The Assumptions That Led to the Failure of Google+
One of the most disastrous failures in the tech world in the past decade was that of Google+. Launched in 2011 during the height of Facebook’s disruption of social interaction on the web and mobile, Google+ was trying to snatch back some of the market for themselves. Unfortunately, their lack of solid user research led to the creation of a product that users did not resonate with, leading to its failure. In fact, engagement was so low, it’s said that 90% of Google+ user sessions ended in just seconds according to this autopsy on why it failed. Ouch.
Looking at this from a UX Design perspective, the creation of Google+ undoubtedly started with the panic that Facebook was taking too much of Google’s market share. Everyone and their mother was using and engaging with Facebook on the daily. However, instead of gaining a deep understanding of potential Google social media users and their needs, there were several incorrect assumptions that were likely made, leading to this failure.
Assumption #1: To combat Facebook, the solution should be to replicate a similar platform.
Google+ was launched with a very similar platform to Facebook’s. Users could post content, videos, or pictures with a blurb of text, and others could comment or like (they called it +1) the content. Users could connect with others and form “circles” — like virtual cliques — that they could share things with. Sounds pretty familiar, right? There just weren’t enough features differentiating it from Facebook to make it enticing.
Assumption #2: Users will either leave Facebook or join a second social network.
With everyone’s friends and family already fully integrated on Facebook, there really was no reason for users to switch to, or add Google+ to the mix. On the contrary, Instagram has done so well because it offers a unique platform that focuses on photography content and a robust discovery page. If Google had really tested this assumption, they likely would have found that users would ultimately not be enticed to switch or add a network like Google+ to their lives.
Assumption #3: The platform doesn’t need to have a unique identity, it can just be an added feature to the Google suite.
Google+ was invite-only for a very short period, then they opened the floodgates to basically anyone with a Gmail account. It was just an added-on feature in the Google suite, which includes other helpful tools like maps, calendar, docs, etc. that help users organize and plan out their lives. This assumption neglected the user’s need for a unique community on social media. Users just didn’t feel the connection to Google+, which imported many of their Gmail contacts — not exactly their close friends and family that Facebook already contained.
If the Google design team had properly validated these assumptions early in the discovery process, they likely would have found that a replica of Facebook was not the ideal solution given the users’ needs. They should have instead uncovered gaps in the social media experience and filled those with a new product. This wasn’t their first snafu with a failed product, and likely will not be their last. Hopefully it led to some good learnings that generative user research is essential in the discovery process, or you might be solving the wrong problem, and ignoring a real opportunity to create something that will change lives.
