Product Sense: How would you improve Google Maps?

When I came across this prompt, I knew I'd have a great time thinking through it. With my rather average sense of direction, Google Maps has been my trusted co-pilot on most expeditions. For the most part, it has helped guide me on a smooth ride to my destination; but there have been quite a few—er, turbulent—moments (cue annoyance, frustration and even some angry typing).

So, here's stepping into the shoes of a product manager at Google and ideating a feature.

Clarifying questions

Have any specific user pain points been uncovered already that we're tasked with addressing? Any area/feature to be worked on?
Do we have a rough timeline and budget to work within?
Is there any specific product or business metric we're trying to target; user acquisition, engagement, retention, revenue, etc?

If we don't have precise answers to the above questions and can approach things flexibly, exploring some user personas and their pain points might be a good start.

User personas and pain points

Murthy: a digital maps novice and/or sceptic

Age: 61y | Resides in: a town in Telangana | Profession: retired bank employee

Though Google Maps has found widespread adoption and has established itself as a de-facto map most folks turn to, there are still user demographics that may not use the app—or any digital map—at all, or maybe use it very sparingly. I'm bunching these to form the first user persona. In short, this user may prefer getting directions from someone rather than using a digital map.

Problems this user likely faces:-
- they view digital maps with a certain level of distrust.
- they find it difficult to use or overwhelming.
Sneha: An active Google Maps user; intra-city everyday use, road trips and more

Age: 24y | Resides in: Hyderabad | Profession: small-time entrepreneur and part-time delivery partner for a food delivery platform

This user hails from the group that comprises all users who regularly use Google Maps (at least once a month, perhaps), albeit with differing frequency. Considering this is a large and diverse group, it might be prudent to segment it further. For the moment though, I would like to identify some general pain points this user persona might encounter, for example.

Accuracy of information (erroneous marking of locations, misleading reviews).
Ambiguity in instructions while navigating.
Privacy concerns, especially given the allure of alternatives promising a mindful experience.

Analyzing user groups, and deciding which pain point(s) to pick and address through a new feature:

"Novices and sceptics": can help make inroads into a brand-new demographic and result in user acquisition. But this also means it could be an uphill task, driving adoption from scratch; user acquisition cost would have to be looked into more deeply to assess the risk.

"Active users": sizable group and any value-adds are likely to pay off. However, addressing an issue such as misleading reviews, incorrectly marked places and boosting reliability, in general, may involve a greater amount of technical research and expertise.

Potential Solution: A "My Maps" tab, redesigning and amping the existing "You" tab.

Currently, the "You" tab houses the various "lists" that a user can create, of places on the map they wish to "save".

Though useful in its current form, here's an idea that I believe can unlock its true potential, and even, perhaps, aid in better navigation. Here are the key changes and additions this new and improved tab ("My Maps") would include:-

Support annotations (maybe even notes to self?) and colour-coded marking of roads, in addition to points of interest.
Offer a UI overlay to display these points of interest and routes, while in navigation mode. This can be placed as an additional choice, alongside the various options already present under "Map details" (options currently include highlighting "Public transport", "Traffic", "Bicycling", etc.). Additionally, allow users to optionally toggle and blur out the generic map, focusing only on their custom pins and annotations, besides the highlighted route for this trip.
Next, let's upgrade the "Save trip" feature that currently allows users to save a route under the "You" tab. Users should now be able to save a trip similarly; but while doing so, have the chance to add their custom markings: pick from their pre-existing list of custom pins and annotations, or add new ones just for this trip.
Finally, a low-effort feature: allow users to quickly share these custom views/trips with others, as a static image.
Finally, here's another fun aspect that can be built in: Google Maps can drop pins on locations and colour-code routes the user has been on, generating a heat map of sorts indicating how widely they've travelled. This would need the user's permission, however, and should be mindful of tracking user movements and storing them (hey, nothing the app doesn't do already? 👀). I've called it "Map of a lifetime". Dramatic much?

Here's a visualization:

So.. how can this help?

Together, these features nestled under "My maps" should enable you to

Understand, at a glance, the route in terms of landmarks you already know and roads you're already familiar with. It's your own frame of reference of sorts. After all, it's the way many of us understand a route when it is first presented to us.
Consequently, it becomes easy to check how points of interest are spread out. Could help users combine trips. "Which of two similar routes suggested should I rather pick?"- well, now you might have more information at a glance to help you decide.
Have as minimal and bare-bones a map as you need. No clutter.

Remember the map we drew our friend as a kid, to explain the way to our home?
Easily and quickly share this generated view with anyone to explain a route, assisted with custom annotations.
Back in the (good or bad, your pick)-old-times, a well-worn physical map was the pride of a seasoned traveller, standing as a testament to their many voyages. This feature could offer something similar to Google Maps' active users.

Summary

Enabling users to create customized, streamlined views and share them with others, including newcomers, can enhance ease of use and support onboarding for new users.

By encouraging personalization and allowing custom annotations, the app can foster greater engagement and motivate users to build a consistent history within the platform, especially as competitors gain traction.

Therefore, redesigning the "You" tab can achieve two key objectives:

Simplifying navigation for first-time users.
Increasing engagement for experienced users.

Challenges and risks

Validation

Revamping an entire tab with multiple sub-features is quite the task, so it will surely require solid validation. A focus group may help answer important questions such as: do first-time users think simplified views with custom landmarks can break their ice with digital navigation? Does the concept of personal, annotated maps to track their travels excite seasoned users?

User experience and interface

A chance to create a minimal navigation interface is something this idea promises. But the user journey in realizing this must be simple too. Mapping the entire user journey end-to-end is critical, and so is ensuring effective user interface design.