ParkNSeek is a mobile application that helps users find parking locations and remember where they parked. It offers features like turn-by-turn directions to parking spots, saving parking locations, and finding a previously parked car. User testing identified ways to improve the interface, such as adding audio prompts, clearer icons, and more location details. The application aims to make parking easier for busy individuals and has potential for business partnerships with parking lots.

1. The Interaction Design Demons -Team 5
Joseph Howerton, Oksana Kresnina, Afolake Oritsejafor, and Kathryn Wozniak
HCI 440, Winter Quarter 2011

2. ParkNSeek is an application that ensures motorists
never have to look for a parking lot or their parked
vehicles again.
The app will provide users with a level of diversity
on how this information will be captured.
◦ Automatically via a map
◦ Manual entry of location
There will also be diversity in the results displayed.
◦ Map View
◦ Turn by Turn Directional View

3. Targeted Audience
The time conscious individual constantly on the go, for
whom the need to locate their vehicle must never
become another complicated task.
The enthusiastic shopper who only wants to recall
what stores will be visited, not where their vehicle is
located.
The average individual who has trouble recalling
simple details, let alone the location of a vehicle.
The weary traveler who‟s just battled multiple delays
and layovers and needs to find parking at or near their
hotel.

4. ParkNSeek is a mobile application that is…
◦ More Intuitive
◦ More Accurate
◦ More appealing to a wider audience
 Electric car owners
 People who prefer audio prompts and feedback.
…compared to competitors such as TripBuddy
by iClassicNu and Car Locator by CrewBeat.

5. ◦ Third party parking lot companies will pay a small
yearly fee to add/advertise their lots and services
on the ParkNSeek application.
There are approximately 10,000 publicly listed parking
lot companies in the United States (Manta.com).
◦ Customers will pay $0.99 to download the
ParkNSeek mobile application.
There are currently 191 million licensed drivers (US
DOT) and approximately 45 million smart phone users
(AdMob Metrics) in the United States.

6.  Ensure ease of use with intuitive interface, audio
option, and map/turn-by-turn toggle.
 Ensure accuracy of current and saved parking
locations with smart phone GPS navigation system.
 Connect with private and municipal parking lot
company database(s) to provide list of local parking
options.
 Appeal to electric car owners by linking to national
database of car charging stations located in parking
lots.

7.  Solicit area businesses to pay a yearly fee to
advertise their locations as “landmarks” on
the ParkNSeek mobile application map view.
 Allow for third party parking lot companies to
add details such as discount days and
validation options to their listing for a small
additional fee.

8.  From user perspective we did two separate
studies.
◦ 1st We did a survey to evaluate user need for
ParkNSeek application.
◦ 2nd We conducted several usability tests to evaluate
ParkNSeek application from user perspective.

9. Our survey had three goals:
 To access average driver‟s parking and car-locating
experiences.
 To access average driver‟s general mobile application
use and preferences.
 To access average driver‟s car locator mobile
application use and interest.

10. Parking and Car-Locating Experiences:
 The survey responses showed that almost all
participants have a high level of parking activity in
both large parking structures/lots and on streets of
large metropolitan areas.
 About half of participants claim they have lost track
of where they parked their vehicle in the last three
months, and 30% have spent more than five
minutes looking for their parked vehicle in the last
three months.

11. General Mobile Application Use and Preferences:
 Surprisingly, only half of the participants use mobile
applications on their smart phone. However, most of
those who use mobile applications, use them on a daily
basis.
 Mobile application users show particular liking to those
applications that help them to be more efficient with
daily activities (banking, shopping, maps, weather
checking, communication) or help them develop and
enhance more personal activities (sleep monitor, calorie
counter, obtain/listen to music).
 App-users do not like applications that try to sell them
other products or services, run slowly or crash, have
limited utility, or have a complicated interface.

12. Car Locator Mobile Application Use and Interest:
 Of the mobile application users who participated in
the survey, almost all have downloaded navigation
apps, but only one participant had ever
downloaded an existing car-locating application.
 Over half of the participants (59%) were somewhat
interested or very interested in a car-locating
application.

13.  From our survey findings we conclude that our
target user group will benefit from a mobile
application that not only makes it easy for them to
find a parking spot anywhere, but also remembers
where their vehicle is parked.
 Our goal is to create an application that is accurate,
has fast response times, and is simple to learn and
use.

14. Our goals for the usability tests:
 Identify and evaluate efficiency and “learnability” of
the application. Specifically test possible
weaknesses in navigation, ease of identifying
application's main functions and clarity of icons
and supportive text.
 Identify and evaluate user expectations. Specifically
address: what functionality user expects from the
application and did we meet, exceed or fail users
expectations.

15. During user experience testing we gained many
insights into the user experience of the ParkNSeek
application. The following enhancements to the
ParkNSeek application were identified:
◦ Include audio option to make it easy for users to use
application while driving
◦ Add „Save Location‟ option to „Find Parking‟ view
◦ Add 'Share', 'Add Location,' and 'Clear Location„ functions
to „Save My Location„ view

16. ◦ Add 'Done„ button at the end of each function to indicate
when it is complete
◦ Replace icons used for current location and saved location
with a person icon for current location and a car icon for
saved location
◦ Rename „List View‟ option to „Turn by Turn Directions‟
◦ Add a „more info‟ option to „Find Parking‟ view, that will
take user to a screen that outlines parking validation
options and feature discounts
◦ Add „Sort Parking‟ by price or distance options to “Find
Parking‟ view

17.  We aimed to incorporate all changes suggested by
User Experience testing into ParkNSeek application.
 Most changes were incorporated into the final
prototype with one enhancement postponed to
next product redesign, due to lack of time and
resourses. Enhancement postponed is:
◦ Add a „more info‟ icon to available parking view, that will
take user to a screen that outlines parking validation
options and feature discounts.

18.  User accesses the ParkNSeek mobile
Application from their SmartPhone home
page” interface by clicking the ParkNSeek
logo.

19.  User is presented with the three
primary functions/task options:
FIND PARKING
SAVE MY LOCATION
FIND MY CAR
‣ User selects FIND PARKING.

20.  ParkNSeek displays parking options
results in a list format. User can also
choose to view results in a Map View.
‣ Data displayed includes the user‟s
current location, an option to hear
audio prompts and feedback, the
capability to enter location manually,
payment credit card options, whether
there is GREEN/electric car parking
available, the capability to sort by price
or distance, and the capability to go
back to the previous screen.
‣ User selects Randolph and State.

21. ‣ ParkNSeek displays the destination
and turn by turn directions to that location.
‣ Other data displayed includes the
option to view directions in Map View,
the option to hear audio prompts, the
capability to share the directions with
friends, and the options to Change
location, or Save Location, the ability
to access the Help screen, and the
ability to go Back to the previous Screen.
‣ User selects Save Location.

22.  User is presented with the three
primary functions/task options:
FIND PARKING
SAVE MY LOCATION
FIND MY CAR
‣ User selects SAVE MY LOCATION.

23. ‣ The locations is saved dialog box opens
displaying the exact location of the
Parked vehicle, including an icon of a car.
‣ User has options to hear audio feedback,
add details to the saved location, share the
details with friends, add another location, or
clear the saved location, and the ability to
access the Help screen.
‣ User selects Done.

24.  User is presented with the three
primary functions/task options:
FIND PARKING
SAVE MY LOCATION
FIND MY CAR
‣ User selects FIND MY CAR.

25. ‣ User is presented with the directions to
the saved location of their car in the
default Map View.
‣ Use of icons to represent the car at its
location and the user at their current
location.
‣ Other data includes the ability to
access the Help screen, From location
and To location specifics, the capability
to view turn by turn directions, the
option to hear voice prompts and
Feedback, and the ability to go back
to the previous screen.

26.  ParkNSeek holds both business value and user value in
today‟s market.
 Any smart phone user who is a motorist will find value
in the accuracy and ease of use of ParkNSeek in their
daily, on-the-go life.
 As smart phone users increase in number, the value of
mobile applications like ParkNSeek will continue to
increase as well.