Google Maps
Adding a New Parking Feature
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ROLE
UX Researcher
UX | UI Designer
TOOLS
Figma
Miro
DATE
2023
April
Background
Google maps is a popular online mapping and navigation service that provides users with real-time traffic updates, directions, and a variety of transportation modes, including walking, driving, and cycling.
Problem
People visiting the city often encounter difficulties finding suitable parking, resulting in frustration and wasted time, highlighting the need for a user-friendly parking experience.
Solution
A GPS that guides drivers to the nearest metered parking spot, lot, or garage based on their destination.
Market Research
Looking at direct and analogous competitors helped me learn how users acquire parking spots, seating, or rentals based on availability ahead of time.
Understanding the Users
Next, I interviewed drivers to see how they made decisions about where to park, what factors influence their decision-making process, and their overall thought process.
Key Takeaways
Factors
Location
Day of week
Time of day
How long it takes to find parking
Distance of parking spot from destination
Time spent in the city
Safe parking area
Sequential Steps to Find Parking
Problem
Worrying about where they were going to park once they reached their destination in the city. Looking at the parking signs also felt overwhelming because there would be many rules and exceptions regarding when it’s okay and not okay to park.
First, look for free street parking ​
Then, look for Meter​
Worst case scenario, look for a parking lot or garage
since they're typically the most expensive
HMW Simplify the process of finding and accessing available parking options for people visiting the city, while reducing stress and improving overall mobility?
Solution
Adding a feature to Google Maps that guides drivers to the nearest parking spot based on their destination.
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Ideation
Users will start on Google Maps homepage and enter the address. Once they select their destination, they can select the “parking” button and browse through a list of different types of parking areas near their destination.
Iterations from Usability Test
Conducting moderated tests informed iterations that were imperative in helping users navigate the app with the newly integrated feature. Based on their movement patterns and mental models, the following designs were changed to make key information more accessible.
Before
After
1. Page descriptions & Costs
The lack of a page title made it unclear what content the user was looking at.
​
Utilizing Maps' existing patterns allowed seamless integration of titles within the search bar. Adding
information regarding cost also helps users decide which type of parking area appropriate.
2. Multiple Pathways
Originally, users only had access to the "Parking" button when seeing the location of their destination.
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Having the "Parking" button available after the user clicks on "Direction" allows them to view their parking options after they ascertained their route.
Final Screens
Prototype
Learning Opportunity & Next Steps
Initially, I thought that users would select the "Parking" button on the address preview page. Although most users did this, there were a couple who expected to see the parking button after hitting "Directions" because of it's prominent contrasting color next to the adjacent buttons.
Creating a map view of parking locations near the user's destination would give them an alternative way to visually determine where the closest parking spot is.
Adding an additional feature that allows users to navigate to the next metered parking zone may be useful in the event where the initial zone is filled.
more works