NJIT Parking

Case Study
April - May 2023
Deliverables: App Prototype
Team of 5
Project Overview
Being a student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), the inefficient and unnecessarily complicated parking process is a long-existing problem that bothers everyone daily. So my group came up with a solution and created a real-time parking app.

The solution provides instant information on available parking spots for 12,000 staff and students. The app makes it easy to access and get information, increasing efficiency and accessibility.
My Contributions
Designer / Researcher
- Drafted and guided the creation of the prototypes and flow charts
- Individually created a high-fidelity prototype in Figma
- Conducted user tests to see how the product preforms
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The Problem
‍NJIT has a population of approximately 12,000 individuals, and approximately 70% of the school's population commutes daily, resulting in a daily demand for around 8,000 parking spaces. However, the institution currently provides only 3,000 parking spaces, falling significantly short of the demand. This pressing issue necessitates the urgent construction of new parking decks. Compounding this problem is the inefficiency of the existing parking app. The app and website do not provide clear information, forcing students to physically check the parking lots, sometimes searching through all eight floors, only to find no available spots. This ordeal wastes their time, leads to late arrivals for classes, and compels some to resort to street parking, risking their vehicles and incurring additional expenses on top of the school's parking fees.

The Solution
Our parking system encompasses a user-friendly app and real-time sensors. The sensors, complete with corresponding lights and a central database, will relay precise parking spot availability information onto the app. The app offers one-click access to specific parking decks and instant availability updates. Also allowing users to purchase parking passes if needed. This system empowers faculty and students to make informed parking choices, reducing walking distances to classes and minimizing dependence on Newark street parking.

Link to high-fidelity Figma prototype: https://www.figma.com/proto/18PcIHOJyfnlcGj59oHXma/parking-deck-app?page-id=0%3A1&node-id=25-26&viewport=-315%2C297%2C0.35&scaling=scale-down&starting-point-node-id=25%3A26
Below are some of the processes we went through, including creating storyboards, flowcharts, drafts, wireframes, and paper prototypes.
Original Design
The current parking system NJIT has. As seen in the picture, it is really simple, only showing three information: the location, available spots, and total spots. But the availability is always incorrect, as seen in the picture, where there are negative spots.
Problem Scenario
Problem scenario created for the persona Sarah. Sarah is a junior with a 40 minute commute daily. Her needs are to find spots efficiently, safe, and close to campus so she could get to classes on time. Her frustration is that she often have to go to multiple parking decks before she can find parking, or even resort to street parking. Which puts her car at risk, and makes her late to classes.
Activity Scenario
Activity scenario for Sarah. After implementing our solution, Sarah would be able to check for availability parking before she gets to the desks, ensuring efficiency, since she doesn't have to drive around the desks searching for spots anymore. She sees that there are spots available in the app, and she also sees lights indicating availability in the decks. She is able to find parking quickly and get to class on time.
Flowchart
Flowchart for the app, walking through the steps from logging in to finding spots and purchasing a pass. My teammate in management and computer mainly worked on this part, but I also helped and contributed.  
Paper Prototype
These are paper prototypes for the app based on the flowchart. Our team created a paper for each screen the users would need in the app, and drew basic functions and interfaces for the screens. Our team then found 5 people around the school, with 3 commuters, 1 dormer with a car on campus, and a professor. We took notes on their actions, and improved the flow.
Project Overview
After finishing testing for the paper prototype, I created the high fidelity prototype in Figma. Keeping in mind the problems the users have and improved them. Then we invited 5 different people to help us test and evaluate. Finally, I made final adjustments and improvements based on the feedbacks.
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