School Parking App

Award-Winning Mobile UX Design

Role: UI/UX Designer
Award: HCI Lecture Prize Winner
Tools: Figma, User Research
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Prize Winner - HCI Lecture
Recognized for innovative UX design and presented to industry leaders

Project Overview

Developed as part of a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) lecture, this project focused on creating the visual design and user experience concept for a mobile application aimed at helping students and staff find available parking around our school campus.

The challenge was to solve a real, everyday problem that affects thousands of students and staff members who struggle to find parking spots during peak hours, often resulting in tardiness and frustration.

Mobile App Interface Mockups

Interactive prototypes created in Figma

Design Process

1. User Research

Conducted surveys and informal interviews to understand parking frustrations and user needs across different campus demographics.

2. Information Architecture

Mapped out key user flows and designed the information architecture for intuitive navigation and efficient parking discovery.

3. Wireframing

Created low-fidelity wireframes to establish layout and core functionality before moving to visual design.

4. Visual Design

Progressed to high-fidelity visual designs in Figma, focusing on clarity and quick information consumption.

5. Prototyping

Built interactive prototypes to demonstrate user flows and validate design decisions.

6. Usability Testing

Designed scenarios for usability testing to identify areas for improvement and validate design choices.

Key Features Designed

  • Real-time parking availability map with color-coded indicators
  • Smart search and filter functionality for parking preferences
  • GPS navigation integration to guide users to available spots
  • Parking spot reservation system for premium users
  • Historical data to predict parking availability patterns
  • Push notifications for parking alerts and reminders
  • Community reporting system for real-time updates
  • Accessibility features for users with disabilities

Challenges & Solutions

Challenge: Real-time Data Visualization

Conceptualizing how real-time parking availability would be clearly and quickly communicated on a mobile map interface without overwhelming users.

Solution: Explored various visual cues including color coding (green, yellow, red), iconography, and progressive disclosure to indicate parking status at a glance.

Challenge: Intuitive Navigation

Designing a seamless experience for users to find, filter, and navigate to parking spots under time pressure.

Solution: Focused on clear calls-to-action, minimal steps in the user journey, and prominent search functionality with smart defaults.

Challenge: Multi-user Scenarios

Accounting for different user types (students, staff, visitors) with varying parking privileges and needs.

Solution: Designed flexible user profiles and permission systems that customize the experience based on user type and parking permissions.

Design Principles Applied

Accessibility First: Ensured the design was usable by people with different abilities, including proper color contrast, large touch targets, and voice control options.

Minimize Cognitive Load: Prioritized essential information and used familiar design patterns to reduce the mental effort required to use the app.

Context-Aware Design: Considered the user's context (rushing to class, carrying heavy bags, weather conditions) and designed for quick, efficient interactions.

Error Prevention: Implemented design solutions to prevent common user errors, such as booking expired spots or navigating to full parking areas.

Results & Recognition

Our team's visual design and UX concept for the parking app won a competitive prize within the HCI lecture, competing against numerous other innovative solutions. This recognition was based on:

  • Innovative approach to solving a real campus problem
  • Strong user research foundation and evidence-based design decisions
  • Comprehensive UX considerations and accessibility focus
  • High-quality visual design and interactive prototypes
  • Practical feasibility and potential for real-world implementation

The success of our design led to the opportunity to present our solution to an industry-leading company, where we demonstrated our design process and received valuable feedback from professional UX designers and product managers.

My Role & Contributions

My primary role was in the visual design and UX conceptualization, leading the creation of high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes in Figma. I was responsible for:

  • Translating user research insights into design solutions
  • Creating the visual language and interface design system
  • Developing interactive prototypes for user testing
  • Designing accessibility features and inclusive interactions
  • Collaborating with team members to refine the overall UX strategy

This project showcased my ability to work within HCI principles while creating practical, user-centered design solutions for real-world problems.

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