Google Maps vs Waze : the battle.
Because I’m spending a lot of time in my car dropping the kids off to school, activities, going shopping, going to my clients , my GPS app is one of the most crucial functions on my phone. Google Maps and Waze are by far my two most popular navigation apps and if they are both owned by the same company, they take two very different approaches to navigation and they have two different styles of UX/UI design.
- Waze is a turn-by-turn navigation app that focuses on a social network where drivers can share information about accidents, police officers, road closures, and more. It is solely for navigation by car.
- Google Maps is much more akin to a traditional map, has a variety of transportation options, and is packed with additional information about businesses, monuments, and everything else you’re used to seeing in a map app.
1. Round 1: Visual Design
Waze’s visual design :
· Waze’s design is “fun” with quirkier icons
· There are only 2 essential colors : blue and white. The pattern made with those colors makes it easy to read the different kinds of features proposed.
. The “login” button’s font is really too small and alone in a corner.
Google Maps’ visual Design :
· Google maps is a great example of simplicity and works very well. The principal design element on the homepage is a gorgeous map.
. It has only 4 buttons, one in each corner of the page and there is no need for more information.
. The visual design is not very sexy but it does its work.
2. Round 2 : UX Design
Waze’s UX design :
· It is a traditional turn-by-turn navigation interface that looks a lot like a GPS unit. Everybody has already use a GPS so users are not lost with this kind of interface (picture on the left).
. Even if icons are fun, it’s a bit harder at first to understand what all of the icons stand for (picture in the middle).
. When users search around the map, it’s just roads. Nothing but roads. Users need to pop into the search menu (not very easy when you are driving) to find a parking, for example (picture on the right).
. Google Maps’ UX Design :
. It is a very intuitive design, easy to use because the users don’t have a lot of options: sign in, directions, zoom in/out or switch to the satellite version (picture on the left).
. On Google maps’ interface the users can see what places you might find while you’re in route, like restaurants and hotels (picture in the middle).
. Navigation options are easy to read and understand( picture on the right)
3. And the winner is….
If we are just looking at the UX and UI design, downloading either Waze or Google Maps depends only on the user’s personal choice. Even if these two applications have a very different UX design, they fulfill the same purpose successfully : driving you from a point A to a point B.
