PARKWAY
2024 · Research · UX/UI Design · Interaction Design
Idea
Simplifying the process of finding, reserving and paying for a parking spot. (Move the arrow on either side to see more!)
Background
I love traveling but a constant struggle is to find parking. Even when the spots are available, they are hard to find and parking apps often fall short.
We designed Parkway which makes it easier for the users to find, book and reserve a parking space.
Tools
Figjam
Figma
Type
Academic
Role in a team of 4
Research
UI / UX Design
Interaction Design
Duration
4 months (2024)
The Results
50
%
reduced cognitive load and faster navigation in the app
70
%
increased discoverability of important features like pre-book
What inspired us?
During desk research, we came across negative feedback about parking apps on app store, Reddit, and Discord. On interviewing 8 people in the Rochester area, their frustrations became even clearer. A few comments really stood out–
Key problems: Parking accessibility, navigation frustrations, payment issues, feature awareness, security concerns, design limitations, app reliability
The problem we are solving
How might we simplify parking apps and improve their reliability to enhance user trust and satisfaction?
Challenges we faced
User observation challenge
To conduct contextual inquiry, we couldn't ask strangers to let us in their car, drive to a destination and observe them book a parking spot!
Solution
We designed interviews with hypothetical scenarios where users acted out booking a spot and shared insights about their past experiences.
Getting on the same page
Interview data was fragmented, and team interpretations and opinions differed while going through the data.
Solution
By leveraging affinity mapping, we categorized insights into themes like user behavior, frustrations, liked features, and desired improvements.
Technical Limitations
Initially, we thought "why not just show real-time availability?" but due to lack of CCTV cameras, it just wasn't feasible.
Solution
We introduced creative solutions such as color-coded indicators, suggested spots, and a user feedback system to help others find available parking zones based on shared experiences.
Identifying breakpoints
We created the below models to identify influences, both direct and indirect, that impact their experience. They helped us break down the entire user journey, highlighting where obstacles appear.
Key breakpoints: Poor network, unavailable spots even after booking, payments issues, inaccurate parking zones, ticketing problems, and inefficient search for spots,
Empathizing with the users
Challenge:
Initially, we created one persona for booking parking in advance, but revisiting the pain points led us to create two personas.
On-the go seeker: Someone who values flexibility and convenience, opting to find parking in real-time. (Hover on the image to see what On-the-Go seeker says, thinks, does and feels!)
The planner: Someone who avoids last-minute stress by planning ahead and often pre-book parking to save time. (Hover on the image to see what the Planner says, thinks, does and feels!)
Sketching out the journey
We developed a storyboard to assess the usefulness of the chosen features for users, which guided us in designing the screens for Parkway.
Iterations. Iterations. Iterations.
Navigation
While designing, even the tiny components require iterations. Here, we made various changes to icons, shadows as well as background.
Selecting the parking time
Interview data showed that the users preferred to have an option for quick duration selection.
Current Parking Activity
The visual identity choices
We incorporated light and dark modes to accommodate different environments and times of day. The aim to chose this color palette was to convey trust and reliability, enhancing user experience.
Our final solution
Flow 1: Color-coded Availability
User can see green, orange and red color codes that indicate availability for various parking lots. They can see this for pre-booking parking too.
Flow 2: Wallet System
Flow 3: Pre-Booking
Flow 4: Location Confirmation
Flow 5: Feedback Mechanism
