Google Maps is one of the leading navigation tools for people worldwide. However, users are sometimes frustrated that it doesn’t always provide the best routes and times to their destination. Some even use other GPS apps in conjunction with Google Maps in order to access better data and tools so that they can save time.
I redesigned Google Maps by adding new features to the app. The app allows users to predict traffic times, plan and save routes in advance, instantly change routes when they are directed to closed roads, and get customized navigation for HOV lanes. These improvements help users be more efficient with their time and where they need to go.
UX redesign
Jump to PrototypeI began the project by seeking personal anecdotes and looking at reviews in app stores in order to understand users’ experiences, pain points, and needs with Google Maps.
After gathering my research, I identified four key features that would improve the user experience of the app. I created a chart of the features and wrote user stories highlighting when people would use them. This served as a gut check throughout the process to make sure that the new designs were addressing these stories.
Because Google Maps is used by people all over the world, I wanted to make sure that the new features could be widely used as well. I created three very different personas that have different needs, but that are common among the majority of users. These personas and their scenarios helped inform the rest of the design process.
To figure out how and where to add the new features, I walked through the entire app to understand the information architecture and user flow that already exists. I learned that Google Maps’s sitemap is highly complex, but the user experience is very simple and intuitive.
I created a sitemap of the current app and then determined the best, most intuitive places to add the features in. I wanted to add the new features in the app without completely changing the structure that users are already familiar with. Shown below is a simplified version of Google Maps sitemap. The highlighted areas indicate where changes are made and new features are added.
Referring to the personas and the sitemap, I studied the app’s architecture and screen layouts in order to create a logical and intuitive user flow for the new features. Then I designed wireframes with the new features added while adhering to Google's Material Design guidelines.
The challenging part of this project was to figure out how to implement the features without changing too much of the existing app architecture while maintaining the seamless user experience. As a widely used app across the world, it was important to implement the changes without disrupting the experience that users have come to expect.
From this project, I learned a lot about Google's Material design system and its guidelines. By using existing resources and tools, I can apply the learnings into future design projects.