User Experience of Location based tracking services
A Study of Google Maps
What are Location based tracking services?
Location based tracking services (LBS) are software services that use geographic data and information to provide services and information to the users. Some commonly used examples of location based services include navigation software, social networking services, location based advertising and tracking systems. Real-time locating systems allows you to track your location in a specific context or even track other computational devices. (Source: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5386-location-based-services.html)
Google Maps
Google Maps — service which is on all of our mobile devices, a we cannot live without today is perfect example of a location based tracking service. Starting from discovering routes to a particular place, real time traffic situation while travelling to finding a perfect restaurant to dine at the end of the day, we are heavily dependent on maps no matter which part of the world we are in.
As most us know, the primary function of Google Maps is navigation. The secondary functions include features such as Timeline, Recommendations, Contributions and Live location tracking, are explained further below.
Navigation:
- Real-time GPS navigation and traffic data.
- Shows you the ideal route, traffic condition, mode of transport available and time taken to reach your destination.
Timeline:
- Timeline enables the user to see where they have travelled through out the day, the mode of transport taken and time spent at each location.
- The user can even go back to the past and have a look at where he had been and so on.
Recommendations:
- Google maps give the user on the go location specific recommendations for restaurants, petrol bunks, banks, hospitals, hotels, pharmacies etc
- Easily accessible — readily available.
Contributions:
- Enables the user to rate or give a review for the places that they have visited.
- Contributes to the overall rating and reviews displayed when searched for on Google.
Live Location Sharing:
- Enables the user to share their live location to friends and family instantly.
- Provides real time tracking that can be shared over WhatsApp, Messenger, mail or SMS.
User Research
In depth interviews with users to collect qualitative data about User Experience with the Google Maps services.
Aim of Research:
- If they are aware that their location is constantly being tracked. If yes, then what do they feel about it?
- Understand data & privacy concerns of the users.
- Are location based features (mentioned above) really of any help? Is it really needed?
- The experience of being tracked, how can it be improved?
The data collected was analyzed and used to create User Personas and Scenarios.
Research Findings
- Findings classified based on the age of the user —
- Findings classified based on Operating System (OS) used by the user —
User Personas
A set of two personas were created from the data analysed.
User Persona & Scenario — 1:
User Persona & Scenario — 2:
Inferences
- Users are not aware to what extent they are being tracked and what is the reason, data and privacy policies.
- Too many steps/ long procedure to reach the setting for switching on/off location tracking on google account.
- Naming of buttons and privacy setting not easily understood by all users. Too much to read to understand and follow.
Opportunities
- More handy buttons to switch location tracking on/off on Maps instantly, avoiding the long procedure of finding the settings and switching it on/off.
- People could be made aware right at the beginning about their location being tracked and also the extent to which they are tracked — less shock later when notifications/ timeline show up.
Theme level interventions can be further explored by looking at Data and Privacy Controls across the Google Account platform as one single entity, bringing them to the surface so that the controls are more easily accessible by the user. They can be made more aware of the power they hold in controlling their data and privacy.
The Iceberg Model
The Iceberg Model typically identifies four basic levels to situations. Events, which represent the manifest components and actions observable to us. The patterns of behavior beneath this describe trends over time. System structure describes how the parts are interrelated to influence the patterns. Finally, the mental models that support everything else in the system through a set of beliefs, values, and assumptions shaping people’s perception. (Source: https://systemsinnovation.io/iceberg-model-explained/)
Further, applying this model of Systems Thinking, the following events, patterns, structures and metal models were explored to further the study of Google Maps services along the lines of data and privacy.
Event 1 — Navigation:
Event 2 — Receiving Notification:
Comparison between Design Research & Iceberg Model Insights
Thoughts on Design Research and Iceberg model
- Design research is more of a surface study about the topic with the user as the center of focus, to obtain valid qualitative/ quantitative data, enabling us the designer to understand problems, opportunities etc.
- Iceberg model is dependent on the design research. The events, patterns and mental models are obtained from data obtained from design research.
- The model allows us to view the topic through different parts as events and go deeper by looking at the patterns, structure and mental model, it allows us to view the topic from part to whole as a system of interrelated components.
- It gives a detailed reasoning to our insights obtained from design research and validates them. It looks a the entire system with the user as a stakeholder and not the center of focus.
- Design research can be seen as a step which come prior to the iceberg model.
- Similarities/differences between scenarios (from design research) and events (from iceberg model):
- Scenario is more action based, looks as the process and the outcome in the form of emotions (+ve/-ve) once the action is performed.
- Event is something that happens to the user or it could be an action as well. Iceberg model give an insight into the experience of the event in a hierarchical model. Helps us understand the mindset of the user which leads to emotions. (+ve/-ve).
What’s next?
The next step would be to understand the data and privacy controls across the Google Account as a system and go deeper into the granular level by looking at buttons, naming, text, Gestalt principles etc. This would help in making list of requirements for solution based design interventions.
