Park with care
How to increase parking compliance along with rider experience?
@TIER Mobility / 2023
Research
Strategy
UX/UI
Since the widespread expansion of micro-mobility in Europe following the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing parking compliance has become crucial. To tackle this, designated parking zones were introduced in major cities starting in 2021, including not only large metropolitan areas but also smaller towns. As the lead designer on the parking compliance team, I had the opportunity to explore new concepts and develop effective solutions.
Designated parking spots for scooter in a city with regulations
Problem
As a micro-mobility operator, our aim is to enhance user satisfaction by providing a seamless experience. However, it's also important to remember to follow city regulations and uphold the city's appearance. Our team aimed to improve the key metric of parking compliance for a larger number of users.
The ending of a ride is the most critical moment, during which users can easily become frustrated if something goes wrong.
Even though there are many parking areas available in the cities, users no longer have the convenience of ending their ride directly at their destination. They have to travel to the designated parking zone and then walk the remaining distance, which can be mentally burdensome. On the other hand, vehicles parked outside the designated zones can significantly damage the brand's compliance image.
Parking error message can create a sense of guilt even for compliant users
Many shared mobility services employ similar designs for parking experiences. If users end their ride outside of a designated parking area, they are presented with an error screen and a message reminding them of the parking zone. However, I found that this flow primarily followed technical logic, which often added frustration to users who were already unhappy due to the additional cost they incurred.
Process
The first step I took was to reassess the product's required metrics from a user perspective. I started questionning if making the parking regulations warning messages more visible could actually reduce parking errors.
Are scooters parked outside designated areas a result of user carelessness or a lack of civic responsibility?
To gain a deeper understanding, I first conducted a series of in-depth interviews with users. The primary objective was to identify the actual reasons behind wrongful parking attempts in major cities with regulations, as well as the mental model of riders when they are unable to end their ride. Secondly, I collaborated with the data analysis team to analyze location data associated with wrongful parking attempts.
The majority of parking-related complaints revolve around the inability to find nearby parking areas. In reality, most users intend to adhere to designated parking rules.
Parking Pattern Mapping: Users park their vehicles based on the presence of other parked vehicles rather than checking the actual map.
The research findings uncovered a significant insight: the majority of users genuinely intend to park their vehicles correctly. In fact, once users have had at least one prior experience with a shared mobility service, they typically have a clear understanding of the parking regulations.
Incorrect assumption: Riders think they can park anywhere once they have arrived at the destination.
Correct assumption: Riders believe they are in a dedicated parking area when they attempt to end the ride.
The analysis revealed that most parking errors were due to inaccuracies in mobile phone location recognition or misunderstandings. Users mistakenly perceived non-designated parking areas as valid zones. For example, scooter users sometimes attempted to park alongside bicycles of the same brand, and on occasion, they parked near sidewalk blocks that resembled parking areas near public transportation exits.
I organized a workshop with stakeholders from different markets, and it became clear that error screens only add frustration to users, especially when they are still being charged during the ride.
Instead of extensively contemplating educational messages displayed before and after rides, my focus was primarily on providing immediate assistance whenever parking errors occurred.
I discovered that displaying error messages or penalty warnings can effectively prompt users to move their vehicle, but it often leaves a negative impression once the ride is completed. Similarly, requesting users to take more detailed photos or videos after completing parking only adds extra tasks for users without actually resolving the issue.
dual axis framwork to prioritize concepts (left), classifying feature modules on user perception(right)
I was involved in the process of prioritizing ideas that align with the company's high level strategy. I came up with the idea of different visual mapping which allowed to classify the concepts and ease the communication with stakeholders.
Solution
The main goal became therefore reducing misunderstandings caused by unreliable location data. I redesigned the flows based on the distance between the user's location and the nearest parking area when they attempt to end the ride. This concept, called "parking funnel", effectively considers GPS data deviation to prevent the perception of errors when the rider is likely to comply with parking regulations.
In the initial flow, riders were unable to end their ride if they were more than 30 meters away from a designated parking area. However, in the revised flow, the rider is directed to a specific message based on the context of their location.
From the rider's perspective, the parking experience can be seen as an additional task that may feel annoying. Riders primarily want a convenient way to move from point A to point B, and having to go through a parking zone might be perceived as a waste of time. Therefore, my aim was to make the parking process as seamless as possible, allowing users to complete their journey quickly.
Initial flow
New flow with parking funnel concept
I have replaced the previous unclear loading screen that users had to wait for when ending their ride. Now, when users press "end ride," an animated satellite is displayed on the screen to indicate that the app is confirming their location. This change provides a clearer and more engaging visual feedback to users during the process.
Instead of displaying a single error message, the app provides guidance to users through distinct screens
Considering the potential deviation in the vehicle's GPS data, I have categorized wrongful parking attempts into three distinct flows. Instead of displaying a generic failed message, the app now guides users directly to the nearest parking zone. Additionally, for users who might have had intentions to park correctly, I have implemented a double-check confirmation by using fine warning messages. This approach aims to improve user experience and ensure that users are guided towards parking correctly while minimizing any misunderstandings or unintended violations.
When attempting to end the ride outside of a designated parking area, the map immediately guides users to the nearest available parking spot.
before
after
In addition to the parking flow optimization described earlier, I also accomplished a map UI revamp initiative that focused on enhancing the visibility of parking spots.
Using Mapbox Studio, this initiative involved improving the visibility of parking spot icons in various contexts, as well as introducing greater visibility of Points of Interest (POIs) and road details. I reviewed the color contrast of the map to ensure that users can easily identify different points of interest, which will serve as effective references for navigation.
I have updated the internal design system to enhance consistency and clarity of map elements throughout the navigation process
Assistance by showing the closest parking spot from user location
Impact
Through extensive A/B testing, we were able to observe notable improvements in various metrics. In cities with parking regulations, the average parking compliance increased by 16%, and the success rate of the first parking attempt saw a remarkable increase of 30%. These results surpassed the impact of previous initiatives that solely relied on educational messages. This achievement serves as an excellent example of the importance of fully understanding user intent and tailoring the user experience accordingly.
30 % of increase in the success rate of the first parking attempt
Substantial enhancement in how users perceive the parking task
What makes this project interesting is that the product needs to consider not only the users who actually use our product but also pedestrians passing by. Meeting the needs of both the city and the users in the mobility industry will continue to be a challenge in the future.