Navigating Navigation with Google Maps
If you have any kind of smart phone, you’ve likely used Google Maps to get you from Point A to Point B. I have an iPhone 8+ and, while I gave Apple Maps the good ol’ college try, Google Maps far outshines Apple’s pre-loaded version. I’m hungry and it’s dinner time, so I’m going to deconstruct how a Chicago resident might go about getting the best burger in the city (it’s from Au Cheval, don’t @ me).

My phone has three navigation apps: Ventra (for all things Chicago public transit), Lyft (sorry, Uber fans), and Google Maps. In this user flow, I’m interested in finding my way to Au Cheval’s greasy, aromatic goodness. So, I open the app and here’s what I see:

Google Maps offers two primary functionalities for users. The first, and the one that is relevant to this article, is a search for an already-identified destination. The second, as is depicted on the bottom half of the screen, is a search within the area — this feature is valuable to the user who is using Google Maps, rather than Yelp, to discover local spots. For our purposes, we’ll stick with the former example. I click “Search here” and am taken to the following screen:

Maps’ search pattern is a crucial part of the navigation process. Google Maps stores all your past searches, which is valuable for the user who needs to navigate back to the same place more than once. I think this is a brilliant edition, given that most people don’t remember a route after only driving, or being driven through, it once. Google also suggests other destinations that feature words in one’s search. If you’re someone that can’t quiiiiite remember then name of that restaurant, store, or street, this can be super helpful. Furthermore, Google has the option to access your contacts so you can route directly to your buddy’s house. All in all, I think the search pattern goes above and beyond for getting its user from Point A to Point B.
For this example’s purposes, I’m hoping to go to a restaurant that I haven’t searched for recently. I click Search and type in “au cheval.”

Google brings up all the relevant options based on the search query that I initiated. It’s a pretty specific French name, so my options are limited to the restaurant, Cheval Drive in Oak Brook (a Chicago suburb), or a general search for those words which, for the record, just sends you back to the restaurant. I click the first search result and am led here:

Google confirms that this is the location I’m looking for. Their features also include the ability to check out photos from the restaurant and read reviews provided by Google users. With this search result, I now know that I can go until 1:00am, pay a moderate amount, and arrive in 5 minutes, assuming I want to drive. From here, we have a fork in the road. I can either click “Start (5 min),” or, if I don’t have a car and need to travel by some other means, I can click the “Directions” button. This is perhaps my only critique of Google Maps — the “Directions” label doesn’t do a good job of conveying that they can also help you get to your destination by foot, by train, by bus, etc. For the sake of keeping this article linear, I’m going to click “Start (5 min).”

From this point, Google’s navigation takes over and provides step-by-step directions from my front door to Au Cheval’s. I can see exactly where my phone is, what street I’m on, when I need to anticipate my next turn, approximate distance and time to my destination, and the option to opt out if my plans change.
Overall, Google does a great job of streamlining the navigation process and providing additional information (like user reviews and pictures) that secondarily benefit the user’s mapping experience. Results are narrow and accurate, the interface is generally intuitive, and each page provides all relevant information for a trip. All in all, Google Maps has my continued vote!
