Oneshot
Parking App

Parking shouldn't be a problem

Urban parking is an unsolved pain point — drivers circle blocks, deal with confusing signage, and often pay more than expected. Oneshot set out to build an app that made the entire experience feel effortless: find a spot, book it ahead, pay and go.

The design challenge was reducing cognitive load at exactly the moment people are most stressed — navigating a busy city, already late.

Friction at every step

Existing parking apps asked users to search, compare, read fine print, and decide — all while driving. The flows were designed for desktops, not thumbs. Competitor analysis revealed a consistent pattern: too many choices, too much reading, and no reassurance that you've made the right call.

The target user was someone who valued their time and hated uncertainty. Every design decision was filtered through that lens.

Designing for the moment

User research focused on contextual interviews — speaking with daily commuters, occasional city visitors, and event-goers. The insight that shaped the entire design: people don't want to make decisions about parking, they want to confirm a decision they've already made in their head.

This reframing drove a significant change in IA: instead of presenting all options equally, the app would surface one clear recommendation based on destination and timing — with alternatives one tap away.

• Contextual interviews with 12 urban drivers across two cities
• Competitor teardowns of 6 existing parking and booking apps
• 5 rounds of prototype testing from low-fidelity to high-fidelity
• Accessibility review against WCAG 2.1 AA standards

One tap to parked

The final design centred around a map-first interface with an intelligent "best spot" recommendation surfaced immediately on open. Booking was reduced to three taps: confirm spot, confirm time, pay. No account creation required for first use.

The visual design leaned into clarity — high contrast, large targets, and a progress indicator that kept users anchored to where they were in the flow, even if they backgrounded the app.

Validated and ready

In usability testing, first-time users completed the booking flow in under 45 seconds. The previous platform averaged over 3 minutes for the same task.

• Sub-45 second booking flow validated in user testing
• Zero instances of "lost" state in navigation during testing
• Accessibility review passed at WCAG 2.1 AA level