ParkDirect

Overview

ParkDirect is a conceptual parking mobile experience designed to make finding the right parking spot easier and less overwhelming. Instead of making drivers sort through endless options, ParkDirect considers what matters most to them like price, distance, and convenience.

Finding parking is a decision, not just a search

Drivers often need to balance price, distance, availability, and convenience across multiple options. ParkDirect was designed to simplify that decision by helping drivers quickly identify the option that best fits their needs.

Understanding the parking problem

Literature Review

To begin, we reviewed research on urban and smart parking to understand common challenges drivers face. Across the literature, a consistent goal emerged: making parking more efficient, accessible, and user-centered. This helped us identify opportunities to improve how drivers discover, compare, and choose parking.

Competitive Analysis

We analyzed existing parking apps and services to understand what they do well, where they fall short, and where ParkDirect could create a better experience for drivers.

Key Takeaways

• Parking prices, fees, and availability aren't always clear or predictable
• Existing parking apps can make finding and comparing options unnecessarily difficult
• Users often lack complete information about parking locations and spaces
• Competitors tend to solve individual parts of parking rather than the entire decision-making process

What drivers told us

Five interviews with drivers who regularly navigate paid parking in Atlanta

What we heard

1. 1

   Real time availability is missing

   GPS apps show garages but not open spots. Drivers want to know if a lot is full before driving to it.

   “If there's only one spot left, I wouldn't bother heading there since it might be taken before I get there”

2. 2

   Distance is negotiable, price isn't

   Most want a 2-5 minute walk, but a good price justifies going further — the tradeoff runs both ways.

   “For a good enough price, I can always justify the walk”

3. 3

   Prices feel unpredictable

   Surge pricing and event day rates catch drivers off guard.

   “The surface lot did surge pricing on weekends — $20/hr”

4. 4

   Too many apps, too much friction

   Drivers resent downloading a separate app per garage.

   “There are so many apps to download because they all use different ones. It is annoying.”

5. 5

   Safety shapes garage choice

   Lighting, cameras, and gated entry make a garage feel worth the extra cross over street parking.

   “They are typically safer, well lit, and have cameras”

Affinity Mapping

After conducting interviews, we used affinity mapping to organize participant responses and identify recurring behaviors, pain points, and needs.

We grouped similar observations to uncover key themes around parking availability, price, distance, existing tools, and efficiency. These themes helped us translate individual interview responses into broader user needs and informed the direction of the project.

Observations

We found that drivers struggle with limited parking availability, high costs, and inefficient ways to find parking. They want to quickly compare options based on price, distance, and availability, while existing tools often lack the real-time information needed to make confident parking decisions.

Persona

Based on our research findings, we developed a persona representing the needs, behaviors, and frustrations of our target parking user.

Name: Jordyn Mitchell

Age: 27

Occupation: Real estate agent

Location: Atlanta, GA

Statement: I need to find affordable, available parking quickly without wasting time searching.

About:

Jordyn is a busy real estate agent who frequently drives around the city for work and client meetings. She values convenience and affordability. She wants to find reliable parking without wasting time searching.

Painpoints:

• Finding parking can take too much time
• Parking prices can be pricey and sporadic
• Existing apps don't show real time availability

Goals:

• Find available parking quickly
• Compare prices and distances easily
• Avoid wasting time searching for a spot

Defining the user flow

To translate our research findings into the product experience, we mapped out the primary path a driver would take to find and select parking.

1. 1

   Enter destination

   Driver types or selects where they're headed

2. 2

   Enter time and date

   User will select their preferred time and date details to create a reservation

3. 3

   Compare different features

   Driver weighs options against key deciding factors such as price, distance, and availability

4. 4

   Review recommended option

   Driver reviews the top recommended spot based on their priorities

5. 5

   Select a parking location

   Confirm hours, pricing, entry info before heading over

6. 6

   Get arrival plans

   App routes the driver to the chosen location

Designing the framework

I created low-fidelity wireframes to explore the structure and functionality of ParkDirect before moving into visual design. I focused on creating a simple and intuitive experience while addressing the pain points identified during research. The wireframes also gave me an opportunity to test different layouts and interactions early in the process, allowing me to make structural changes before investing time in the final visual design.

Next I created a style guide that I thought would reflect the vision of ParkDirect. A lot of users communicated that they would expect the app to be blue, a color known for its calmness, trust, and clarity so I wanted to incorporate that, in addition to neutral light/dark greys throughout the interface. As for the font, I chose Instrument Sans for its clean, modern appearance and strong readability, supporting ParkDirect's simple and efficient user experience.

The final experience

The final design brings together our research findings into a streamlined parking experience. ParkDirect helps drivers quickly find, compare, and select parking based on key factors like availability, price, distance, and time.

Reflections

• I learned that research findings are most valuable when they are clearly connected to specific design decisions throughout the process.
• I learned to focus on information hierarchy and make important details like availability, price, and distance easy to find.
• If I were to continue the project, I would validate the final design with more users to better understand how well it supports real world parking decisions.