SmartParkDESIGN SPRINT · ICE
Design Sprint · Monday

SmartPark

A smart campus parking system that shows students live open spots and guides them to the best one — so they stop circling the garage and get to class on time.

1

Product Vision

15 pts

Our long-term goal, written with Geoffrey Moore's product-vision template (from Crossing the Chasm).

Forcollege students who drive to campus (and the campus parking office)
whoseproblem is wasting time circling the garage to find an open spot and ending up late to class
theSmartPark
is areal-time smart parking guidance system
thatshows live open spots floor-by-floor and recommends the best spot based on how many are free and how close it is to your building
different fromthe entrance sign that only says the whole garage is "full" or "open," or generic parking apps that only work at paid lots
our productguides you to an exact open spot in real time and picks the smartest one for your walk — not just "there might be space somewhere in here"
Long-term goal: Make finding a parking spot on campus effortless — a student should always know where to park before they even arrive, and never be late to class because of parking.
2

Personas (Imagined Users)

20 pts

The people we're designing for. Each persona captures who they are, what they want, and what frustrates them today. (Recreate this on your Canva / Miro board — one persona per member.)

CC

Commuters

Junior · commutes 25 min · drives daily
Primary userHigh tech comfortAlways rushing

"If I don't have an 8:30 spot figured out, I'm circling for 10 minutes and walking in late — again."

Goals
  • Park fast and get to class on time
  • Know which deck has space before arriving
Frustrations
  • Circling full floors behind other hunting cars
  • The entrance sign only says "FULL"
  • Can't plan around unpredictable parking time
Needs from SmartPark
  • Live availability + a recommended spot near her building
FM

First-Year Students

Freshman · new to campus · unsure of layout
Primary userUnfamiliar with campus

"I don't even know which garages fill up first or which one is closest to my class."

Goals
  • Figure out where to park without stress
  • Not get lost or arrive late
Frustrations
  • Doesn't know the campus or peak times
  • Ends up in the wrong, far-away deck
Needs from SmartPark
  • Simple map + "best spot for your building" guidance
EP

Evening-Classes

Grad student · night classes · safety-minded
Primary userCares about safety

"When I get out at night I don't want to walk across a dark lot — I want a close, well-lit spot."

Goals
  • A close, safe spot after dark
  • Find her car quickly when leaving late
Frustrations
  • Only far spots left in the evening
  • Feeling unsafe walking at night
Needs from SmartPark
  • Availability near entrances + "find my car"
DO

Managenment & Operations

Parking & Transportation Services manager
Admin userWants data

"I get complaints about full decks, but I have no real data on when or where the crunch actually happens."

Goals
  • Reduce congestion and complaints
  • Understand utilization to plan capacity
Frustrations
  • No live or historical occupancy data
  • Can't tell which sensors/areas are problems
Needs from SmartPark
  • An admin dashboard with live + historical stats
3

User Journey Map

25 pts

The path a student takes from needing a spot to parking fast and getting to class on time. Blue = start · highlighted box = the "best-spot pick" (our magic) · dashed = optional · green stars = goals.

SmartPark — User Journey How a student goes from needing a spot to parking fast and getting to class on time 1 · DISCOVER 2 · PLAN 3 · CHOOSE 4 · PARK 5 · ARRIVE & AFTER Student needsto park Opens theSmartPark app Enters classdestination Sees live spots,floor by floor Gets thebest-spot pick Sees walk timeto class Drives tothe garage Follows the livegreen / red map Holds a spot(optional) Parks — appsaves the spot On time to class Find mycar later Spot frees forthe next student SmartPark · Smart Campus Parking System
4

Stakeholders

5 pts

People beyond the direct users who we'd need data or input from, or who indirectly benefit from SmartPark.

Parking & Transportation ServicesOwns the garages; provides layout & permit data; biggest operational beneficiary.
Campus IT / Network ServicesProvides WiFi and hosting; must approve devices on the network.
Campus Police / SafetyCares about traffic flow, congestion, and safe well-lit parking.
Facilities / MaintenanceInstalls and maintains the sensors and power in the decks.
Faculty & InstructorsBenefit indirectly — fewer students arriving late to class.
Disability / Accessibility ServicesNeeds accurate accessible-spot availability.
Sustainability OfficeBenefits from less circling = lower emissions on campus.
Prospective students & campus visitorsUnfamiliar drivers who benefit most from guidance.
University Administration / BudgetApproves and funds the project; cares about student satisfaction.
Data Privacy / IT GovernanceReviews how location and "find my car" data is handled.
Local City / Traffic Dept.Affected by traffic backing up near campus entrances.
Event & Athletics StaffManage parking surges during games and campus events.
5

Ask the Experts

15 pts

Research links on the problems students face, plus our customer-discovery interview questions.

Research: the problems students face

Solutions to Parking Problems on College Campuses
A 2022 survey found 60% of students say their campus lacks adequate parking; building more is rarely feasible.
rideamigos.com →
Students Frustrated at the Lack of Parking Space
Student paper: drivers circling full lots, arriving late, and safety worries walking far after dark.
washburnreview.org →
University Parking Issues & Student Perception
"You waste all that time looking… and you're still late to class." Cites an Inside Higher Ed study.
miningjournal.net →
Solving Campus Parking Problems: Smart Solutions
Ties parking struggles to wasted time, higher emissions from circling, and lower student satisfaction.
europarkingservices.com →
Lack of Parking Leaves Students Scrambling
Passes oversold ~23%; one student arrived an hour early and still couldn't park until class had started.
globalnews.ca →
The Great Parking War
Demand (1,051) far exceeds capacity; students describe the daily "parking pilgrimage" that makes them late.
thecollegevoice.org →

Customer discovery interview questions

Warm-up & context

  1. How do you usually get to campus, and how often do you drive?
  2. Walk me through the last time you parked on campus — what happened, start to finish?
  3. Which garage or lot do you usually aim for, and why?

The problem

  1. How long does it usually take you to actually find a spot?
  2. Have you ever been late to class because of parking? Tell me about it.
  3. How do you currently decide which garage to try?
  4. What's the most frustrating part of parking here?

Current workarounds

  1. Do you do anything today to avoid the parking hassle (arrive early, avoid certain times)?
  2. Do you use any app or website for parking now? What works or doesn't?

The solution & value

  1. If you could see live open spots by floor before arriving, would you use it? How?
  2. Would a "best spot for your building" recommendation change where you park?
  3. How much does safety (lighting, distance) matter when you park, especially at night?
  4. Would you want a "find my car" feature? When would you use it?
  5. What would make you trust the app's information enough to rely on it?
7

How Might We… (HMW Notes)

20 pts

Reframing the problems from our journey map and research into opportunities to design for.

Before arriving

How might we help students know where to park before they even leave home?

Finding a spot

How might we cut the time a student spends circling a garage down to almost zero?

Guidance

How might we point a student to the closest open spot to their specific class building?

Trust

How might we make the live availability accurate enough that students actually rely on it?

Safety

How might we help evening students find a close, well-lit spot and get back to their car safely?

New drivers

How might we make a first-year or visitor feel confident parking somewhere they've never been?

Fairness

How might we spread demand across garages instead of everyone fighting for the same deck?

Operations

How might we give the parking office the data to fix congestion and plan capacity?

Sustainability

How might we reduce the emissions caused by cars aimlessly circling for spots?