Overview
Help drivers and users park with more efficiency and ease in real-time.
Showcase availability and price points of parking garages as well as street parking.
My Role & Timeline
Lead UX/UI Designer - Solo Project
January 11th - June 7th, 2023
Problem
When driving and planning for trips, drivers want to know the best places to park their vehicles. This can often be a stress-inducing process.
Solution
A parking app that showcases real-time parking solutions for users based on GeoData. Users can plan for trips, find parking during trips, and find prices for parking garages all in one app.
Project Goals
Build an app that shows drivers where to park.
Create a way for users to plan a parking trip for future dates.
Showcase parking garage prices for users to compare and contrast which options would best suit them
Secondary Research
According to a study by The Automobile Association, around a third of drivers in London found parking to be stressful because of the lack of availability of parking spots around where drivers work and live. They also found that there is an increased heart rate in drivers who park a vehicle manually as opposed to drivers who park with (APA) Active Park Assist. Drivers who drive frequently said that their second reason for using a ride-hailing service was because parking is difficult.
Approach: UX Process
Empathize - Observations, Surveys, User Interviews
Research & Define - Affinity Map, Empathy Map, and Problem Statements
Ideate - Brainstorm Solutions, User Stories, Site Map, User Flow, Sketches, Wireframes & Wireflows, Style Guide, and High-Fidelity Mockups
Prototype - Interactive Prototypes
Validation - Guerrilla Usability Tests, High-Fidelity Usability Test
Surveys
I created a questionnaire and posted it on Slack and other social media channels to gain insights into the frequency and habitual behaviors of daily drivers. The survey had 22 participants who responded. More than ⅓ of the drivers parked 3-4 times per trip. The participants parked most often when traveling to and from work. Out of the 22 participants, ⅔ parked more than 4 times per week. (insights below)
Based on the results of the survey, it was possible to identify ideal candidates for interviews. Interviewing those five potential users yielded insights and findings that confirmed both secondary research and the original hypothesis.
Highlighted Insights:
“There are a lot of times I’m afraid to go to certain places because I know parking is going to be really stressful.”
“Parking is often not great at work because there is only street parking and big paid lots, so if I get street parking by my building I have to pay and I have to move every 2 hours. It’s constant moving my car for an 8-hour work day so it doesn’t make sense.”
“There’s never parking available.”
“If I could know that I could have a close spot, I could have more time in my day because I have to contingency plan for it to maybe take 15 minutes to maybe find a parking 2 blocks away and walk there. Sometimes I’m early because I did find a spot and I have to hang around waiting for my shift to start.”
Affinity Map
To empathize with users, an affinity map was developed illustrating their insights and pain points. These were grouped into 6 categories.
Experience: Parking encounters vary significantly among users. This category aimed to capture the spectrum of emotions and sentiments as they navigated the process of finding and utilizing parking spaces. Users openly shared their contentment, vexation, and other feelings associated with their parking experiences.
Signage: Signage plays a crucial role in the parking process. It serves as a guide to available spaces, imparts vital information, and ensures safety. In this context, users provided feedback regarding the quality, clarity, and utility of parking signs, sharing their perspectives on the effectiveness and usability of signage.
Pain Points: Parking can present a range of challenges and obstacles. Users candidly discussed their specific difficulties, which encompassed the struggle to locate parking spots, financial burdens, safety concerns, or inconveniences tied to payment processes.
Things That Help: Users appreciate aspects of the parking process that simplify their lives. The goal of this category was to gather feedback on the positive facets of parking, including well-crafted mobile apps for locating parking spaces, secure parking facilities, and inventive payment methods that help to streamline the entire procedure.
Hopes: Recognizing users' aspirations within a parking experience is essential for shaping superior solutions. This section encompassed users' wishes and prospects, such as a desire for more budget-friendly parking rates, advocating for improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities, or championing eco-friendly options such as electric vehicle charging stations.
Rationale: Users' motives behind their parking choices yield valuable insights. This category compiled information regarding why users make specific decisions, whether it be their preference for a particular parking facility due to proximity to their destination, or their choice of public transportation due to concerns related to traffic congestion and parking availability.
Empathy Maps
To visualize and organize interview insights, Positive Peter and Negative Nigel were developed to summarize users' pain points, goals, feelings, and thoughts.
Positive Peter painted the picture of the user who was frustrated by parking and also had a hopeful outlook on their ability to adapt and succeed despite the known challenges.
Negative Nigel expresses a strong dislike for parking, and in some instances even avoids driving because of the associated stress and inconvenience of having to park.
The empathy maps revealed various insights about the parking experience, such as users' feelings, pain points, and desires related to parking facilities, signage, costs, and overall satisfaction. In order to solve the problem and to develop a better understanding of the users and their needs "How Might We" statements were created.
How might we…
Relieve the stress levels of drivers when they park?
How might we…
Help drivers park?
How might we…
Better inform drivers of where they can park?
User Story
The affinity map and empathy map served as foundational tools for the creation of user stories. Using both of the maps helped inform the development of an MVP that addressed the needs of the users.
After identifying the MVPs, a Sitemap and User Flow were created to group together all related content and illustrate the hierarchical importance of Park King’s features.
Sitemap & Userflow
Sketches
The first step to converting my ideas into practical designs was to sketch paper screens before creating high-fidelity versions. Identifying usability issues before digitalizing screen images gave me the opportunity to quickly adjust them as needed.
Wireframes
Before creating wireframes, a usability test was conducted with five participants to uncover any issues. After the usability tests, wireframes were created to visualize the routes the users would take.
Style Guide
MoodBoard
To ensure consistency throughout the high-fidelity design process and a familiar user experience throughout the product, a style guide was created.
I wanted Park King to be visually interesting and playful, while simultaneously having an authentic feel with a sense that it can be taken seriously.
Colors
UI Elements
Icons
Usability Testing
Five usability tests were conducted to identify pain points within the Park King app. The process helped uncover Park King's usability issues and identify users' expectations. After the first set of iterations, five more usability tests were conducted to ensure the modifications were user-friendly. The design was improved through this process in order to provide a more seamless user experience.
High Fidelity Screens
A usability test was conducted as well as the evaluation of my red routes. My design decisions were illustrated with high-fidelity mockups created in Figma.
Final Thoughts
Project Takeaways
Ensuring that users could easily interpret and interact with the information without feeling overwhelmed was a delicate design challenge: We wanted to give users a feature-rich application while maintaining a clean and intuitive user interface. Several iterations of the UI design were required to maintain this simplicity while displaying a wealth of real-time data.
A steadfast commitment to ongoing testing and refinement is necessary to uphold the app's efficacy, user satisfaction, and adaptability to the evolving landscape of urban parking challenges. By investing in continuous testing, Park King can solidify its standing as a dependable and innovative tool, providing users with a seamless and stress-free parking experience.
Reflection
Looking ahead, the success of Park King will hinge on its ability to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of urban mobility. Continuous refinement based on user feedback and advancements in technology will be crucial for Park King to maintain its relevance and effectiveness.
Thank You!