Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: There are certain groups of people that fall outside the boundary of my market. Those who fall outside of my market tend to be people who do not experience busy parking garages/parking lots or who enjoy their current solution to the issue.

•            Two people I had the opportunity to interviewed, attend a large university and enjoy the feel of the college town. Even though, they do have cars that they keep at school, they rarely have to face the issue of finding a parking spot as they enjoy walking everywhere. One explained that she only drove when she had to go far off campus and so she does not experience the issue very often and is therefore, unbothered by it. The second interviewee stated that walking around campus typically takes the same amount of time as driving would due to traffic. He also continued on to say that walking ensured he stayed healthy and he could more thoroughly enjoy his campus. Both interviewees agreed that my product would be helpful to those who find themselves driving more, but they do not have a need for it.
•       I also had the opportunity to interview a female and male who live off campus. The female explained that she finds taking the bus the best solution for her and would not use the display enough. The male who only lives about half a mile off campus states that when he does have to drive, he does not worry about finding a spot when he returns because he pays for a reserved parking spot, and finds it easier to walk when he is traveling through campus anyways. The male interviewee added that there is also the added risk that there are no empty parking spots in an area that has the display/app installed, and the display/app cannot fix the fact that there are more cars than spots.
•       The last interviewee stated that she lives in a small town and does not feel the need to go into the busy city often. She does recognize why and how parking garages/parking lots could be problems for many, but she personally does not experience the problem frequently enough to find a need for it. She also stated that the problem might save time for those who need it, but it might not help them focus on the road while driving through parking garages/parking lots as they may be paying more attention in getting to the empty parking spot they see on their display or app than they would be to other cars or people entering and exiting the lot.

What: Even though the product may help individuals be more efficient and save time in parking garages and parking lots, it may not be of help to the lack of focus in parking garages and parking lots as the last interviewee mentioned. The app/displays could create a more dangerous environment as drivers may be looking at their device while driving and could lead to accidents within the busy lots. In addition, another interviewee brought up a good point that the app could not completely fix the issue of parking as there is always the risk of there being more cars than spots, so there might be no open spots in a specific area, which would still be a problem for many drivers.

Why: I do not believe the need is any different, but rather, people enjoy their current solutions to address this need.

                           

                         Inside the Boundary

Who:   College students who drive on and off campus often

           
College students who do not have reserved parking spots

            Those who live in a busy area or travel to a busy are frequently

What:  To create a more efficient way to park in busy lots/garages
            
            To allow drivers to pay more attention to driving instead of frantically searching

Why:   There are too many drivers with cars in certain areas

            Parking garages/lots are not set up to easily see which spots are empty

There is not a constant flow of traffic entering and leaving the garage

          Outside the Boundary

Who:   College students who enjoy travelling by foot/bus

            College students who enjoy a reserved parking spot

            Those who live in a less populated area and do not travel to busier areas often

What:  To completely fix the frustrations of parking in a busy area

            To ensure their attention is fully on driving and not distracted by the app to arrive at the parking spot

Why:   Many people are driving when they could be walking

            People should be driving slower in lots/garages anyways

Some lots/garages are free so they may have more cars

Solving the Problem

In busy parking garages and parking lots, it is difficult for drivers to find an empty parking spot in a reasonable amount of time, while also paying full attention to the surroundings, because of the large number of cars and the limited amount of spaces. This is a significant unmet need as the number of drivers in today’s society is increasing and there are less and less empty spaces to park in. In addition, a driver might end up wasting quite a bit of time searching for a parking spot, and therefore may have to plan even to arrive somewhere earlier just to secure a parking spot.

Based on the present issue of parking, I believe that a real-time display should be installed into parking lots and parking garages that portray what spots are open. Along with that display, an app could be created as well to serve as a reminder to where empty spots are located and to direct a driver directly to the spot. In addition, the app will include features that would portray where other drivers are parking and what cars are headed where to ensure that two or more drivers are not wanting the same spot. This app can also have a partnership with parking lots and parking garages that require a fee to park, in which you can pay for a designated spot straight from the app. This would save the driver a lot of time and the parking lots and parking garages a lot of money as they would not have to worry about the kiosk or paying an employee to work in the booth. By connecting a real-time display with an app throughout busy parking lots and parking garages, it would create a more efficient system for those needing to park their car.