Designing new digital map 🌎📍

Product innovation
Design / UX


A ridesharing company was using third-party map service in its app. However, drivers struggled with it, leading to inconsistent usage. This issue resulted in unhappy passengers, which the client aims to address.


Brief
  • Identify the specific challenges drivers face with the current map service
  • Understand drivers' natural wayfinding strategies and information they use during journeys
  • Translate these insights into design and product principles for a new map solution

Approach
  • Hand-drawn map Asked drivers to sketch a map out of memory to identify natural wayfinding cues
  • Self-ethnographyDrivers used GoPros to record their journeys and experience with digital maps
  • InterviewsGained a deeper understanding of how they navigate and use digital map services
         
       
Hand-drawn maps from memory reveal the naturally used wayfinding information. Photo: Personal archive
 

Outcome
  • Visually-rich descriptions of users' mental models for wayfinding and navigation
  • Evaluation of existing map solutions: what works and what doesn’t
  • Design principles for the new map solution
  • Workshop to generate early product ideas & implementation plan

       
People rely on visual descriptions (e.g. "the green building with  blue roof"), rather than  name or address. Photo: detikBali