UX Project
UX Project
Swapa App - Peer to Peer Parking
Swapa is a peer-to-peer parking spot exchange app designed to reduce the stress of finding parking in crowded urban areas. The app connects drivers leaving a spot with those searching in real time, making the process faster and more efficient. I co-led this project with another designer in a collaboration-focused class, where we researched the problem, defined the target audience, and created a solution that turned a frustrating task into a simple,
intuitive experience.
Swapa is a peer-to-peer parking spot exchange app designed to reduce the stress of finding parking in crowded urban areas. The app connects drivers leaving a spot with those searching in real time, making the process faster and more efficient. I co-led this project with another designer in a collaboration-focused class, where we researched the problem, defined the target audience, and created a solution that turned a frustrating task into a simple, intuitive experience.
Timeline - 8 Weeks
Timeline - 8 Weeks
Year - 2025
Year - 2025
My Role - CO UI/UX Lead
My Role - CO UI/UX Lead
Goals & Objectives
Goals & Objectives
Goals:
Make swapping parking spots as simple and seamless as possible.
Reduce the time it takes drivers to find parking in busy, high-demand areas.
Improve the overall parking experience by turning a stressful task into a streamlined process.
Goals:
Make swapping parking spots as simple and seamless as possible.
Reduce the time it takes drivers to find parking in busy, high-demand areas.
Improve the overall parking experience by turning a stressful task into a streamlined process.
Objectives:
Design an intuitive interface where users can swap a parking spot in three steps or fewer.
Implement real-time matching so drivers leaving a spot instantly connect with those searching
Create clear communication features (notifications, confirmations) to reduce confusion and waiting time.
Objectives:
Design an intuitive interface where users can swap a parking spot in three steps or fewer.
Implement real-time matching so drivers leaving a spot instantly connect with those searching
Create clear communication features (notifications, confirmations) to reduce confusion and waiting time.
Problem & Research
Problem & Research
Problem
My team and I noticed that parking in high-traffic areas often left drivers feeling frustrated and stressed. Circling for long periods wasted time, increased anxiety, and sometimes even caused people to miss important appointments. We wanted to explore a way to reduce this frustration and make the process of finding parking less overwhelming.
After a lengthy brainstorming session, we identified an opportunity: what if drivers could connect with each other directly to share parking availability? This led us to the concept of a peer-to-peer parking app where users could request spots from others and view real-time availability. Our goal was to turn an exhausting task into a smoother, more collaborative experience.
Problem
My team and I noticed that parking in high-traffic areas often left drivers feeling frustrated and stressed. Circling for long periods wasted time, increased anxiety, and sometimes even caused people to miss important appointments. We wanted to explore a way to reduce this frustration and make the process of finding parking less overwhelming.
After a lengthy brainstorming session, we identified an opportunity: what if drivers could connect with each other directly to share parking availability? This led us to the concept of a peer-to-peer parking app where users could request spots from others and view real-time availability. Our goal was to turn an exhausting task into a smoother, more collaborative experience.
Before we start…
Before moving into sketches and prototypes, we began by creating a clear problem statement: “Patrons are struggling to find real-time public parking availability in downtown and beach areas, causing unnecessary traffic. Drivers need a solution that monitors available parking while also providing access to reserved spots.”
With this statement guiding our direction, we developed research questions, created user scenarios, and built personas to better understand potential users and their needs. Through this process, we identified our target demographic as drivers between the ages of 20 and 45 who frequently spend time in busy city areas for work, or leisure.
Interviews
After evaluating the app’s strengths and weaknesses, I interviewed ten college students aged 18 to 22 to better understand their experiences. All ten said the navigation was frustrating and unintuitive, while half also described the app as uninviting and anxiety-inducing. These insights showed that the redesign needed to improve both usability and the overall emotional experience.
Key Insights:
Navigation felt confusing and hard to use
The app’s design caused stress and anxiety
Students wanted a cleaner, more approachable experience
Interviews
After evaluating the app’s strengths and weaknesses, I interviewed ten college students aged 18 to 22 to better understand their experiences. All ten said the navigation was frustrating and unintuitive, while half also described the app as uninviting and anxiety-inducing. These insights showed that the redesign needed to improve both usability and the overall
emotional experience.
Key Insights:
Navigation felt confusing and hard to use
The app’s design caused stress and anxiety
Students wanted a cleaner, more approachable experience
Design Process
Design Process
Sketches
After completing our research and observing how users approached parking, I moved into the sketching phase. These initial drawings were intentionally rough and fast, serving as a way to explore layout ideas and visualize possible user flows. The goal wasn’t polish, but clarity—mapping how a driver would move from point A to point B within the app. By sketching quickly, I was able to experiment with different structures, test ideas on paper, and establish a foundation for the wireframes and prototypes that followed.
Sketches
After completing our research and observing how users approached parking, I moved into the sketching phase. These initial drawings were intentionally rough and fast, serving as a way to explore layout ideas and visualize possible user flows. The goal wasn’t polish, but clarity—mapping how a driver would move from point A to point B within the app. By sketching quickly, I was able to experiment with different structures, test ideas on paper, and establish a foundation for the wireframes and prototypes that followed.
Low Fidelity Prototypes
Once the sketches were complete, my team and I reviewed them together. We discussed potential changes, identified areas that needed clarification, and brainstormed ways to improve the overall flow. These conversations helped refine the strongest ideas and provided a clear direction for developing our low-fidelity prototypes.
Interviews
After evaluating the app’s strengths and weaknesses, I interviewed ten college students aged 18 to 22 to better understand their experiences. All ten said the navigation was frustrating and unintuitive, while half also described the app as uninviting and anxiety-inducing. These insights showed that the redesign needed to improve both usability and the overall emotional experience.
Key Insights:
Navigation felt confusing and hard to use
The app’s design caused stress and anxiety
Students wanted a cleaner, more approachable experience
Interviews
After evaluating the app’s strengths and weaknesses, I interviewed ten college students aged 18 to 22 to better understand their experiences. All ten said the navigation was frustrating and unintuitive, while half also described the app as uninviting and anxiety-inducing. These insights showed that the redesign needed to improve both usability and the overall
emotional experience.
Key Insights:
Navigation felt confusing and hard to use
The app’s design caused stress and anxiety
Students wanted a cleaner, more approachable experience
Lo-Fi Start Screen
Lo-Fi Start Screen
Lo-Fi Menu
Lo-Fi Menu
Lo-fi Map
Lo-fi Map
Testing and Final Design
Testing and Final Design
Lo Fi Testing
We tested our low-fidelity prototype with users and received mixed reactions. Some participants appreciated the overall direction of the design, while others found the experience confusing, particularly when it came to knowing where to start or how to begin the parking process. To keep everything organized, we compiled the feedback into a FigJam document, capturing each observation as bullet points. This allowed us to quickly identify recurring issues and prioritize the changes that would have the greatest impact in the
next iteration.
Lo Fi Testing
We tested our low-fidelity prototype with users and received mixed reactions. Some participants appreciated the overall direction of the design, while others found the experience confusing, particularly when it came to knowing where to start or how to begin the parking process. To keep everything organized, we compiled the feedback into a FigJam document, capturing each observation as bullet points. This allowed us to quickly identify recurring issues and prioritize the changes that would have the greatest impact in the next iteration.
Final Design
After reviewing the feedback in our FigJam file and identifying what needed to be improved, my partner and I immediately began working on the next iteration. This marked the transition from low-fidelity concepts to what would become the high-fidelity version of the app. Our focus was on addressing usability issues while refining the visual design to create a more polished and realistic experience.
Final Design
After reviewing the feedback in our FigJam file and identifying what needed to be improved, my partner and I immediately began working on the next iteration. This marked the transition from low-fidelity concepts to what would become the high-fidelity version of the app. Our focus was on addressing usability issues while refining the visual design to create a more polished and realistic experience.
Further testing and moving forward
Further testing and moving forward
Hi-Fi Testing
Once the high-fidelity prototype was complete, we tested it with users and again received mixed results. The most significant issues centered around clarity. Many participants were unsure which buttons were actually clickable, and several struggled to understand how to notify the app that they were leaving their parking spot. Both of these were critical functions for the experience. Despite these challenges, users were still able to complete their assigned tasks quickly and efficiently, which showed that the overall flow was strong but the interface needed clearer interaction cues.
Hi-Fi Testing
Once the high-fidelity prototype was complete, we tested it with users and again received mixed results. The most significant issues centered around clarity. Many participants were unsure which buttons were actually clickable, and several struggled to understand how to notify the app that they were leaving their parking spot. Both of these were critical functions for the experience. Despite these challenges, users were still able to complete their assigned tasks quickly and efficiently, which showed that the overall flow was strong but the interface needed clearer interaction cues.
Moving Forward
After reviewing the feedback in our FigJam file and identifying what needed to be improved, my partner and I immediately began working on the next iteration. This marked the transition from low-fidelity concepts to what would become the high-fidelity version of the app. Our focus was on addressing usability issues while refining the visual design to create a more polished and realistic experience.
Moving Forward
After reviewing the feedback in our FigJam file and identifying what needed to be improved, my partner and I immediately began working on the next iteration. This marked the transition from low-fidelity concepts to what would become the high-fidelity version of the app. Our focus was on addressing usability issues while refining the visual design to create a more polished and realistic experience.
Reflection
This project contributed to my personal growth in several meaningful ways. The most notable being how to collaborate effectively with team members. I’m used to designing in a vacuum, producing most of my work independently. I had started to feel burnt out because of it. This project came at the perfect time and reminded me how enjoyable designing interfaces can be when working with like-minded individuals with a shared passion.
Beyond collaboration, the project reinforced the critical importance of testing. While pursuing my M.S. in UX, I had repeatedly been taught that testing is essential. While I always agreed, this was the first project that fully opened my eyes to just how much testing can influence and improve the user experience. Seeing the impact firsthand showed me that no matter how polished a design looks, it is the user feedback and iteration that make it genuinely effective.
Reflection
This project contributed to my personal growth in several meaningful ways. The most notable being how to collaborate effectively with team members. I’m used to designing in a vacuum, producing most of my work independently. I had started to feel burnt out because of it. This project came at the perfect time and reminded me how enjoyable designing interfaces can be when working with like-minded individuals with a shared passion.
Beyond collaboration, the project reinforced the critical importance of testing. While pursuing my M.S. in UX, I had repeatedly been taught that testing is essential. While I always agreed, this was the first project that fully opened my eyes to just how much testing can influence and improve the user experience. Seeing the impact firsthand showed me that no matter how polished a design looks, it is the user feedback and iteration that make it genuinely effective.