How it started
When choosing our domain, our team knew we wanted to focus our efforts on a project that could better the Chicago community. Conversations with friends revealed frustration with the overall parking experience - namely the cost of parking and difficulty finding spots.
The Problem
While the Park Chicago app offers the convenience of mobile payments, users repeatedly report frustration with its rigid payment system, confusing flows, outdated interface, and unreliable notifications. A major barrier is the $20 minimum deposit requirement, which disproportionately affects students, low-income users, and occasional visitors. In addition, users must rely on a separate app to view parking zones on a map.
Goals
- Eliminate financial barriers caused by the $20 minimum balance
- Allow flexible, direct payment methods
- Integrate a clear, location-aware parking map
- Preserve and enhance features users already rely on (saved vehicles, session extensions, notifications)
- Improve overall usability and accessibility
01 / Identify – Listening to Users
Research Approach
We conducted 11 semi-structured contextual interviews with Chicago drivers who regularly use public street parking and have experience with the Park Chicago app. Interviews focused on parking habits, frustrations, and real-time walkthroughs of app usage. The goal of this research phase was not only to identify usability issues within the app, but to understand how the app fits into the broader emotional and situational context of parking in Chicago. As a team, we collaboratively developed the research plan and interview guide. I personally conducted interviews, contributed to synthesis, and helped translate findings into design implications.
Research Goals
- Identify major pain points in the current Park Chicago experience
- Understand how users currently pay for and manage parking sessions
- Learn which features users value and rely on
Customer Interviews
Participants ranged in age from early 20s to mid-50s and included frequent city drivers, occasional visitors, and suburban commuters. Some participants used the app multiple times per week, while others only interacted with it a few times per year. This range allowed us to capture both expert and novice perspectives, revealing where the app supports efficiency and where it fails new or infrequent users.
Financial Barrier
The $20 minimum balance requirement was the most frequently mentioned and emotionally charged pain point. Nearly every participant expressed frustration with being forced to preload money before parking, especially when sessions can cost as little as $1.50.
Students and occasional drivers were particularly impacted. Several participants described feeling discouraged from using the app altogether, opting instead to pay at physical meters or avoid parking in the city when possible. Others described the requirement as wasteful or unethical, especially for visitors who might never return to use the remaining balance.
Zone Confusion
Another major source of stress was uncertainty about whether the correct parking zone had been selected. Many participants described double and triple-checking zone numbers on street signs, worried that a small mistake could result in a ticket.
Several participants shared stories of receiving parking tickets despite believing they had paid correctly. This anxiety was compounded by the fact that Park Chicago does not clearly confirm the physical location of a zone within the app.
While a separate Park Chicago Map app exists, most participants were unaware of it. This forced users to rely on memory, signage, or external apps, increasing cognitive load at an already stressful moment.
Positive Aspects
Despite widespread frustration, participants identified several aspects of the app that they genuinely appreciated:
- Saving multiple vehicles and payment information
- Being able to extend parking sessions remotely
- Avoiding physical meters and payment kiosks
- Viewing recent parking zones
Importantly, participants expressed that while the app needed improvement, they did not want a complete overhaul that removed familiar functionality.
02 / Define - User's Needs and Problems
From the research, we identified common participant characteristics that we could use to set a range for our personas.
Age: 20-50s
Gender: Male & female
Location: Various Chicago neighborhoods + suburbs
Occupation: Students, professionals, service industry, IT, trade
Frequency of app use: Weekly to monthly
Parking habits: Avoid meters when possible, rely on app notifications, multitask during parking, check signage
Persona of Jamie
Problem Statements
From there, we generated 3 "I want to" problem statements that should align with every persona that was created.
- As a user, I want to be able to explore parking options near me for convenience.
- As a user, I want multiple payment options so that I can choose the one that’s most efficient.
- As a user, I want to save a parking zone so that I can easily come back to it.
03 / Ideate - Low fidelity designs
Wire frames focused on restructuring the payment flow and reintroducing the map as a core feature. Early iterations explored placing the map on the home screen; however, feedback and discussion led us to prioritize zone selection first to preserve familiarity for existing users. From the research, we identified common participant characteristics that we could use to set a range for our personas.
Park page
Signup flow
The redesigned checkout process removes the credit system entirely, replacing it with direct payments. Information is distributed across multiple screens to improve readability and reduce cognitive overload.
Checkout & map integration
04 / Prototype - Adding color
I started by investigating colors to be used or components by taking reference from the official color palette for the City of Chicago. The original app is green, which didn't seem to accurately represent the iconic blue hues of Chicago.
Official color palette for the City of Chicago
From this, I created some app icon ideas to finalize which colors would be represented.
Ultimately, the dark blue logo was the chosen favorite which helped define the primary and secondary colors for individual components.
05 / Testing - Refining from results
Usability Testing Plan
To evaluate whether our redesigned Park Chicago experience addressed the usability and anxiety-related issues uncovered during research, our team conducted moderated usability testing on the high-fidelity prototype.
We recruited two participants who matched our target personas:
- Infrequent Park Chicago user, frequent Chicago driver
- Frequent Park Chicago user
The focus of testing was to validate three core areas of the redesign:
- Zone selection accuracy and confidence
- Payment method preferences and clarity
- Map discoverability and comprehension
I was responsible for design revisions and the redesign summary, translating usability findings directly into updated interface decisions.
Key Findings
Increased Confidence in Zone Selection
Participants reported feeling more confident after using the redesigned flow, especially due to confirmation prompts, location-based suggestions, and the ability to favorite zones. These elements helped reduce fear of selecting the wrong zone.
Payment Preferences Varied by Usage
Infrequent users preferred direct, pay-per-session payments, while frequent users preferred maintaining a balance for convenience. This revealed the need for flexibility rather than a single payment model.
Map Was Discoverable but Needed Clarity
While participants noticed and explored the map feature, color-coded zones were sometimes misinterpreted, indicating a mismatch between visual design and user expectations.
Design Revisions
Testing results directly informed my final design iteration.
Map Legend Added
To address confusion around color coding, I added a map legend explaining what each color pin represents, reducing reliance on assumption-based interpretation.
Flexible Payment Options
Based on contrasting participant preferences, I reinstated the balance payment option alongside direct pay, allowing users to choose based on their parking habits.
Reduced Redundant Confirmations
To avoid repetitive pop-ups, zone and map confirmation were moved into the checkout flow, where users could still review and correct errors without added friction.
Clearer Session Feedback
The home screen was updated to provide clearer feedback on active parking sessions, preventing users from accidentally starting multiple sessions simultaneously.
Final Designs
