Google Maps Trails

concept feature-add

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Responsibilites

UX design, secondary research, usability testing, wireframing, and prototyping for iOS

Tools

Figma, FigJam, Notion

Target User

Adventurers and Explorers

Timeline

2 weeks

Problem Statement

Throughout the pandemic, we turned to the great outdoors to stretch our limbs without coming across other people. As we continue to adjust our lives with the virus, the desire to continue exploring new adventures remains. Google Maps is one of the top resources to locate and navigate to a trailhead. However, there is no information about any of the tail routes. We are left to our own resources to research the trail's route, length, conditions and difficulty level. 

What if we were able to research and explore new trails in the same app we already use for GPS navigation?

To answer this question, I dived into my research within the hiking community. 

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Mount Rainier National Park

Design Process

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User Survey

To gain insights into the lives of hikers, I reached out to the hiking subreddit community and received responses from 27 individuals who regularly hike.

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Hiking subreddit post seeking survey participants

Top 5 items hikers consider when deciding on a trail

1. Difficulty

2. Location

3. Distance

4. Features

5. Reviews

66%

use Google Maps for daily navigation

55%

use AllTrails app for hiking

81%

would use a trail feature in Google Maps

Contextual Inquiry

Recalling specific details of past hikes can be challenging. To gain a better understanding of the hiking experience, I decided to follow a hiker's journey from trail discovery to trailhead.

*Due to scheduling conflict, we did not complete the selected hike

hiking
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Trail Entrance

There has been a significant increase in recorded US hikes recently compared to pre-COVID years.

This observation supports my hypothesis that Americans have been turning to the outdoors as a way to cope with quarantine measures.

Statistic sourced from runrepeat.com

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User Goals

Identify a new hike easily

Travel to new locations with confidence

Track and document new trails to share

 

User Painpoints

Losing cell data and access to maps offline

Spending time researching hike details

Using more than 1 mobile app for hiking trip 

Low-Fi Usability Testing

To understand how users expect to interact with Google Maps and where they anticipate a trail feature to be integrated, I conducted usability tests with 2 participants. I asked them to identify the actions they would take to complete tasks and describe their expectations for each step while interacting with the sketch. One test was conducted in person, while the other was done via email and screenshots.

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Sketch of mobile and desktop view of Google Maps

Usability test #1

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Usability test #2

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Next Steps

The plan is to include additional features in the interface, such as wayfinders, that will provide more information about each trail, including places to camp, rest, and grab a bite to eat. Additionally, users can share trail tips and notes, which will also be displayed.