INtegrating express Parking®

Do we put it in the existing app, or make it's own app?

We were tasked to validate and integrate a ticketless parking system feature, Express Parking®, in our native app. The system had existed as a web-based experience called Express Parking and had launched the previous year. The thought from the product team was that we should integrate the feature into the existing shopping app instead of building a stand-alone app. The reasoning was that the current but separate user bases could benefit by coming together on one platform to take advantage of services Westfield has to offer, through one experience. My job was to help validate this assumption using current user data and research conducted in London, our initial target location.

Research Methodologies

User interviews/ videos - US and UK participants
Data analysis - Existing parking service and app users
Market research - Acorn consumer study
Quick ideation - Sketches, wireframes, mockups and prototypes

New system considerations

What will be the prevalence of the Express Parking feature in the existing app?
Existing users would need to migrate from an Express Parking account to a Westfield account - How do we communicate this?
The old system involved a physical RDFI chip to operate the boom gate - New system would utilize a camera and license plate recognition software
There was no way to maintain parking history from the old system and would not be accessible after signing up for the new system - How do we inform users?

Existing parking users key insights

80% of users used the existing parking service as commuter parking to access the subway system
Peak time for parking was during the work day and commuters rarely entered the mall
Close proximity to the subway station and lower parking rates were key motivators for users using the current Express Parking service

Existing app user key insights

Positive response to introducing a parking feature based on lower parking rates and ticketless parking
Most users were not aware of a parking system they could sign up for
Users liked the fact that they would be able to monitor there parking time while in the center to get the most of the hourly parking rates

Intercepts new feature card sorting results

Synthesis from initial findings

After conducting the research we had many sessions focusing on bringing to light the key needs for our visitors and users. We did not lose sight of product requirements such as in-app integration, and KPI's of increasing footfall traffic into our centers. We created a persona that would help guide some of the decisions the team made. There were some great findings and a few that really dictated our initial ideation.

Illustration showing overview of ideation process

Noteworthy

Cheaper and convenient - The main driving factor for the Westfield parking system registration and use was because the rates at the Westfield parking garage were significantly less than the surrounding parking garages. This was because Westfield parking rates were calculated based on their shopper behavior and not on a dedicated parking garage business model.
Commuters - It was true, most of the registered parking system users (we calculated 80%), rarely entered the shopping center to shop before or after arriving at center. They were parking their cars there because of the proximity to subway system. The majority of our users were commuters that lived somewhat near the center, only using our system as an economical way to park their car while riding the train to work.
Pain Points - Many of our interviews uncovered pain points with current parking systems that could be addressed in our new parking set of features. A couple that stood out were the ability to find your car after parking, and finding spaces nearest most convenient entrance for you shopping trip. *Note - The 'Parked car' feature in Apple maps had not been released yet.

Meet Audrey

We created a persona based on existing user data, interviews we conducted in the UK/US, and an Acorn research report.
This persona was circulated among the team and stakeholders. We also printed out a poster and displayed it in our war room to be a constant reminder to keep on track.

Ideation

After putting together all the bits of information and organizing based on priority and feasibility, I began to quickly put together some task flows to get a sense of how the feature could work inside of our app. I do not necessarily cover every aspect of the user flow here, just the main parts that I want to focus on.

User stories
Journey Maps
Sketches
Wireframes
Prototypes
Mockups

Parking system wireframes - Accessing transaction history

Parking system wireframes - Transaction history continued

Parking system wireframes - Email VAT flow

Parking Service - Enroll screen mockups with design language applied

So, what happened and what is next?

We launched the feature in the UK at the Westfield London Shopping Centre. Working together with the concierge staff there, we were able to create awareness to our users as well as guiding them along the on-boarding process. This was especially helpful for the existing parking system users that needed education on the new system. With a successful migration of legacy users and new users to the new system, we are now able to test and validate some of the assumptions we have. It will give us an opportunity to introduce location, and time specific content to users who otherwise may not be aware of some of the services and amenities the Westfield centre has to offer. As an example, we will begin to explore a food ordering feature that allows users to quickly pre-order a coffee and pick it up between the parking garage and the train station.