Overview
Despite the significant improvements Apple has made to its Maps app, it still continues to lag behind Google Maps in terms of features, functionality, and overall user experience. While Apple Maps has added several features over the years, such as the “Add a Stop” feature, it is still incredibly limited in comparison to what Google Maps offers. For example, users cannot create a multi-stop itinerary with Apple Maps, whereas Google Maps allows for up to 10 stops on a single route. This is just one of many features that Apple Maps is lacking when compared to Google Maps, and until they are able to implement more comprehensive features, they will likely remain behind in the navigational app race.
Note: This feature was designed and developed prior to Apple launching the improved "Add a Stop" feature in 2022
Since the launch, Apple has made some significant improvements, however, they still lag well behind Google as the leading navigational app users utilize.
Project Goals
While Apple has implemented some really great features over the years, they still have work to do. Apple’s tagline for Apple Maps is “A world of ways to explore the world” and by adding a feature that allows users to plan multi-stops would help strengthen the words behind that tagline.
Project Goals:
Add a multi-stop feature to Apple Maps to help increase Apple Map use over Google Maps and to help users build more confidence in using Apple Maps
Follow Apple UI Kit Guidelines
User Research
Competitive Research
Sketches and low fidelity wireframes
New feature design
Usability Testing
Iterations based on findings
Prototype
Apple’s tagline for Apple Maps is “A world of ways to explore the world” and by adding a feature that allows users to plan multi-stops would help strengthen the words behind that tagline.
EMPATHIZE
User Research
In my user research, I uncovered a few problems that lie within Apple Maps. If some features could be improved, Apple could win a higher cut in popularity and get closer to Google’s grandeur.
That said, I found that Google was by far the most popular and most used navigational app. 53.6% of those surveyed used Google Maps as their main navigational app whereas only 32.1% used Apple Maps.
VIEW USER RESEARCH
When asked how the users save their itinerary for their road trips, I found...
53.6% of those surveyed used Google Maps as their main navigational app whereas only 32.1% used Apple Maps.
Competitive Research
In recent years the Apple Maps team has implemented some unique features and is continually evolving. Some of these features include 3D Augmented reality for directions while walking, adding 3D detailed landmarks, and creating Apple Car Play which is the most popular navigational software for new cars. While Apple has implemented some really great features, they still have work to do.
Out of all apps that were researched, Google came out with the most strengths. It has most features the other apps offer, however, because Google Maps is free, it came out ahead. Apple Maps could benefit greatly by adding a multi-stop feature, especially since iPhones represent 47% of all smart phone users.
VIEW COMPETITIVE RESEARCH
Out of all apps that were researched, Google came out with the most strengths. It has most features the other apps offer, however, because Google Maps is free, it came out ahead.
DEFINE
Persona
Eddie is a 34 year old who lives in Portland, OR, with his wife, Keera, and his 8 year old girl, Kai. Eddie works as a Product Manager by day and family trip planner by night. He and family moved to the Pacific Northwest for his job a year ago and he cannot get enough of the outdoors and exploring the surrounding area.
Eddie loves traveling but the pandemic shifted his desires from flying to exploring everything by car. He loves planning out the next adventure for his family.
Eddie is one of many who uses his iPhone for everything EXCEPT the map app that comes on his phone. He has been disappointed that Apple Maps doesn’t do everything he wants it to. He can’t add specific stops along his planned route and cannot build a multi-stop itinerary, even for simpler days of running errands in his new city. Instead he, like many, downloaded Google Maps to use for these instances. He uses Apple Maps for everything else so he doesn’t understand why something like a specific multi-stop feature isn’t part of the native maps. He is able to use the “Explore Guides” and is able to save addresses but can’t create a driving itinerary.
VIEW PERSONA
Eddie is one of many who uses his iPhone for everything EXCEPT the map app that comes on his phone. He has been disappointed that Apple Maps doesn’t do everything he wants it to.
Task Flow
Once the research was complete, I needed to ensure the flow of creating a multi-stop itinerary would be easy to navigate and smooth to get through. I put this User Task Flow together as a good visual for the steps the user would need to take to “Add a Stop”
VIEW TASK FLOW
I needed to ensure the flow of creating a multi-stop itinerary would be easy to navigate and smooth to get through.
IDEATE
Sketches
With the empathetic and define stages behind me, it was time to study Apple UI elements and the style guidelines so I could seamlessly add the “add a stop” feature.
I initially found it challenging to figure out where and how I was going to implement this new feature since Apple has such a minimal and streamlined UI design as it is. Through sketching, I was able to problem solve and come up with one solution that could work.
VIEW SKETCHES
Through sketching, I was able to problem solve and come up with one solution that could work.
Wireframes
With the research, persona, task flow, and sketches behind, I had a pretty clear vision of how to incorporate this new multi-stop feature in Apple Maps.
I first replicated the screens Apple screenshots that I would be incorporating in this updated UI and, from there, I was able to integrate this new feature while maintaining Apple UI Guidelines.
VIEW WIREFRAMES
With the research, persona, task flow, and sketches behind, I had a pretty clear vision of how to incorporate this new multi-stop feature in Apple Maps.
PROTOTYPE
UI Design
The overall UI design solves the problem for users looking to create multi-stop itineraries and save them for future use as needed.
The added feature has been integrated in a way that typical iPhone users interact with their phone and the Apple Maps app. The new feature blends in seamlessly.
VIEW UI DESIGN
TEST
Usability Testing
Once the initial UI design was complete, I set up a user test in Maze. Through this testing, I learned that most of the participants enjoyed the new feature in Apple Maps and many wanted to see it implemented in the near future.
There were a handful of participants that could not find specific buttons throughout the exercise. Based on this information, I edited the text buttons to be larger than the original text. To help ensure all users would be able to use this new feature with ease, I developed Onboarding screens to help close any gaps.
VIEW AFFINITY MAP
To help ensure all users would be able to use this new feature with ease, I developed Onboarding screens to help close any gaps.
CONCLUDE
Conclusion
This project brought to light the need for Apple Maps to continue their improvements and implementing new features to gain more trust from users and grow their user-ship. By adding a multi-stop feature, Apple Maps will be in closer alignment with what Google Maps offers and this feature would be easier for users to navigate.
Through the final stages of usability testing, I learned that my design was not fool proof and it needed some improvements as well as a guide for first-time “add a stop” users. The feature was proved to be a success through all of the positive feedback received during the usability test. Many users hope to see this new feature in Apple Maps one day.
VIEW FINAL PROTOTYPE
Through the final stages of usability testing, I learned that my design was not fool proof and it needed some improvements as well as a guide for first-time “add a stop” users.
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