THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH & PITTSBURGH PARKING AUTHORITY
Improving Usability & Adoption of Smart Loading Zones
UX Research
UX Design
TIMELINE
ROLE
SECTOR
PROBLEM
Smart Loading Zones were piloted in Pittsburgh to improve traffic flow by offering designated, pay-by-minute parking for delivery vehicles. However, initial data revealed a low resident adoption rate, hindering the program's overall success.
Our team was tasked with conducting user-centered research to understand the factors influencing resident adoption of purple curbs around the city - the Smart Loading Zones (SLZs), to identify their perspectives as well as their pain points regarding SLZs. We had to propose a solution to bridge the gap between residents and the program, ultimately enhancing the user experience with SLZs and encouraging increased participation.
SOLUTION
Our team proposed Go Mobile Pittsburgh App integration within the Smart Loading Zone system, eliminating the need to manage multiple applications for parking activites.
Additionally, we suggested enhancing the signage to better communicate the intended purpose of the SLZs and make it easier for residents to understand their functionality.
BACKGROUND
In our User-Centered Research class, we were presented with a unique problem statement focused on identifying the shortcomings of Pittsburgh's new SLZ program
Focused to alleviate traffic issues such as congestion and double parking, with a broader environmental aim, the program was piloted in 2022. However, it encountered significant challenges in adoption and reception among Pittsburgh residents, business owners and delivery drivers. Residents also expressed concerns about privacy invasion due to the surveillance cameras, and popular restaurants like Mineos blamed the program for restricting customer parking. This highlighted a substantial gap between people's perceptions of the program and its intended goals, indicating a need for improved communication and understanding.
DESK RESEARCH
We conducted experiential and informational research activities to explore the context and conduct secondary research for smart loading zones.
In our desk research phase, we encountered challenges with the data provided by the Parking Authority for Pittsburgh's SLZ program. Due to its early stages, the data had significant gaps, with entire months missing. Moreover, the metrics used were inconsistent across different time periods, limiting its usefulness for analysis. To supplement this data, we conducted netnography, examining online news articles and Reddit discussions to gauge residents' sentiments towards the SLZs. Additionally, we evaluated the SLZs' web-app and signage through heuristic analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses in communicating the initiative and its effectiveness. The web-app required drivers to register with either a company name or independently to pay for zone usage, revealing insights into user experience and potential barriers to adoption.
The per-minute pricing of the SLZ, starting at $0.07 and capped at $12.67 per hour, creates a confusing system for users. Unlike typical hourly parking rates, calculating the total cost for a specific duration requires extra mental load.
The parking rates were not clear from the signage, which further confused the drivers. Even on the app, they must complete the majority of the sign-up process before being able to view the parking charges. If the user is not okay with the parking rates once they see them, they have just wasted significant time and entered personal information into a system they have no use for.
Online interview articles revealed that small business owners feels the city didn't reach out to businesses before implementing the program, leaving them unprepared for the changes. They believe the existing loading zones were sufficient and could have been better enforced instead of creating a new system
We re-immersed ourselves in the existing data on the SLZs. This individual deep dive allowed us to independently identify potential user needs and possible ways to address those needs that could be validated by subsequent research. We also identified unanswered questions from the current data which served as a guide to our subsequent research process.
“How might we identify and reduce fears and blockers that are leading to low SLZ adoptability by Pittsburgh drivers conducting curbside pickup activities?”
CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY
To explore factors affecting SLZ adoptability, we conducted a contextual inquiry in the form of 'intercept interviews'
We conducted a contextual inquiry on South Craig Street and Murray Ave in Pittsburgh, involving observations about general SLZ usage and intercept interviews with 13 individuals, including delivery drivers, small business owners, employees, and customers. We split up in pairs and observed SLZ usage/avoidance behaviors on our respective streets during the evening dinner rush hours. We asked them various questions about SLZ, tailored our questions to assess awareness, pain points, opinions on camera enforcement, and the perceived goals of the city's SLZ initiative.
Most of our participants were aware of the ‘PGH Go Mobile’ app. Two of our participants, attempted to use it for the smart loading zone parking when they could not understand the SLZ registration process. Having two different parking apps to pay for parking on the same street caused confusion and a sense of discontinuity in the users.
We found that the text and QR code registration methods did not align with the tech literacy of all users. One user attempted and failed to register via text and felt that the QR code method was not easy enough so they didn’t even attempt to use it. Another user was not familiar with the QR code concept and did not know the proper terminology for the QR code, referring to it as a ‘cube’.
The signs for the zones aren't clear, so it's hard for people to understand who they're for. But these zones are supposed to be for shortstops, like grabbing takeout or making a quick delivery, no matter where you work. Because this isn't explained well, it's confusing for everyone. This lack of clear communication makes it so that drivers are hesitant to use the SLZs.
SYNTHESIZING DATA
We analyzed and synthesized the data from interviews using affinity mapping to uncover key fears and roadblocks preventing SLZ adoptability
The three overarching themes we found through the affinity mapping exercise were:
FIGJAM LINK FOR AFFINITY MAPPINGOn creating a customer journey map, visualizing a typical curbside pickup experience using the SLZs, revealed a key challenge: decision paralysis
Many users struggled to decide whether or not to park at the SLZ due to a lack of awareness about the program and unclear signage failing to communicate its purpose effectively.
Many users struggled to decide whether or not to park at the SLZ due to a lack of awareness about the program and unclear signage failing to communicate its purpose effectively.
INSIGHTS
Through a series of these research methods, we synthesized valuable insights that highlight key areas where the SLZ program can be improved to better serve user needs
IDEATION
Building on the learnings from our contextual inquiries, we revisited the "walk the wall" activity. This time, we focused on synthesizing the findings and insights gained from user interviews and observations. This session yielded key themes related to the Smart Loading Zone (SLZ) program: payment, curb noticeability, signage clarity, intended use, advertising, and the registration process. These themes became the springboard for our next phase: the Crazy 8s exercise.
Crazy 8s
This fast-paced activity tasked each of us with generating eight ideas within these narrowed-down areas in just eight minutes.
The guiding question driving our brainstorming was: "How might we identify and reduce fears and blockers that are leading to low SLZ adoptability by Pittsburgh drivers conducting curbside pickup activities?”
Concept Selection
After discussing our Crazy 8s ideas, we identified and listed the most critical user needs that emerged from each member's contributions. Finally, through a voting process, we narrowed down the needs to the top four, which we deemed most worthy of further exploration through storyboarding.
Top User Needs
1. I need to able to interact with SLZ, no matter my technical literacy
2. I need to be able to quickly and efficiently pick up my food
3. I need to be able to see if I am allowed to use the SLZ, and how I can do so
4. I need to not be charged for short-term parking
Storyboards
After determining the top user needs, each of us used storyboarding to ideate multiple potential solutions that could cater to these needs. Each made 3 storyboards, exploring an idea with a varying level of risk. To validate these concepts, we conducted speed dating sessions with new users. These sessions allowed users to interact with all our storyboards, providing valuable feedback that helped us confirm the user needs we identified, uncover potential problems in our solutions early on, and ultimately focus our design efforts on creating the right thing for users.
These are 3 storyboards that I came up with, ranging from low to high risk to identify what users' boundaries were.
ALL 12 STORYBOARDS
INSIGHTS FROM SPEED DATING SESSIONS
1. Drivers generally don’t object to the concept of paying for parking. Rather, they find the process of paying for parking to be inconvenient. Participants want multiple modes of payments, since there are so many different and convenient options of payment.
2. Users are sympathetic to the need for camera-based enforcement. Participants do not mind a camera as long as it makes their parking experience efficient and convenient while not infringing on private information.
3. Poor signage is the biggest deterrent of SLZ usage. Participants believe a big, well-communicated sign is all that is needed for them to feel comfortable parking in a spot
4. The word “smart” can be confusing, SLZ should have a different name that more clearly describes it’s intended use
PROTOTYPING
Using the key findings and insights from the speed dating session, we identified two key areas for opportunities: leveraging the existing PGH Go Mobile app and Enhancing the information design of the signage
Given that the PGH Go Mobile app was already ingrained in Pittsburgh residents' mental models for parking payment, it was logical to integrate the Smart Loading Zones into the existing platform. This would allow users to conveniently locate zones and pay for parking within the app. Additionally, we recognized the signage as an area for improvement, as it served as the primary mode of communication but lacked effectiveness in conveying its purpose.
Lo-Fi Prototype
We built a lo-fi prototype of a ‘Park and Load’ sign, as well as a screen prototype of SLZ payment integrated within the GoMobile app. We designed this prototype in an effort to more clearly communicate the intended use and the process of parking in the SLZ to local Pittsburgh drivers, as well as to make the entire process of parking at the SLZ more efficient.
We built a lo-fi prototype of a ‘Park and Load’ sign, as well as a screen prototype of SLZ payment integrated within the GoMobile app. We designed this prototype in an effort to more clearly communicate the intended use and the process of parking in the SLZ to local Pittsburgh drivers, as well as to make the entire process of parking at the SLZ more efficient.
Testing & Results
Building on our learnings, we created a high-fidelity prototype for further usability testing. The second iteration yielded significantly more positive results!
The prominent GoMobile logo fostered user confidence, while the clearly displayed fee information on the sign mitigated concerns about payment. Importantly, all participants correctly interpreted the "timer has started" notification, indicating successful communication of the camera-based enforcement and automatic timer function.
This positive feedback, with minor tweaks based on user input, allowed us to finalize our prototype!
HI FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
We built a lo-fi prototype of a ‘Park and Load’ sign, as well as a screen prototype of SLZ payment integrated within the GoMobile app. We designed this prototype in an effort to more clearly communicate the intended use and the process of parking in the SLZ to local Pittsburgh drivers, as well as to make the entire process of parking at the SLZ more efficient.
PRESENTATION
" What we got from our psentations" "quotes commoents"
LEARNINGS & TAKEAWAYS
FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS
To explore factors affecting SLZ adoptability, we conducted a contextual inquiry in the form of 'intercept interviews'
