Experience-Based Problem

Being a third-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill has made me realize how difficult it is to drive to Franklin Street for dinner and find parking. For me personally, I cannot parallel park, so finding a lot with space available is essential. Depending on how busy Franklin St. is that night, a lot of time is spent driving around to each lot searching for an empty parking spot. The days and times of when parking is free both on- and off-campus can get confusing as well. With games taking over every parking spot, how are students supposed to find a place to park? Along the same note, there are many lots on campus that require passes on certain days only, but they can differ between each lot, and the rules of parking on campus become blurred.

 

Question

How can parking in Chapel Hill be easier?

 

UX Strategy

This app will allow users to park both on- and off-campus at UNC-Chapel Hill with ease. Allowing users to search for parking based on a destination and the time they would like to arrive makes finding a parking space faster and easier than before. Parking on-campus can be just as much of a struggle, which is why the app will feature a way for students to keep track of their on-campus parking needs and find on-campus parking just as easily as off-campus. This app would be available for other large universities as well such as Duke University, NC State, Ohio State, etc., that have students who would struggle to find parking.

 

Through my field research, I found that any college student with a car – most likely Sophomores and older – would find this app beneficial. Students liked the idea of knowing exactly where to park without having to search for a space, knowing they could park in a parking spot without the fear of getting towed, and knowing exactly how much money they will be spending on parking before they leave their house or dorm. Considering these notes, the focus of the app would revolve around efficiency, as users want to save their time and money when traveling around Chapel Hill. Being that Chapel Hill is not the only college town that has these problems, the app would be useful to any other college town with similar issues. By providing students with information on available parking based off of their destination and arrival time, permit updates and availability, an easy way to pay for parking and add more time to a space, students can be prepared when driving and not face the inevitable parking anxiety. Other features include a notification setting that allows users to be notified when they need to move their car if they have a permit that does not allow them to be parked on campus when an event or game is taking place. By allowing students to sign into their student login, such as the ONYEN for UNC-Chapel Hill, users can stay updated on their permits and license plates registered in their account. Another feature allows users to add as many cars as they would like in their ‘My Cars’ section of the app to make the process of paying for parking faster and easier.

 

Business Strategy

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Customer Segments

Based on early field research, users showed interest in an app that allows for a simple way to find parking and stay updated on permit usage. College students would use this app to park on- and off-campus efficiently, with the key features of signing into the college’s SSO to have all permit information for their school, an easy way to find available spaces closest to a desired location, an ability to increase a parking spot’s time, etc.  

 

Value Proposition

This app will improve college student’s time and money spent on parking on-campus and off-campus at all hours.

 

Rationale

Users want an app that they can use to help them park on and off campus in their respective college town. They want a way to know the closest place to park from their desired location based on if they are willing to pay or not for the space without the struggle of driving around searching for a space. This app focuses on efficiency. The features in this app help people plan when to arrive at a particular destination, the best place to park for the cheapest price, and the ability to stay up-to-date with the permits they own. The app eliminates the anxiety in finding a parking spot and the worry of getting towed. The app is updated continuously based on the parking hours for each day, paying close attention to game days and the restrictions that come with those.

The app would be offered for free, but users will be asked to allow their location to be shared with the app for navigation purposes, and for students to sign into their school’s respective logins in order for them to view their permits.

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Iteration 1: