As we begin to head out more, or in some cases head out for the first time, there can be a sense of ambiguity around the places we head out to, be it restaurants, malls, gardens or even different cities.
In such cases the more information we have, the better. At the same time, any such information has its own challenges: a. getting the information b. ensuring its updated
Google Maps, throughout the pandemic, has rolled out several features that help address these challenges: by giving busyness information on places, a layer to understand the number of cases in an area and in some cases, even live information on crowds.
With all this data, the complexity of Google Maps’ primary features increases as also the data itself can be complicated (different people, countries and cities can have different ways of measuring and understanding the data).
So while, Google has done a fantastic job to set the initial pieces in place, in this challenge, we want to see how these data points (busyness information, COVID-19 layer, Live information) can be visualised better.
What more information would a person need when traveling or going out? How can that information be captured? And most importantly how should that information be shown in a meaningful and easy to understand manner.
These are some of the questions you will need to answer in this challenge.
Moreover, you need to also factor in the fact that for most of these features, in India, the data may not be available/may not be updated/may not be in the same form. How does the app cater to this while ensuring the experience remains consistent across users.
In order to come up with your suggestions, you can pick any one of these scenarios and then accordingly solve for them:
- Friends trying to find a place to meet (coffee shop, restaurant), in a large city
- Family considering a vacation to a nearby destination
- Employee planning to head out to office after many months
You may choose any one of the above scenarios, or come up with your own too.
Please Note:
- Given the challenge is based on visualisation, we recommend adding annotated screens or mocks to your solution for better impact
- We are not looking for redesigns, so kindly avoid these
- Usability tweaks, copy changes are also welcome as suggestions, given these are new features
- You need to work on solutions for the Google Maps app and not the desktop site
- This challenge is NOT hosted by Google Maps and is only a learning exercise
Weekly Leaderboard:
- The points you score will be added to the Weekly Leaderboard, making you eligible for the final prizes at the end of the season. So, even if half done, make sure you atleast submit your solution, to gain some points. View Leaderboard and Prizes
Formats & Templates:
- Notion: https://www.notion.so/uxhack/Templates-d685dd9f72d94457b9981921c06e3ebe
- My favorite product management templates – Issue 37 - https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37
<The templates are only for reference. You are free to use any format of your choice>
Useful Links:
- Google Maps updates to get you through the holidays | Google Maps Blog: https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-updates-get-you-through-holidays
- Google Maps introduces new Covid-19 related features | Livemint: https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/google-maps-introduces-new-covid-19-related-features-details-here-11605690724113.html
- Data Visualization: US Election 2020 | Medium: https://medium.com/swlh/data-visualization-us-election-2020-a3d3531b611c
- U.S. election maps are wildly misleading, so this designer fixed them | Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/90572489/u-s-election-maps-are-wildly-misleading-so-this-designer-fixed-them
