1. The Interaction Design Demons -Team 5 Joseph Howerton, Oksana Kresnina, Afolake Oritsejafor, and Kathryn Wozniak HCI 440, Winter Quarter 2011

2. ParkNSeek is an application that ensures motorists never have to look for a parking lot or their parked vehicles again. The app will provide users with a level of diversity on how this information will be captured. Automatically via a map Manual entry of location There will also be diversity in the results displayed. Map View Turn by Turn Directional View

3. Targeted Audience The time conscious individual constantly on the go, for whom the need to locate their vehicle must never become another complicated task. The enthusiastic shopper who only wants to recall what stores will be visited, not where their vehicle is located. The average individual who has trouble recalling simple details, let alone the location of a vehicle. The weary traveler whos just battled multiple delays and layovers and needs to find parking at or near their hotel.

4. ParkNSeek is a mobile application that is More Intuitive More Accurate More appealing to a wider audience Electric car owners People who prefer audio prompts and feedback. compared to competitors such as TripBuddy by iClassicNu and Car Locator by CrewBeat.

5. Third party parking lot companies will pay a small yearly fee to add/advertise their lots and services on the ParkNSeek application. There are approximately 10,000 publicly listed parking lot companies in the United States (Manta.com). Customers will pay $0.99 to download the ParkNSeek mobile application. There are currently 191 million licensed drivers (US DOT) and approximately 45 million smart phone users (AdMob Metrics) in the United States.

6. Ensure ease of use with intuitive interface, audio option, and map/turn-by-turn toggle. Ensure accuracy of current and saved parking locations with smart phone GPS navigation system. Connect with private and municipal parking lot company database(s) to provide list of local parking options. Appeal to electric car owners by linking to national database of car charging stations located in parking lots.

7. Solicit area businesses to pay a yearly fee to advertise their locations as landmarks on the ParkNSeek mobile application map view. Allow for third party parking lot companies to add details such as discount days and validation options to their listing for a small additional fee.

8. From user perspective we did two separate studies. 1st We did a survey to evaluate user need for ParkNSeek application. 2nd We conducted several usability tests to evaluate ParkNSeek application from user perspective.

9. Our survey had three goals: To access average drivers parking and car-locating experiences. To access average drivers general mobile application use and preferences. To access average drivers car locator mobile application use and interest.

10. Parking and Car-Locating Experiences: The survey responses showed that almost all participants have a high level of parking activity in both large parking structures/lots and on streets of large metropolitan areas. About half of participants claim they have lost track of where they parked their vehicle in the last three months, and 30% have spent more than five minutes looking for their parked vehicle in the last three months.

11. General Mobile Application Use and Preferences: Surprisingly, only half of the participants use mobile applications on their smart phone. However, most of those who use mobile applications, use them on a daily basis. Mobile application users show particular liking to those applications that help them to be more efficient with daily activities (banking, shopping, maps, weather checking, communication) or help them develop and enhance more personal activities (sleep monitor, calorie counter, obtain/listen to music). App-users do not like applications that try to sell them other products or services, run slowly or crash, have limited utility, or have a complicated interface.

12. Car Locator Mobile Application Use and Interest: Of the mobile application users who participated in the survey, almost all have downloaded navigation apps, but only one participant had ever downloaded an existing car-locating application. Over half of the participants (59%) were somewhat interested or very interested in a car-locating application.

13. From our survey findings we conclude that our target user group will benefit from a mobile application that not only makes it easy for them to find a parking spot anywhere, but also remembers where their vehicle is parked. Our goal is to create an application that is accurate, has fast response times, and is simple to learn and use.

14. Our goals for the usability tests: Identify and evaluate efficiency and learnability of the application. Specifically test possible weaknesses in navigation, ease of identifying application's main functions and clarity of icons and supportive text. Identify and evaluate user expectations. Specifically address: what functionality user expects from the application and did we meet, exceed or fail users expectations.

15. During user experience testing we gained many insights into the user experience of the ParkNSeek application. The following enhancements to the ParkNSeek application were identified: Include audio option to make it easy for users to use application while driving Add Save Location option to Find Parking view Add 'Share', 'Add Location,' and 'Clear Location functions to Save My Location view

16. Add 'Done button at the end of each function to indicate when it is complete Replace icons used for current location and saved location with a person icon for current location and a car icon for saved location Rename List View option to Turn by Turn Directions Add a more info option to Find Parking view, that will take user to a screen that outlines parking validation options and feature discounts Add Sort Parking by price or distance options to Find Parking view

17. We aimed to incorporate all changes suggested by User Experience testing into ParkNSeek application. Most changes were incorporated into the final prototype with one enhancement postponed to next product redesign, due to lack of time and resourses. Enhancement postponed is: Add a more info icon to available parking view, that will take user to a screen that outlines parking validation options and feature discounts.

18. User accesses the ParkNSeek mobile Application from their SmartPhone home page interface by clicking the ParkNSeek logo.

19. User is presented with the three primary functions/task options: FIND PARKING SAVE MY LOCATION FIND MY CAR User selects FIND PARKING.

20. ParkNSeek displays parking options results in a list format. User can also choose to view results in a Map View. Data displayed includes the users current location, an option to hear audio prompts and feedback, the capability to enter location manually, payment credit card options, whether there is GREEN/electric car parking available, the capability to sort by price or distance, and the capability to go back to the previous screen. User selects Randolph and State.

21. ParkNSeek displays the destination and turn by turn directions to that location. Other data displayed includes the option to view directions in Map View, the option to hear audio prompts, the capability to share the directions with friends, and the options to Change location, or Save Location, the ability to access the Help screen, and the ability to go Back to the previous Screen. User selects Save Location.

22. User is presented with the three primary functions/task options: FIND PARKING SAVE MY LOCATION FIND MY CAR User selects SAVE MY LOCATION.

23. The locations is saved dialog box opens displaying the exact location of the Parked vehicle, including an icon of a car. User has options to hear audio feedback, add details to the saved location, share the details with friends, add another location, or clear the saved location, and the ability to access the Help screen. User selects Done.

24. User is presented with the three primary functions/task options: FIND PARKING SAVE MY LOCATION FIND MY CAR User selects FIND MY CAR.

25. User is presented with the directions to the saved location of their car in the default Map View. Use of icons to represent the car at its location and the user at their current location. Other data includes the ability to access the Help screen, From location and To location specifics, the capability to view turn by turn directions, the option to hear voice prompts and Feedback, and the ability to go back to the previous screen.

26. ParkNSeek holds both business value and user value in todays market. Any smart phone user who is a motorist will find value in the accuracy and ease of use of ParkNSeek in their daily, on-the-go life. As smart phone users increase in number, the value of mobile applications like ParkNSeek will continue to increase as well.