Google Maps App Design Pull Up

Analyzing Google Maps based on UX/UI functionality

When choosing a well-designed navigation app to use on a daily basis, the app that I use the most would have to be Google Maps. Effectively capturing approximately 67% of the market over the second and third most popular navigation app (Google's own Waze and Apple's Maps), Google Maps maintains its top spot because of its user-centered approach to functionality, straightforward design, and overall reliability. I will be analyzing some of my favorite features of the app, including Google's design language and user interface, its user experience, and overall functionality of the app.

What it does well: Seamless design language within the interface

From a U I design perspective, the Interface Design of Google Maps is elegant, simple, and relatively easy enough to pick-up and learn for most people. The design language of the application employs color theory and visual hierarchy that serves to visually direct the user to the next appropriate action, rather than just making the app look aesthetically pleasing with unnecessary colors. Users are greeted with a predominantly white interface when opening up the application in the daytime, which switches over to a dark UI once nighttime sets in order to reduce strain on the user's eyes. Most colors are primarily restricted to just the map, various icons, and photographs in order to emphasize functionality while preventing distractions. The map itself dominates most of the screen real estate and displays proper visual hierarchy within. Muted colors are used for non-interactive elements such as lands, major highways, residential areas. On the other hand, bolder and brighter colors are used for more important on-map based icons like the red destination pin, highway markers, and favorited/important locations. Consistent visual design for the icons themselves are apparent upon closer inspection, with icons that appear outside of the map being greyed out and designed slightly different than the colorized ones appearing on the map. Usage of Product Sans as the headlining font and Roboto as body text is employed consistently, adhering to design guidelines across the Google brand.

"Speed Limit" sign — a feature carried over from Waze that shows the legal speed limit of the current road/highway, this sign pops up on the bottom left corner of the screen when the user is driving to their destination. The design looks similar to speed limit signs usually found on highways and streets, implementing a familiar element for the user's experience and allowing for quicker recognition of the speed limit.
"Map type" user interface — allows the user to change the map between satellite, terrain, or default view, accompanied by specific map details for public transit, traffic patterns, and biking. The User Interface changes depending on the option that the user chooses, allowing the user to easily understand the information on the screen with various colored coded routes. Google's use of color carries onto the UI design: Green means open or normal traffic, Orange indicates a tiny bit of traffic, and Red or Maroon showcasing heavy or extremely heavy traffic respectively. Usage of color allows the application to convey all of this information to the user without heavy text having to clutter the screen.
UI elements of navigation — The UI of the navigation itself is minimal. Once the user enters a destination, a small menu pops up from the bottom with photos of the destination (when available), the approximate time it will take to get there, if the destination is open or closed, etc. The button design is consistent across the board, with the "Directions" button standing out the most with its blue color. Once the user clicks on the "Directions" button, the map automatically zooms out and shows the quickest route to the destination (highlighted in blue, while the highlighted green text shows the amount of time it will take to get there). Pulling up on the menu, Google Maps will then display the directions to the destination in a stacked order from top to bottom; It even includes a color coded graph that automatically changes color, showcasing how heavy traffic is during that particular time.

Why its a great product: Unparalleled Functionality

The user experience within the application goes hand in hand with the user interface, and includes handy features and tweaks that makes the user experience very simple to understand and use.

Responsiveness — Users can pinch and expand to zoom in and out of the map, allowing a full bird's eye view of the street, neighborhood, city, state, country etc. The map is quick and responsive to swipes, with no immediate delay in between swipes. Swipes in and out of menus are also quick and easy to use.
Set a reminder to leave / arrive — Located within a menu option on the top right by the user's current location when searching for a destination, one of the menu options listed allows the user to set a reminder to leave, according to what time they want to depart or arrive. Google Maps displays a small message that it will remind the user when to leave in order to arrive at a particular time, and it uses data in order to predict traffic flow at certain times so that the user is aware of traffic ahead of time and can plan accordingly.
"Traffic Accident detour" — alerts the user of an upcoming crash or traffic incident while offering an alternative route for them to take that could save them x amount of time. This feature is not foolproof though (as with all technology), as a recent traffic incident in Denver, Colorado misled drivers navigating with Google Maps onto a road that had turned into extremely muddy, causing 100+ drivers to become stuck.
Option to save / share / call when searching for a destination — When entering a destination, the user can pull up the hidden bottom menu to reveal options to label, save, and share the destination with other users. The save feature is my personal favorite, since it allows me to save in destinations I want to explore in the future so that I don't forget.

In Summary:

Google Maps is not only a great example of design, but it is a great product first. Its approach to navigation proves that "less is more" is sometimes the best when designing functional products for the general public. The UI is easy for users to perceive, understand, and navigate with its consistent design, while the UX is uncomplicated and provides straightforward usability for the user. Although it has less room for customization and modification of features like Waze does, it's high rate of usage within the navigation market shows that most users prefer a simple, effective, no-nonsense product that gets the job done effectively.