CarPark Locator

Cross-platform parking assistant for drivers

CarPark Locator is a map-first parking utility that helps drivers save where they parked, add quick context, and get back to the car through a fast mobile workflow supported by authentication, cloud sync, and a polished web layer.

Project type

Cross-platform utility product

Role

Full-stack developer

Year

2025

Scope

Product design, web experience, mobile workflow support, backend setup, auth flows, map integration, deployment

CarPark Locator portfolio banner with app screens for map, help, and quick actions across multiple device mockups

Mobile login screen with email/password fields, remember me, and Google sign-in

Mobile map view with quick parking actions and locate controls

Mobile help overlay showing save, navigate, clear, and locate actions

Summary

Built for

Drivers who park in unfamiliar streets, garages, event lots, or large parking areas and want a fast way to remember where the car is.

The problem

Forgetting where you parked is a small problem that creates immediate friction. If saving the location takes too much effort, users will abandon the tool and fall back to memory, screenshots, or messages.

Approach

CarPark Locator was designed as a narrow map-first utility: save one parking spot quickly, keep it tied to the user account, and make the return path immediate through recentering, note-taking, sharing, and navigation support.

Showcase story

CarPark Locator started as a tightly scoped utility idea and evolved into a fuller cross-platform product. The mobile experience remains the core workflow: users land on a map, save their current parking position, optionally attach a short note, and return later with direct navigation support.

The problem

Forgetting a parking spot is a small problem with outsized friction. The product has to be faster than the confusion moment itself, otherwise users fall back to screenshots, memory, or messages.

What I built

A map-first mobile app for saving, viewing, and returning to a parking spot
A short note attached to each saved parking location
Recentering to the current position or the saved car location, with directions back
Multiple map visual themes in the mobile app
Email/password and Google sign-in, with password recovery
Per-user data persistence and account details via Supabase
A public marketing website with product storytelling and FAQ content
A mobile-gated web app shell that mirrors the core save-and-return flow, with local caching for resilience

Design decisions

The map stays central because location context is the product itself. Instead of layering the screen with cards and controls, the interaction model stays compact and anchored around a few high-frequency actions. The project also intentionally avoids feature sprawl. Rather than expanding into broader car-management or travel features, it stays focused on one real-world user moment and builds a polished supporting system around it.

Under the hood

The mobile app is the product core, backed by Supabase for authentication and per-user data. The web layer supports discovery and mirrors the core flow through a mobile-gated app shell, with local caching as a fallback when connectivity drops.

Why it matters

This project signals:

Solving a concrete real-world problem outside standard dashboard/SaaS patterns
Cross-platform product thinking across mobile, web, backend, and auth
Scoped product strategy instead of feature sprawl
Implementation depth beyond visuals: sessions, permissions, sync, and location UX

Final positioning line

A cross-platform parking utility that turns a small everyday frustration into a fast, account-backed, map-first workflow.

Under the hood

The mobile app is the core product surface, built with React Native, while the web layer (React + TypeScript) handles marketing, authentication, and a mobile-gated app shell that mirrors the core save-and-return flow. Supabase provides auth and per-user data storage on both platforms, with local caching as a resilience fallback when connectivity drops.

React Native

Cross-platform mobile app experience

React + TypeScript

Web landing page and web app shell

Supabase

Auth, per-user data, and backend services for both platforms

Google Maps

Location display, geocoding, and navigation

Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui

Web design system

Local device caching

Offline resilience with sync back to the cloud