Redesigning Google Maps

As a student UX/UI designer, our challenge entailed selecting an established app for a redesign. I chose Google Maps, an impressive creation born from years of development expertise in Silicon Valley. Despite my limited four-week experience, I approached the app with a critical eye, ready to provide valuable suggestions to enhance the UX/UI experience and transform the platform as part of our assignment.

Honestly, the task felt somewhat intimidating, considering the app’s robust foundation. However, I accepted the challenge with enthusiasm, embracing the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Tools: Fima (+Figjam), Illustrator, Photoshop

Duration: 4 days

Deliverables: High -Fi prototype and presentation.

Problem/ Heuristic analysis:

During this case study, one thing that really intrigued me was how easily we can overlook the flaws in well-established apps. It’s like living in a city for so long that you become blind to its nuances and just accept things as they are. The same happened with my use of Google Maps — it had become a habit without questioning if there were ways to make it even better.

Upon critical analysis, I identified two key issues with Google Maps’ design:

Information Overload: The app overwhelms users with too much information, losing its personal touch. Important details often get buried amidst a flood of restaurants, saved places, and a bunch of other information. It feels like too much to take in, making the user experience confusing and cluttered.

User Control: Google Maps lacks the flexibility to hide unnecessary information, leaving users with a surplus of irrelevant details. For example, why should someone living in a flat city like Amsterdam require terrain map options or information about hiking trails?

Interviews:

To ensure the accuracy of my findings, I reached out to fellow users to gather their insights on the challenges encountered when using Google Maps for navigating European cities. I conducted a series of four interviews, seeking valuable perspectives from individuals who had firsthand experience with the app in this specific context.

The most striking correlation among all interviewees was their desire for a more holistic navigation experience. While Google Maps typically prioritizes the quickest route, users expressed a preference for routes that offered interesting sights, safety, and scenic beauty. When exploring new cities, they would willingly choose a longer route with captivating landmarks rather than a congested, fast-paced road teeming with traffic.

These valuable user insights highlighted the need to address issues of accuracy, readability, and consideration for route preferences. Armed with these findings, I set out to propose design solutions that would enhance the overall experience of navigating European cities using Google Maps.

How we might be?
A crucial question surfaced in my mind: Why doesn’t Google leverage its wealth of user data and location information to provide personalized navigation routes for tourists who prefer exploration over reaching their destination as quickly as possible?

Considering Google’s extensive knowledge of user needs and the vast repository of data on various locations, it struck me as an untapped opportunity. The potential to offer tailored routes that align with users’ preferences for discovery and immersion seemed within reach. By curating routes that showcase interesting sights, hidden gems, and unique experiences, Google Maps could elevate the navigation experience for adventurous tourists.

This realization served as a catalyst, motivating me to explore design possibilities that would infuse a personalized touch into Google Maps’ navigation capabilities. By integrating user preferences and leveraging the wealth of location-based information, the app could become a trusted companion for travellers, enabling them to embark on enriching journeys while effortlessly reaching their intended destinations. The question I came to mind:

How we might help travelers navigate from point A to point B through the most captivating route tailored to their specific interests?

Existing design Clone:

I embarked on the task of dissecting the Google Maps app, aiming to unravel its colour schemes, content hierarchy, and overall navigational experience. The app, being an expansive platform catering to numerous purposes, currently offers a visually overwhelming experience. From the multitude of pins on the map to the abundance of buttons and chips, it becomes apparent that there is an excess of visual elements.

Visual competitive analysis:

The strength of Waze lies in its laser-focused approach to serving a specific user group: drivers. The user interface design of Waze is meticulously crafted to prioritize the needs and preferences of drivers. The app adopts a clean and intuitive layout that minimises distractions, enabling users to easily navigate through the interface while on the road.The app’s additional features, such as locating competitive gas stations or nearby dining options accessible by car, are all tailored to the driving experience. This targeted approach results in a cohesive and effective design.

A similar observation applies to Kommot, the user interface shines through its visual appeal, simplicity, customization options, and community integration. By catering specifically to outdoor enthusiasts and delivering an immersive, intuitive experience, Kommoot sets a high standard in user interface design within the realm of outdoor navigation apps.

When comparing the user-centric design of Waze and Kommot to Google Maps, the latter feels more like a Swiss Army knife, attempting to cater to every possible use case without excelling in any particular domain. This realization sparked my ambition to reimagine the app’s design, tailoring it to the unique requirements of tourists.

By leveraging the strengths of Waze and Kommot, I aimed to create a refined user experience that would enhance the navigation journey for travelers, aligning the app’s features precisely with their needs and preferences.

Mood board and Style Tile

My objective was to simplify the user interface of Google maps. To achieve this, I revisited my interviews to understand the key needs of tourists when exploring a new city. The most crucial use of Google Maps is helping users navigate unfamiliar areas and discover new locations effortlessly, regardless of language barriers or potential safety concerns. Walking or cycling are the preferred modes of exploration, as public transportation can be complicated in a foreign language and involve ticket purchasing.

Additionally, users rely on Google Maps to find dining options and visit iconic landmarks within the city. However, for this exercise, I decided to focus primarily on addressing the navigation need. With this in mind, I aimed to declutter the interface and create a clean, minimalist design for Google Maps.

Regarding color choices, I opted for dark turquoise, greenish-white, and light green as primary colors. These hues convey professionalism and trust, crucial characteristics when traveling abroad. They also evoke a sense of calmness, promoting a tranquil and relaxed user experience.

For the font selection, I chose Montserrat as it exemplifies clean and modern design. Its well-balanced letterforms and geometric shapes contribute to a professional and polished aesthetic. Furthermore, Montserrat is a versatile font that ensures consistency across different platforms, making it suitable for both headings and body text throughout the app.

High Fidelity:

Upon launching the app, you are welcomed by a revamped Google Maps logo, and you find yourself on the map, centered on your current location. The map interface appears clean, displaying only essential information relevant to someone exploring a new city.

Next, you encounter four main options: saved locations, sightseeing, places to eat, and destination. In the “destination” feature, you can input your desired location. The app promptly presents you with the fastest route. However, if you activate the “touring” toggle button, the tourist map algorithm generates alternative routes based on your selected interests from the “discover” section.

When you come across a potential route with intriguing sightseeing opportunities, you have the option to request an alternate route if the initial suggestion doesn’t pique your interest.

Next steps:

• Usability Testing: Conduct user tests to gain insights into page navigation and flow.
• Refinement: Enhance the UX/UI based on feedback received from the high-fidelity prototype.
• Expand Functionality: Currently, my focus has been on improving navigation from point A to point B. However, it would be beneficial to enhance the overall user experience by incorporating features that allow users to explore monuments and restaurants directly from the home page.

Final thoughts:

This exercise revealed a valuable insight: even established products can be enhanced. Initially, I wondered how to improve something extensively tested and researched over the years. However, upon closer examination, I discovered that Google Maps holds numerous opportunities for improvement. Despite its long-standing presence and my years of personal usage, I had stopped questioning its product. Yet, once I began interviewing users and delving into their challenges, it became clear that there is always room for improvement.