Fatemeh Heydari

Problem Definition

With limited visitor parking available in many buildings, and the challenges of finding safe street parking, the issue of unused private parking spots during work hours has become a source of stress and frustration for residents of multi-story buildings and their visitors in these areas.

Project Overview

Parkr revolutionizes the parking landscape by providing a seamless solution for parking spot owners in a building to lease their spots, and for parking spot users to effortlessly rent a spot for themselves or their visitors, all through a user-friendly mobile app. This efficient and hassle-free system streamlines the process, making parking management easy for everyone involved.

• Private building parking spots are now accessible users can find affordable and secure parking spots.

• The parking spot renter can pre-book, rent on the spot, or cancel reservations at any time.

• Real-time chats with parking spot owners to obtain detailed information about the building, parkade access schedules, security measures, and convenient payment processing options.

uX Contribution

As the UX designer on the team, my key responsibilities included identifying the problem, pain points, and motivations of our target users. I ensured that the design solution was practically executed, making it understandable and easy to use for our users. I focused on creating a coherent concept that would deliver a seamless User Experience (UX) and flawless functionality. Here are the specific actions I took in this project:

• Conducted user research: I gathered insights through interviews and surveys to understand user challenges with parking in private buildings, including limited availability, high costs, and security concerns. I also identified user motivations for convenient, affordable, and secure parking options.

• Based on the findings from the user research, I developed detailed user personas that represented our target audience. These personas helped the team to better empathize with the users’ perspectives and understand their unique needs, behaviors, and motivations.

• Created user flow and designed a user-centric journey within Parkr platform, mapping out the steps for users to search, book, and access parking spots. Ensured a seamless and efficient experience with a focus on usability.

• Developed wireframes and prototypes using the insights from user research and personas to visualize and iterate on the design concepts.

• Conducted usability testing sessions with real users to obtain feedback on the design and identify any pain points or areas of improvement.

• Closely collaborated with the development and product teams, as well as stakeholders, to ensure that the design was implemented effectively and aligned with the overall product vision.

Survey

Through surveys and interviews, I identified user pain points, motivations, and expectations. The majority of respondents (over 80%) were aged 25-55, with a smaller portion aged 18-25, and most were students or full-time employees residing in buildings. Additionally, nearly 80% of respondents felt that visitor parking spots in their building were inadequate, either most of the time or some of the time. These insights helped shape our understanding of user needs and informed the design and development of Parkr to address these pain points and provide a solution for convenient and secure parking options in buildings.

User Personas

I created personas based on the findings from user research, interviews, and surveys. These personas represented different segments of our target users and helped us better understand their characteristics, preferences, and behaviors when it comes to parking in private buildings. The personas were used as a reference throughout the design process to ensure that the user experience of Parkr catered to the needs and expectations of our identified user segments.

User Flow

To better understand user needs, problems, and motivations, we conducted meetings with team members and analyzed the research results. We then prioritized the most important features of the app, which included Park, Host, and Chat. The app flow was defined through drafts and a mind map.

In the Park section of the app, users can search for available parking spots in the building, view their features, and reserve them based on their desired time. In the Host section, users can make their own parking spots available for other residents. The Chat feature allows users to communicate with each other without sharing their phone numbers, facilitating communication and coordination between users.

To ensure security, users are required to sign in and answer security questions before accessing the app. These features were designed to provide a seamless and convenient experience for users to find and share parking spots within their building, while also prioritizing security and privacy.

Branding

Parkr core values:

• Optimism
• Trust
• Safety
• Peace of mind
• Movement

I suggested using the colors orange and green as the primary and secondary colors for the app. Orange symbolizes optimism, movement, and energy, while green represents peace and trust. We believed that these colors would create a visually appealing and engaging experience for users.

To address the common problem of finding parking during busy hours, we designed a logo for the app. The Parkr logo is a combination mark featuring two curved arrows in opposite directions, one in orange and one in green. These arrows represent the easy movement and flow of driving in and out of a parking spot. The ‘R’ in the word “Parkr” is replaced with the right and orange arrow, further emphasizing the app’s core concept of smooth and efficient parking. The logo aims to convey a sense of convenience, ease, and simplicity to users, while also capturing the app’s brand identity.

UI Components

To ensure a consistent visual language across the entire application, we created UI components. These components include buttons, forms, cards, icons, and other visual elements that are used throughout the app. I focused on creating a cohesive and visually appealing design system that aligns with the overall brand identity and user experience.

The UI components were designed with attention to detail, including typography, colors, spacing, and interactions. I aimed to create a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and visually appealing to users.

Mockups

The mockups depict the Park and Host sections of the application, showcasing the visual layout, user interface, and interactions. They incorporate the chosen color scheme, typography, and logo design for consistency with the brand identity. The mockups illustrate a clean and intuitive design with clear search and listing features in the Park section, and a straightforward process for adding and managing parking spot details in the Host section. Graphics, icons, and visual hierarchy enhance the user experience.