📈 Designing the History & Graph Insights Page

Part of the SmartParkSD Project

🎯 Purpose of the Page

Parking patterns repeat—but only if you know where to look.
The History & Graph Insights Page helps users understand trends in parking availability and usage over time, so they can plan smarter trips. Whether you’re trying to park on a busy Thursday night or avoid weekend rush hours, this page makes the data speak.

🧱 Page Goals & Core Features

🧠 What should this page do?

✅ Show historical meter usage and availability
✅ Break down trends by hour, day, and location
✅ Allow filtering by date range, zone, or meter
✅ Provide visual charts (line, bar, heatmap)
✅ Offer quick insights: peak hours, quietest times
✅ Support mobile viewing with responsive graphs
✅ Provide export/share options for power users

✍️ Design Breakdown

📅 1. Date & Time Range Picker

Function:
Let users select a timeframe to analyze.

Design Elements:

Calendar picker (start & end date)
Dropdown for time granularity (hourly, daily, weekly)
“Last 7 days” / “Last month” shortcuts

Why It Matters:
Users need flexibility to explore both recent patterns and longer-term behaviors.

🗺️ 2. Location Filter

Function:
Narrow results by zone, neighborhood, or specific meter.

Design Elements:

Search bar for address or meter ID
Dropdown list of predefined zones
Optional: map-select feature to draw a custom area

Why It Matters:
Parking is hyper-local. Showing trends where the user actually parks makes insights actionable.

📊 3. Insights Dashboard (Main Visual Section)

Function:
Display availability trends through clear, interactive charts.

Graph Types:

Line Graph – Show availability over hours/days
Bar Chart – Compare usage between weekdays
Heatmap – Visualize average demand by hour vs. day
Histogram – Distribution of parked durations (if available)

Additional Features:

Hover for tooltips (e.g., “77% occupied on Wed @ 2PM”)
Toggle different meters or zones on/off
Annotations like “Holiday” or “Event” to explain anomalies

Why It Matters:
A glance should reveal: when is it quiet? When is it chaos?
Data → visual → insight.

💡 4. Summary Insights Box

Function:
Give users a quick, written summary of trends.

Examples:

“Tuesdays between 9–11 AM have the highest availability in Zone B.”
“Parking fills up quickly after 4PM on Fridays near Gaslamp.”
“This meter is typically 80% full by 10AM on weekdays.”

Why It Matters:
Not everyone is a chart-reader. Natural language helps more users act on insights.

Function:
Allow users to save or share the insights.

Features:

Export chart as PNG or CSV
“Copy Insight Summary” to clipboard
Shareable link with saved filters (e.g., for commuters, planners)

Why It Matters:
Useful data becomes more valuable when it’s portable.

🔐 Optional: Logged-In Features

When a user is authenticated:

⭐ Save custom chart views or meter comparisons
📬 Get email notifications for low-demand time windows
📜 Track personal parking history and correlate with trends

🛠️ Technical Considerations

Component	Tech Used
Charting Library	Chart.js or Recharts (React-based)
UI Framework	Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS
Data Source	SmartParkSD historical API / DB
Filtering Logic	React state + query parameters
Export Feature	HTML2Canvas / FileSaver.js

🧪 Mobile-First Focus

Designed with touch and scroll interactions in mind:

Graphs resize for small screens
Filter controls stack vertically
Summary box floats above scrollable content
Export options tucked into dropdown menus

🎯 Success Criteria

✅ Users can clearly see how parking demand changes by time
✅ Trends are visible and meaningful at a glance
✅ Filters and charts are intuitive and fast
✅ Page is helpful for both daily drivers and city planners
✅ Data feels alive—not static or overwhelming

🏁 Final Thoughts

The History & Graph Insights Page closes the loop for SmartParkSD.
It empowers users with hindsight—and foresight—so parking becomes a matter of choice, not chance.

Past data. Present clarity. Future confidence.