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The problem was the lack of a streamlined process for tourists or newcomers to explore local attractions or dining options efficiently using Google Maps. Users often found themselves overwhelmed with choices and wasted time sifting through reviews and recommendations. The envisioned solution aimed to simplify this process by introducing a "Guided Tours" feature, offering curated tours compiled by locals to guide users through specific experiences within an area.
There were two problems:- Users faced difficulty efficiently exploring new places, and locals lacked a platform to share their curated experiences effectively. The business and product outcome I was hoping for was to enhance user engagement and satisfaction with Google Maps while providing locals with a platform to showcase their pre-made tours and enrich the overall user experience.
I added a feature that enables you to search for a specific experience, be it food or attractions in the area you are exploring.
This experience would be in the form of pre-made tours compiled by locals and guiding you to specific experiences within a given area. You will search for example:- a tour of “Beaches in orange county” and you will get pre-made tours of different beaches to check out based on the area you are in.
The “Guided Tours” feature adds efficiency and a much more compelling experience for the end users looking to explore or learn about a new place.
UX Design UI Design
UX Researcher, UI/UX Designer
Figma, Illustrator
Primary Research
Secondary Research
Personas
User Flows
Wireframes
Visual Design
I began by looking for potential users who were:-
1. People who use google maps before they visit a place or business to check for reviews.
2. People who like posting reviews and recommendations on google maps
I interviewed 7 locals who like showing people around their local area and 5 users from different regions who like to learn more about the new area they visit.
These two different user cases covered two sides of the problem and helped me tremendously to discover their needs and pain points.
I conducted quantitative research by interviewing two different user groups: locals and non-locals. The selection process for interviewees was based on their usage of Google Maps. I aimed to find users that used google maps to find recommendations and users who actively post reviews about activities and destinations. I chose quantitative research because it enabled me to ask more questions which helped me uncover a wide range of user needs, their pain points, and expectations.
Research Findings:-
My findings after conducting quantitative data include:-
-Users who enjoy finding places to visit or see base their decisions on the reviews left by others.Reviews are subjective as they are based on personal experience.
-The user has to rely on the majority opinion to make a decisionUsers usually go online to search for recommendations and places to visit in a given ares as google maps does not have a feature that can provide such.
-When a user wants to share their knowledge and recommendation about places with their friends and family, they usually share google map locations on text message and explanations about different details.
-Some users leave reviews so that they can remember details about a location or restaurant for next time they want to go.
-Some users like to leave reviews because they want to participate in the local guide levels where the more you post the higher you rise in the level
From my interview synthesis , I was able to create two personas and their user flows. One is The Explorer, who like to discover experiences from a locals perspective. The other is The Creator, who is a local and likes to create guided tour for explorers to use and enjoy.
User Flows for the Explorer and the Creator.
After researching Google Maps and defining my personas, the next step was to create the lo-fidelity wireframes to plan out the screens for the experience. I made sure to follow all of Google’s UI Design Patterns throughout my process.
I made two flows, one for the explorer persona and the other for the creator persona.
Iteration 1
I conducted User testing with 5 users using Maze and observed how they interacted with the app. During testing, I found that users were getting confused by the transition from 'Create Guided Tours' to Enter First Location. I identified the problem to be that, it was not intuitive for the user to click 'Create Guided Tours' and the first screen they see is 'Enter First Location'
I decided to change the flow to ensure that it made more sense to the user by starting with 'Choosing a Name for the tour'
I conducted User testing with 5 users and observed how they interacted with the app and where there was need for iteration.
Iteration 2
During testing, some users expressed their dissatisfaction by the way their post order was after selecting all the locations. They attempted to go back and redo the location search in the order that they wanted the posts to appear. They did not know that they could change post order in the next step.
There was no clear communication that it was possible in the coming steps.I made the change by clearly stating on the screen that the post order is possible in the next step.
After the iterations, quantitative data from more user testing sessions showed a significant reduction in user confusion and increased satisfaction with the revised user flows. Qualitative feedback indicated improved usability and appreciation for the intuitive design. These improvements contributed to a more engaging and enjoyable user experience, aligning with the desired outcomes of the project.
After creating all of the screens in Figma, I then ensured the experience of going through the entire new Feature made sense and was intuitive. The following video demonstrates the workflows.
A challenging part of adding the “Guided Tours” Feature was ensuring that the experience felt intuitive within the main flow of Google Maps.
In order to integrate a new feature into an existing system, I had to study the user flow and different functions of features that already exist. This is different from designing a new app from scratch.
Example below:- Using the scroll feature that is used to find 'Restaurant Categories' in find Guided tour categories.
I learned valuable insights that emphasized the importance of designing a flow that is intuitive to allow room for users to learn as they interact with the new feature.
-That sometimes, guiding users through specific tasks can minimize frustrations and confusion.