MOBILE APP DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Timeline
Aug - Dec 2022
Team
4 designers
Skills
UX Research
UX Design
Usability Testing
Design System
Overview
Parkdown is the only innovative app that delivers timely, updated information about parking availability, regulations, and pricing in a manner that fits into Cornell students’ existing habits and busy lives.
Approach
Cornell students who are new to driving in the Ithaca area have trouble determining public parking spot availability and regulations, leading to stress and legal punishment.
How might we create a parking solution for new student drivers in the Ithaca area?
Research
We conducted six contextual interviews, asking students to drive around Collegetown and actively find parking. We found four main insights.
"Parking Lot B is farther from Olin and the classroom. I'd rather park in other regions and receive tickets."
Illegal Parking
Most Cornell students have illegally parked.
Information
Unaware of parking laws due to lack of visibility.
Trade-Offs
Even students with cars stay away from crowded parking hubs.
Creatures of Habit
Students drive to familiar spots and don't plan ahead.
User Persona
Based off of the research insights, we created a user persona to capture an ideal user's needs to drive design reasoning.
Mark Lu
Needs
Mark has been frustrated because he can’t find available parking near his classes. He has also been fined once for exceeding his paid parking time.
Priorities
Career development
Efficiency
Time management
Social life
Competitive analysis
4+ parking competitors analyzed
Not available for Ithaca specifically
Solutions not fit for spontaneous choices
Requires users to anticipate parking before leaving
Design
Fast design ideas and brainstorming, no limits on the types of solution.
Chosen Design & Features
UI Kit or Design System
Usability Testing
Performed 3 separate usability tests at stages of fidelity.
Last usability test key findings
Completion success rates of above 75% for all tasks, including 100% for three of the tasks.
The average errors ranged from 0.25 to 3.25
Confusion pertaining to the parking session timer.
Non-responsiveness of small buttons
Key Changes After Testing
Final Designs
Reflection
We won the Take My Money award at the Information Science Showcase!
Takeaways
Successful projects require constant
check-ins and communication
Speaking out about your opinion is important
Don’t get too attached to certain ideas
Active listening
Ideal Fixes
Test the prototype in the proper setting
Experiment further with the car system display UI and receive proper feedback/test it
Think about more edge cases and accessibility