Option to select an easier route.
This case study is a personal UX design project for educational and portfolio use. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or Google Maps. All trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.
google maps
Case Study - DesignLab Project
background
Google Maps is one of the top apps used as a navigation system by more than 500 million people every month. The program uses a complex algorithm to suggest routes and has quite a few options for users to customize their routes.
problem to solve
While having casual discussions about traffic, friends and family often mentioned how Google Maps took them through very busy intersections with no traffic lights or stop signs and directed them to make a left turn or cross the road. Making a left turn was almost impossible, often requiring a long wait for a safe gap in traffic.
Through these conversations, I also learned that this issue was particularly challenging for families with older parents, student drivers, someone with disabilities, and those who were less experienced behind the wheel. For them, these routes weren’t just inconvenient but also stressful and, at times, unsafe.
project details
Project Type: Adding a feature to an existing app.
Role: Sole UX/UI designer
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Zoom, Photoshop
Methods: User Research, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, UI Design, Visual Design
Duration: 75 hours
the user
Focusing on Android users with Google Maps as their primary app for navigation purposes.
quick sneak Peek
Route Options
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When the user maps an address, options like "alternative route," "fuel efficient," and "best route" will be available.
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This option will avoid complex motorways, intersections without traffic lights, and difficult turns.
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User will also have an option to select that as a preference in their "Trip Options" settings.
the process
Discovery & Research
Research Objective:
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Find out how frequently they encounter situations where they need to cross a busy intersection without traffic lights or make a left turn.
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Discover how they handle these situations with the current map settings.
What I Already Knew Through Secondary Research:
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HERE WeGo offers route planning options that allow users to adjust preferences to “avoid U-turns” as a link that can be easily missed.
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Waze has an option to "avoid difficult intersections," but it's not easily found.
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Apple Maps normally avoids giving the route option without traffic lights when the user has to cross it or make a left turn.
Competitive Analysis:
Researching the main competitors helped me understand how the problems were currently being solved on the market and which problems still needed to be solved.
User Interviews:
Once I gained a strong understanding of the problems surrounding moving/relocating through competitive analysis, I selected five users to interview.
Pulling Out The Key Themes:
Affinity mapping helped to organize the data from user interviews into actionable insights.
If there’s a way for me to avoid a difficult intersection without adding too much travel time, that would help.
Maybe if they highlighted a difficult intersection where it suggests different route options, then I could select the other route if I am not comfortable.
Whenever I have to take left turns without any lights and with traffic in both directions that’s difficult for me.
Apple Maps always takes me through stop signs.
When I am at the intersection I have to rely on my judgment to make sure I make a safe turn.
What Users Wanted:
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5/5 users preferred using navigation apps if they were going to new places and to get faster routes if there was traffic.
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4/5 users have updated their map settings to avoid tolls.
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3/5 users preferred either avoiding or knowing beforehand about difficult intersections.
What Made Users Frustrated And Anxious:
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Crossing or making a left turn at busy intersections without traffic lights or stop signs was difficult for 4/5 users, and 5/5 users relied on their judgment if they encountered difficult intersections.
Creating Personas:
After I compiled the findings from the research through the affinity map, I was able to create personas that represent my target demographic.
Finding Project Direction :
I brainstormed several POVs and HMVs and narrowed them down to the ones below:
POV
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I want to explore ways to provide users with easier route options. During busy traffic hours, some intersections and roundabouts are very difficult to cross.
HMV Statements:
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How might we allow users to select safer routes in Google Maps?
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How might we provide an option to avoid difficult intersections for the elderly, disabled, and new drivers?
Define & Ideate
Generating Ideas?
From the HMV statements above and came up with the following ideas:
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Add a toggle in Google Maps that allows users to prioritize routes that avoid complex intersections, left turns without signals, or high-traffic areas.
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​Similar to how Google Maps offers "Avoid Highways" or "Avoid Tolls," users could choose to "Avoid Unprotected Left Turns."
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Users set their driving confidence level (e.g., "New Driver," "Confident but Cautious," "Experienced"). Based on these selections, routes adjust dynamically, avoiding high-stress areas for newer drivers.
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Before approaching an intersection, Google Maps provides a heads-up:
"Approaching an unprotected left turn. Consider an alternative route." -
If the driver uses accessibility features (e.g., voice commands, adaptive controls), Google Maps automatically prioritizes safer routes. It could also sync with car software that detects driver comfort levels.
Prioritizing Design Decisions:
Based on these ideas and the information gathered from user interviews, I prioritized features:
User Flows:
I mapped out two user flows to capture two different scenarios.
Design, Prototype & Test
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An Easier Route option is provided along with other options when the user maps the address.
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As the user scrolls down the Drive tab, the Easier Route option is listed with the icon and description.
Creating a Prototype to Test:
Keeping existing Google maps brand and color palate I designed high-fi wireframes.
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The "Easier" option is added as a route preference along with "Fuel-Efficient," which will be turned on by default, and the user can change to "Easier" as needed.
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The route preferences are available on the trip options page before the user starts driving.
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The same options will be available on the maps settings page when the user is in driving mode.
Usability Testing With The Prototype:
I tested the mockups with 5 users remotely via the screen share feature. The usability test was moderated and took about 30-45 minutes per user to complete.
Key Research Goals:
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If users can notice “easy” and “moderate” route options and icons on the map.
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If users understand what those options mean.
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If users can understand the icons.
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If users understand the description provided under those options.
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If users can find those options in the “Trip Options” and “Settings” pages.
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If users can find the dropdown to go to the “Trip Options” page.
Measuring Success:
I evaluated the overall success of the product and any iterations needed with the following metrics gathered from my testing:
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5/5 users located all the route options on the map, but they didn’t know what the icon for easy route meant.
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Once they read the hint text, they understood what it meant, but they were still unsure about the icon choice.
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4/5 users were not sure if “Easier” was the correct label for it.
Some of the labels suggested were “Smooth Route”, “Straight Forward Route”, “Alternative Route” -
3/5 users liked the idea of having the option to select an easier route. All of those 3 users preferred the safer driving option in general. 2 of those 5 users didn’t care about the easier route but didn’t mind that option being there since Google already offers them route options currently, and they might select the easier route if they were somewhere new and didn’t know the roads.
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5/5 users knew to go to the “trip options” page to change the settings.
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5/5 users noticed the easier route option shown on the map on the driving mode.
Final Design Iterations
Route Options on the Map
BEFORE
AFTER
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Changed the icon and the description to reflect the feature presentation as an "alternative route that's easier to navigate."
Label and Desctiption
BEFORE
AFTER
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Changed the label and description of the feature on the Trip Options page as well as Maps Settings page. The description also lets the user know "Easier to navigate" route might not be "fuel-efficient".
What I learned:
While working on this project, I learned…
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Even the smallest element, like an icon, can significantly impact how a feature is perceived.​
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Asking open-ended questions can uncover valuable insights and discoveries about how your feature might be useful to different user types or what it could be named.