fresh produce groceries.

Access & Information

Slide-out feature allow for easy access to groceries. The heads-up display provides information about the items inside, but also the neighborhood.

Purchasing

The items you grab automatically appear on the side panel for a seamless checkout. The receipt will be sent right away to your mobile device.

Goodbye

After your finished, the Toco will close, and give you a smile!

Toco

Toco is designed with and for people. During the design process, it was critical to think about Human-Robot Interaction methods and how this “service” would coexist with our living spaces.

Designing for Systems

Amazon’s existing partnership with Whole Foods and Rivian allows for a more connected grocery shopping experience.

Branding

Toco piggybacks on the existing partnership between Rivian and Amazon. With their partnership, there is an opportunity to marry Rivian's expertise in Electric car manufacturing with Amazon's existing database with Prime members. 

As Toco is the conceptualization between Rivian and Amazon, its design is heavily inspired by its predecessor, Amazon Rivian Delivery Truck.

Scale and Proportions

Since Toco is an automated service for people, it was critical to consider ergonomics, scale, proportions, and CMF early into the project. Using Figma, I was able to quickly iterate various proportions and scales.

Paper-Cut Models

I made paper-cut models to replicate the scale and see different CMF options in physical form.

Understanding Scale

With a simple fold of cardboard, I was able to visualize the volume available in the Toco as well as the height for the ergonomics. It was important to accomodate for the sidewalk height.

From Drawing to CAD

In order to maintain my design integrity, I overlayed a 1” x 1” on top of the digital sketches to streamline the CAD. The model in SolidWorks was a 1:10 scale.

Finding Balance

Throughout the CAD, I made sure to overlay vector drawings on Figma to have full control of the proportions. I spent a lot of time finding the right balance for Toco’s face because it would determine its overall personality and approachability.

Wheel Designs

Using simple vector shapes, I created various designs for the wheels. I ended up going with a simple design because it was the least distracting.

Mapping out the User Journey

Because the Toco experience is highly interconnected with various systems, I decided to write down the user journey in chronological order from 1-11. This allowed me to get a concrete understanding of my concept, as well as a list of all materials I would need to create to best storytell this experience.

Toco UI

The Toco UI is centered around providing customers with the information they need to grocery shop. Users can view Tocos nearby, items in stock, and other special Tocos in the area.

Try Figma prototype here.

Sanding, Painting, and Stickers

Before painting, I wet-sanded the supports from the SLA print. The doors were attached with mini hinges separately after the paint, and I printed stickers to mimic the headlights and the display UIs.

Physical Model

Before painting, I wet-sanded the supports from the SLA print. The doors were attached with mini hinges separately after the paint, and I printed stickers to mimic the headlights and the display UIs.