Parq: Parking App

Parq — Making Urban Parking Less Uncertain

Helping drivers find, compare, and commit to parking with greater confidence.

Finding parking isn't just about locating an open spot. Drivers also need to understand parking restrictions, compare prices, and determine whether a space fits their needs—all while trying to get where they're going.

Parq is a native mobile app concept designed to simplify that decision-making process. Over seven weeks, my team explored how clearer information, easier comparisons, and streamlined booking flows could make parking more intuitive for students, commuters, and city drivers.

Project Overview

• Timeline: October-December 2025 (7 weeks)

• My Role: UX Designer & Researcher

• Team: Angel Nguyen, Marcela Passos. Sineen Raslan, Avery Schiff

• Tools used: Figma, FigJam, Canva

Slideshow Presentation | Figma File

The Challenge

How might we make parking decisions less stressful?

Drivers often face confusing restrictions, limited availability, and difficulty comparing parking options. Our goal was to create a more intuitive experience that helps users find suitable parking and move from discovery to payment with greater clarity.

These challenges can lead to wasted time, unnecessary frustration, and uncertainty about whether a parking option is right for them.

Our team set out to answer one central question:

We conducted informal interviews and gathered feedback from classmates and peers who drive about their experiences finding parking in Ann Arbor. Their shared frustrations helped us identify five recurring challenges and guide our initial design priorities.

We focused on five recurring challenges:

• Finding availability: Identifying suitable parking near a destination.

• Understanding restrictions: Interpreting parking rules, signage, and time limits.

• Comparing options: Evaluating cost, distance, and other relevant details.

• Making decisions quickly: Finding the right information without unnecessary navigation.

• Managing parking sessions: Paying for parking and adjusting session times.

Design opportunity: Rather than simply displaying parking locations, we wanted to create an experience that helps users understand their options and move from discovery to payment with greater clarity.

Research & Discovery

Identifying opportunities through competitive analysis

We evaluated existing parking apps to understand how they presented availability, pricing, and booking information. This helped us identify three priorities for Parq:

• Simplify comparison: Make relevant parking details easier to evaluate in one place.

• Improve clarity: Use clear labels and visual hierarchy to make availability and restrictions easier to understand.

• Connect the journey: Streamline the transition from finding a spot to paying for and managing a session.

These priorities guided our product vision and early design explorations.

Early Exploration and Sketching

We used the Crazy 8s exercise to quickly sketch low-fidelity screen ideas and explore different layouts and features. After comparing our sketches, we selected promising concepts to guide our initial prototype.

Several ideas carried through to the final design, including the landing screen’s search bar, booking information pages, and parking timer screens.

Design System

Moving into designing on Figma, we established a cohesive design system for Parq, combining a recognizable visual identity with reusable components and allowed for the prototyping phase to progress efficently.

From the logo, colors, and typography to buttons and cards, each element was designed to maintain consistency and create a seamless experience across screens.

Key Design Decisions

Understanding these five recurring challenges, we aimed to create a seamless parking experience that helps users find, compare, and book parking with greater clarity and confidence.

My Design Contributions

I focused on creating clear, intuitive screens that help users compare parking options, complete reservations, and manage their accounts. Across the experience, I prioritized information hierarchy, consistent components, and familiar interactions to make each step easier to navigate.

Led design: Search results · Parking details · Reservation details · Account settings

Contributed to: Payment details · Checkout · Payment confirmation · Homepage · Timer

Usability Testing & Iteration

Turning feedback into design improvements

We conducted five usability tests to identify areas where the prototype could better support users.

These iterations reinforced the importance of making information easy to scan and interactions consistent with users' expectations.

Following these changes, wewere able to address our initial 5 recurring problems:

Prototype Link: Click here to test it out!

Developer Handoff Summary

Design Tokens: Ensured standardized color, type, spacing, and component tokens applied across map, payment, and session flows

• Annotations: Provided ample annotations for dev handoff to ensure interaction, content, and accessibility information is clear

• User Stories: Ensured epic covered stories where users can find available parking on a map, start a session by selecting time, add/select a payment method, and extend an active session

System Overview:IOS components, SF Pro typeface, consistent bottom-nav structure, reusable components (cards, modals, pickers), and clear error/fallback handling

Outcome & Reflection

Designing for clarity, not just functionality

Parq brought parking discovery, selection, payment, and session management together in a clickable prototype. Testing helped us identify and refine issues with availability labels, readability, and date/time interactions.

This project strengthened my understanding of how research and usability feedback can inform practical design decisions. It also reinforced that a useful interface isn't simply about presenting information—it's about helping people understand their options and act on them.

Next steps: I would conduct another round of usability testing to evaluate the revised flows, measure task completion and errors, and explore edge cases such as unavailable spots, location errors, and failed payments.

Because Parq remained a course project, its real-world impact on parking time, stress, and task success has not yet been measured.