Drivers I interviewed described losing significant time circling for parking, fearing unexpected parking tickets or exorbitant private lot fees.
A smart parking discovery app providing verified legal street/garage spaces, real-time availability counts, transparent pricing, and 1-tap advance reservation.
Task completion improved from 68% to 100% between V1 and V2 in usability testing (6 participants).
Project Overview & Context
Parkhaven was created to transform the stressful urban parking experience into a seamless, predictable journey by providing verified real-time slot data and instant reservations.
End-to-end concept design: user research interviews, competitive audit, information architecture, wireframing, UI visual design system, high-fidelity prototyping, and usability validation.
The Problem & Core Friction
Urban drivers commuting daily into congested commercial districts.
Drivers struggle to identify legal parking spots versus high-risk tow zones, leading to unnecessary delays and costly municipal fines.
Existing navigation apps do not distinguish legal street parking from private lots nor show real-time space availability before arrival.
Creates severe commuter anxiety, urban traffic congestion, and unexpected financial losses from parking enforcement.
Research Methodology & Discovery
Understand key friction points, tariff clarity requirements, and trust factors during urban parking discovery.
Primary qualitative user interviews & contextual field observation at 3 downtown parking hubs.
9 urban drivers (ages 22–48, mix of daily commuters and weekend visitors).
Interviews focused on metropolitan automobile drivers; motorcycle and commercial delivery fleets were excluded from initial scope.
What influences a driver's choice between street parking and private garages?
How do drivers react when encountering unexpected parking fees at entry?
What information is critical before starting turn-by-turn navigation?
Evidence Synthesis & Key Findings
01. Price Uncertainty Causes Hesitation
7 of 9 drivers reported avoiding private parking structures unless hourly rates were explicitly shown before entry.
Display verified hourly tariffs directly on map pin cards prior to navigation commitment.
02. Legality Anxiety on Street Parking
6 of 9 drivers experienced fear of municipal fines due to ambiguous parking sign regulations.
Introduce a clear green 'Verified Legal Parking' status tag with active enforcement hours.
03. Real-Time Occupancy Priority
Drivers prioritized live available-space counts over garage amenity features (e.g. EV charging).
Elevate live spot counters (e.g. '14 spaces left') into top-level visual hierarchy.
User Flow & Decision Architecture
Discover, reserve, and navigate to a verified legal parking spot.
Location-based map discovery screen upon app launch.
Digital QR pass generated + turn-by-turn navigation initiated.
Design Decisions & Interface Solutions
Live Space Availability & Verified Price Badges
Drivers needed immediate pricing and availability feedback without opening multiple detail sheets.
Embedded live spot count and hourly rate badges directly onto map pins.
15-Minute Reservation Lock System
Drivers feared arriving to find a spot taken while in transit.
Created a 1-tap temporary slot lock that holds the space for 15 minutes during navigation.
Contactless QR Entry & Digital Ticket
Physical paper tickets were frequently misplaced or damaged.
Designed a high-contrast digital QR pass accessible offline and via Apple/Google Wallet.
High-Fidelity Interface Showcase
Usability Validation & Iteration
6 active urban drivers
Small-sample usability test (n=6): task completion went from 68% to 100% after moving the Street/Garage filter out of a modal. This is a concept project, so there are no production metrics.
In V1 prototype, 4 out of 6 users overlooked the 'Street vs Garage' toggle buried inside filter modal.
Relocated quick filters to top horizontally scrollable pill bars on the primary map view.
Outcome, Learnings & Next Steps
Small-sample usability test (n=6): task completion went from 68% to 100% after moving the Street/Garage filter out of a modal. This is a concept project, so there are no production metrics.
Transformed user anxiety into confidence by prioritizing verified legality badges and live spot counters.
Conduct usability testing on payment gateway recovery and voice-guided parking navigation.
