Smart Loading Zones

The Problem

Smart Loading Zones (SLZs) were introduced to reduce traffic and minimize double parking by offering quick, short-term parking. However, data revealed low adoption rates among residents and widespread unawareness of these zones.

Charging for the loading zones, which were previously free, frustrated both residents and business owners. Moreover, many people in the city didn't understand the purpose of these zones or whether they were permitted to use them. Misuse of the spots for extended parking, without realizing their intended purpose, further undermined the initiative’s efforts.

Opportunity:
This challenge revealed an opportunity to delve into the major pain points faced by users. Our goal was to identify the fears and blockers impacting SLZ adaptability so that we could address them effectively. By tackling these issues, we aimed to help the initiative achieve its objectives of reducing traffic and minimizing double parking incidents.

Primary Research

We performed contextual inquiry with 14 Pittsburgh drivers during rush hours to understand their problems

‍“I thought this was only for truck drivers”

01
People were unaware of the purpose of loading zones.

The signs for these zones weren't clear, making it difficult to understand who could use them and what they were for. However, these zones are intended for short stops, like grabbing takeout or making a quick delivery. The lack of clear communication caused confusion, leaving drivers uncertain about whether they could use the SLZs, resulting in hesitancy to use them.

‍“I am trying to use Go mobile app, but I cannot find this zone on it”

02
Extra registration for a separate app added to the hesitancy.

Most of our participants were familiar with and used the ‘PGH Go Mobile’ app, Pittsburgh's primary parking app. However, SLZs required a different web-app to be installed and used, which increased user resistance. Two of our participants attempted to use the SLZ parking but struggled with the confusing SLZ registration process. One participant noted that having two different parking apps for the same street was a hassle and didn’t make sense.

‍“I respect the objectives of the initiative I don’t want to pay”

03
People avoided SLZ spots to avoid paying for short-term parking.

Unaware of the 15 minutes of free parking—a detail not clearly communicated by the signs—people were reluctant to use the SLZ spots, thinking they would have to pay for even a brief stop. This was a complete miscommunication, leading to a misunderstanding that discouraged use. We observed that despite understanding the purpose of the SLZ initiative, individuals were hesitant to utilize the service, particularly when it came to making payments for short-term parking.

Guiding Principle

How might we reduce fears and blockers that are leading to low adoptability by Pittsburgh drivers conducting curbside pickup activities?

Our overall goal was to reduce the blockers of adoptability. From our contextual research data, we performed affinity diagramming to identify recurring themes of blockers. We decided to use these three themes as our guiding principles and benchmarks for achieving success with our design. These three guidelines were:

01 clearly define the loading zone’s intended use and users

02 create a path of least resistance for users

03 integrate familiar and existing systems to ease adoption

Ideation

To validate our initial ideas for signage and app, we conducted speed dating sessions with 6 participants using storyboards

I created three storyboards for my ideas, centered around the leading question, 'Have you ever wondered how much time your vehicle was parked?' I then conducted a speed dating session with six participants. The purpose of the storyboarding and speed dating was to identify areas of opportunity and narrow down how people would want to be notified about their parking time, or if they even wanted notifications at all.

These are 3 storyboards that I came up with, ranging from low to high risk to identify what users' boundaries were.

ALL 12 STORYBOARDS

Lo-Fi Prototyping & Testing

We prototyped different ideas and validated our designs by conducting think-aloud usability testing on the streets.

We created low-fidelity prototypes for both the signage and the in-app experience to perform usability testing and observe user reactions. We intercepted people on the street to conduct this research in context, allowing us to gauge honest reactions in real-world scenarios.

Feature 1

Maximizing free parking time by auto zone-detection

The Go Mobile app, which users already use for normal parking zones, now includes SLZs marked in purple. Since it’s camera-enforced, the app automatically starts the timer as soon as they park and confirm their location. This integration ensures that users can maximize every second of the 15 minutes of free parking.

Impact

80%

Users found it easy to understand how the automatic timer works, realting to toll booth and inceaseing familiartity with the process

Feature 2

Prompting in real-time through notifications

The app constantly updates you on how much time is left before you start getting charged. This helps you keep track of time without needing to remember or estimate it.
‍

Impact

100%

Users felt it would minimize the risk of extra parking fines and would encourage proper use of the SLZs.

Other Features

Transparent Fee Breakdown

It calculates and shows your fee based on the exact time you’ve parked, providing a clear breakdown of the payment. This transparency helped build trust among participants, as they were constantly notified about their parking time and charges, ensuring they were aware of the costs in real-time.

Flexible payment options

Along with credit card payments, we also considered users who may not have the app but still used the space for more than 15 minutes. These users can receive a bill sent to their home, ensuring that everyone is able to settle their charges, even if they don’t have the app.

Reflection
‍

Always Talk with Your Users
‍(Even if it Means Walking with Them)

One of the most significant insights that shaped our design solution came from directly engaging with our users. We talked to over 25 users through various stages—contextual inquiry, speed dating, two rounds of usability testing, and even during our poster session.

It was during these conversations that we discovered the comfort and familiarity users had with the 'PGH Go Mobile App,' which became a cornerstone of our solution. This realization wouldn't have emerged without these interactions.

Balancing Data with Intuition

In the world of HCI, we’re often taught that insights come from analyzing quantitative and qualitative data. However, one of the most valuable lessons I learned from our professor, Raelin Musacara, is that intuition plays an equally important role in generating insights. While data is essential, it shouldn't always be in the driver’s seat. Instead, it should inform design decisions, not dictate them.

This project taught me the importance of balancing data-driven decisions with a designer’s intuition to create solutions that truly resonate with users.

Appendix

To arrive at our solution, we employed a variety of comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Research is not a one-time activity. To truly refine and narrow down our approach, we needed to engage in research at every step of the process. Research became a continuous thread woven throughout the entire project. This experience reinforced a crucial lesson for me as a designer: research doesn’t end after the first phase; it must be an ongoing, iterative process that informs every stage of design.

Heuristic Evaluations

For this problem statement, we conducted a heuristic evaluation of the signage and the web app for Smart Loading Zones. We discovered that the system violated the principle of 'User Freedom and Control' most notably, as it repeatedly required users to complete important and time-consuming tasks before progressing to the next step. For example, the signage emphasized that users needed to sign in or sign up but failed to convey that a bill could also be sent home, allowing users to avoid signing up if they didn’t use the spot for an extended period. Additionally, in the app, users were required to fill in company details in a mandatory field, which was irrelevant for non-delivery users, further adding to their resistance. This evaluation was crucial in identifying and addressing these inefficiencies.

Journey Mapping

We used journey mapping to visualize a typical curbside pickup experience using the SLZs, and it revealed a key challenge: decision paralysis, to parm or not to park. this helped us narrow down our scope of focus.

Walk the Wall Activity

This activity was incredibly valuable. We each took 15 minutes to independently generate as many learnings, potential user needs, and unanswered questions as possible from our initial research. We performed this activity twice—once before our contextual inquiry and again after speed dating—to cluster these insights and narrow our focus. Activities like these are essential for guiding our direction and helping us stay focused when faced with a complex problem with many potential solutions.