Parking Space Finder App
OU Park
Parking Space Finder App
OU Park
Commuter Parking Levels:
3 & 4
You are now parked on Level 3 with a commuter parking pass. The green light for your spot is now red. Please confirm that you are parked in this spot.
Project Overview
OU-PARK is an app I designed and created to improve parking efficiency at the University of Oklahoma. As the sole designer, I was responsible for all design aspects, including user research, wireframing, interface design, and user testing to refine the product. My goal was to develop an intuitive, solution-focused tool that addresses campus parking frustrations, helping users find available spots, view parking areas, and receive real-time updates on availability. I prioritized feedback-driven improvements to ensure OU-PARK remains effective and relevant for the OU community. This project showcases my end-to-end product design skills, from research and usability to iterative design.
Understand the Problem
Parking at the University of Oklahoma is a constant struggle for students and faculty, with limited spaces and unpredictable availability. What’s the result? It’s wasted time, stress, and frequent lateness to classes and meetings. Without real-time updates, it’s impossible to know where spots are open, causing frustration and traffic jams.
What can be done to make parking on campus more efficient and less stressful for everyone?
My Inspiration
My inspiration for starting this project comes from my experiences as a commuter at OU, circling parking garages and being late to class due to unpredictable parking availability. I noticed these lights in the garages, which indicate green for available spaces and red for full ones; however, they are only visible when entering a garage. This led to the idea of incorporating real-time data into a mobile app to improve the parking experience for the OU community.
The Solution
The OU-PARK app provides a simple, effective solution to the University of Oklahoma's parking problems. It works with the existing parking system to provide real-time information on available parking across campus. This allows users to see open spaces before arriving, saving time and reducing stress.
A key challenge was the frustration of driving around looking for parking. OU-PARK solves this with a navigation feature that brings users to locations with the best parking available at that moment, cutting down on unnecessary driving.
In addition to easing parking stress, the app improves the overall campus experience, making commuting more efficient and enjoyable for everyone at the University of Oklahoma.
Before
Users found it confusing to navigate the parking garage buttons due to unclear "You are here" visibility and a layout that wasn't immediately understandable.
After
To improve this, I extended the car location animation into the garage and added green and red car icons to show available and unavailable spots, with the user's car icon turning red when they enter a spot.
After
I added a confirmation to inform users of their actions and provide a better understanding of what just occurred, specifically confirming that the user has successfully parked in an available spot. This confirmation will display the parking level where the user parked, along with a parking pass for that level, ensuring they have all the necessary details for easy access to their parking spot.
You are now parked on Level 3 with a commuter parking pass. The green light for your spot is now red. Please confirm that you are parked in this spot.
After
To improve this, I extended the car location animation into the garage and added green and red car icons to show available and unavailable spots, with the user's car icon turning red when they enter a spot.
Projected Success Metrics
OU-PARK aims to achieve the following measurable outcomes once launched:
Reduce Search Time
Goal: Cut the average parking search time from 15 minutes to less than 7 minutes.
Reason: Saves time and reduces stress for users, improving parking-campus convenience.
Enhance User Satisfaction
Goal: Achieve a 4.5/5 average user satisfaction score in post-launch surveys.
Reason: Real-time updates and guidance foster trust and convenience for users.
User Engagement:
Goal: Engage 70% of students and staff to actively use the app within the first semester.
Reason: Based on early surveys, respondents expressed willingness to use an app like OU-PARK regularly to find parking.
Anticipated Outcome: Increased engagement will lead to more efficient parking and fewer parking-related issues.
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
Parking Selection
On the home page, users can browse through top tabs to choose specific parking options and explore nearby parking garages. After selecting a garage, users choose their parking permit type, and availability will be displayed, showing the levels and the number of available spots. Once satisfied, users can click to continue.
Navigation Confirmation
After selecting a garage, users slide to confirm their choice, indicating their destination. The map will then begin guiding them to the parking garage.
Parking Completion
Upon entering the parking garage, green car icons highlight available spots, while red icons show unavailable ones. Select a green spot, and once parked, the icon turns red, signaling successful parking. A confirmation message will appear, and after clicking "Confirm," a thank you message will be shown along with a prompt to rate your experience. After submitting your rating, you’ve completed the entire app journey.
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
Onboarding
Upon opening the app, users sign in with their OU email (@ou.edu) or create an account if they are new. After signing in, they must allow location access for accurate parking information.
Reflection:
Developing OU-PARK taught me the importance of creating a simple and clear user experience. I realized that strong design goes beyond functionality and appearance; it’s about ensuring an effortless flow for users. My main challenge was balancing innovation with usability. While I wanted to include features like real-time updates and parking maps, I had to avoid overwhelming users with complexity. By prioritizing essential features, I created an app that meets user needs while remaining easy to use. Moving forward, I plan to collaborate with campus officials to improve OU-PARK and explore expanding it to other campuses.
Commuter Parking Levels:
3 & 4
You are now parked on Level 3 with a commuter parking pass. The green light for your spot is now red. Please confirm that you are parked in this spot.
Parking Selection
On the home page, users can browse through top tabs to choose specific parking options and explore nearby parking garages. After selecting a garage, users choose their parking permit type, and availability will be displayed, showing the levels and the number of available spots. Once satisfied, users can click to continue.
Reflection:
Developing OU-PARK taught me the importance of creating a simple and clear user experience. I realized that strong design goes beyond functionality and appearance; it’s about ensuring an effortless flow for users. My main challenge was balancing innovation with usability. While I wanted to include features like real-time updates and parking maps, I had to avoid overwhelming users with complexity. By prioritizing essential features, I created an app that meets user needs while remaining easy to use. Moving forward, I plan to collaborate with campus officials to improve OU-PARK and explore expanding it to other campuses.
Navigation Confirmation
After selecting a garage, users slide to confirm their choice, indicating their destination. The map will then begin guiding them to the parking garage.
Parking Completion
Upon entering the parking garage, green car icons highlight available spots, while red icons show unavailable ones. Select a green spot, and once parked, the icon turns red, signaling successful parking. A confirmation message will appear, and after clicking "Confirm," a thank you message will be shown along with a prompt to rate your experience. After submitting your rating, you’ve completed the entire app journey.
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
Onboarding
Upon opening the app, users sign in with their OU email (@ou.edu) or create an account if they are new. After signing in, they must allow location access for accurate parking information.
Parking Selection
On the home page, users can browse through top tabs to choose specific parking options and explore nearby parking garages. After selecting a garage, users choose their parking permit type, and availability will be displayed, showing the levels and the number of available spots. Once satisfied, users can click to continue.
Reflection:
Developing OU-PARK taught me the importance of creating a simple and clear user experience. I realized that strong design goes beyond functionality and appearance; it’s about ensuring an effortless flow for users. My main challenge was balancing innovation with usability. While I wanted to include features like real-time updates and parking maps, I had to avoid overwhelming users with complexity. By prioritizing essential features, I created an app that meets user needs while remaining easy to use. Moving forward, I plan to collaborate with campus officials to improve OU-PARK and explore expanding it to other campuses.
Navigation Confirmation
After selecting a garage, users slide to confirm their choice, indicating their destination. The map will then begin guiding them to the parking garage.
Parking Completion
Upon entering the parking garage, green car icons highlight available spots, while red icons show unavailable ones. Select a green spot, and once parked, the icon turns red, signaling successful parking. A confirmation message will appear, and after clicking "Confirm," a thank you message will be shown along with a prompt to rate your experience. After submitting your rating, you’ve completed the entire app journey.
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
Onboarding
Upon opening the app, users sign in with their OU email (@ou.edu) or create an account if they are new. After signing in, they must allow location access for accurate parking information.
Parking Selection
On the home page, users can browse through top tabs to choose specific parking options and explore nearby parking garages. After selecting a garage, users choose their parking permit type, and availability will be displayed, showing the levels and the number of available spots. Once satisfied, users can click to continue.
Reflection:
Developing OU-PARK taught me the importance of creating a simple and clear user experience. I realized that strong design goes beyond functionality and appearance; it’s about ensuring an effortless flow for users. My main challenge was balancing innovation with usability. While I wanted to include features like real-time updates and parking maps, I had to avoid overwhelming users with complexity. By prioritizing essential features, I created an app that meets user needs while remaining easy to use. Moving forward, I plan to collaborate with campus officials to improve OU-PARK and explore expanding it to other campuses.
Navigation Confirmation
After selecting a garage, users slide to confirm their choice, indicating their destination. The map will then begin guiding them to the parking garage.
Parking Completion
Upon entering the parking garage, green car icons highlight available spots, while red icons show unavailable ones. Select a green spot, and once parked, the icon turns red, signaling successful parking. A confirmation message will appear, and after clicking "Confirm," a thank you message will be shown along with a prompt to rate your experience. After submitting your rating, you’ve completed the entire app journey.
© 2024 Kimberly Ume Ezeoke
Onboarding
Upon opening the app, users sign in with their OU email (@ou.edu) or create an account if they are new. After signing in, they must allow location access for accurate parking information.
Commuter Parking Levels:
3 & 4
You are now parked on Level 3 with a commuter parking pass. The green light for your spot is now red. Please confirm that you are parked in this spot.
Project Overview
OU-PARK is an app I designed and created to improve parking efficiency at the University of Oklahoma. As the sole designer, I was responsible for all design aspects, including user research, wireframing, interface design, and user testing to refine the product. My goal was to develop an intuitive, solution-focused tool that addresses campus parking frustrations, helping users find available spots, view parking areas, and receive real-time updates on availability. I prioritized feedback-driven improvements to ensure OU-PARK remains effective and relevant for the OU community. This project showcases my end-to-end product design skills, from research and usability to iterative design.
Understand the Problem
Parking at the University of Oklahoma is a constant struggle for students and faculty, with limited spaces and unpredictable availability. What’s the result? It’s wasted time, stress, and frequent lateness to classes and meetings. Without real-time updates, it’s impossible to know where spots are open, causing frustration and traffic jams.
What can be done to make parking on campus more efficient and less stressful for everyone?
My Inspiration
My inspiration for starting this project comes from my experiences as a commuter at OU, circling parking garages and being late to class due to unpredictable parking availability. I noticed these lights in the garages, which indicate green for available spaces and red for full ones; however, they are only visible when entering a garage. This led to the idea of incorporating real-time data into a mobile app to improve the parking experience for the OU community.
20 years old
Commuter student at the University of Oklahoma
Kira struggles to find available parking during peak hours, often wasting time and feeling frustrated as she searches for a spot. She frequently ends up parking far from her classes, leading to long walks across campus and sometimes even making her late.
Real-time updates on parking availability.
Quickly find parking, especially when in a rush or short on time.
You are now parked on Level 3 with a commuter parking pass. The green light for your spot is now red. Please confirm that you are parked in this spot.
Summary Insight of Survey Results
Surveys conducted among the University of Oklahoma students and faculty revealed mixed feedback about on-campus parking. In the first survey, 45% of respondents rated parking availability indicators as very effective. In the second survey, 60% reported experiencing parking difficulties multiple times per week. These findings highlight ongoing challenges with parking availability despite some positive feedback on the indicators.
