Handling payment for parking hasn’t really changed much over the last 10 years. Most people are still shoving cash and credit cards down parking meters slots like it’s 1999. In a time when we’re driving electric cars and actually talking about colonizing Mars – That just seems off to us. As it happens, major parking solutions player Cale thought so too, and asked us help them change this by completely re-inventing their app WayToPark. Starting with redefining their UX and UI, to create a simpler, faster and more intuitive experience.
So, WayToPark is a mobile application that give users the freedom to manage their parking payment, at the end of their fingertips. Where you’re parking and which vehicle. How long to park for and what’s your preferred payment method. It even stores all your parking sessions and allows for a clean overview and option to export receipts for selected sessions in retrospect. It’s actually quite amazing.
Previous version came off as too complicated and generally un-inspiring, so we applied the principle of “out with the old and in with the new”. We completly revamped the old UX and started from scratch. Building it right from the ground up. Re-working the entire user journey, focusing on simplifying the experience and lowering the number of interactions of a session and creating a more intuitive service that simply should make your life easier.
For the re-incarnation of the WayToPark app we wanted to completely revamp the design direction and visual identity from previous version. So we worked closely with the internal team at Cale and WayToPark to identify a look and feel that felt grounded in the brand but at the same time would would help them be perceived as more modern and contemporary. The direction also needed to be bold enough to leave a strong imprint on their peers and the market for a sustainable period of time ahead.
Alot of other “parking apps” out there depend on the user to input which parking zone they’re in, to calculate the appropriate rates etc. But since basically no-one knows what parking zone they’re in at any given time this often results in having to walk over to a the physical parking-meter in the area to check what zone it belongs to. And if forced to do so, you’re pretty much undermining the whole purpose of using an app instead, to begin with.
Digging deeper into the user journey it became clear to us that people don’t relate to these “parking zones” as a way to define where they find themselves. What alot of us can relate to though, when talking about locations – are maps. Streets, squares, addresses. Actual locations. So we simply used that information and turned the flow around. Wherever you find yourself, we use your phones GPS to identify that on a map. And based on where that is, we retrieve what “parking zone” you happen to be in. Simple as that.
A core element of our user journey is of course setting the desired time for you parking session. We kept it simple for you combined our functionality with a bespoke timer, based on modern convention, which most people are already familliar with. Simply scroll a spinner to pick hours and minutes, and with one click you’re off. Of course we also introduced simple mechanics to edit, cancel or postpone active sessions.
People who in some way have to interact with driving and parking in their line of work, know that it can be a hassle to keep track of parking receipts, locations, tamings and overall documentation. We made sure that all parking sessions are seamlessly logged and archived in the app, so that you can easily backtrack, share or e-mail any expenses whenever you want.
Bottomline, WayToPark is here to make your life easier. Allowing for an otherwise dull everyday-task, that caters around your needs and preferences. Easily accessible wherever you are with a hassle-free interaction which is completed by a simple tap of your finger.
WayToPark will soon be available on all the major platforms – iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Check back soon for all the links to your favourite stores as well as a brand new site, to tell you a little bit more about the app and service.
We work with a wide range of digital products and services, from intricate brand & company websites to hi-fi technical innovations, always executed to the highest of standards. Do you feel inspired? Drop us a line and lets get talking about how we can help you transform your ideas into reality.
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