Google Maps: Culture Walk

Project Overview

This is a Design Challenge led by Design @ Columbia and Google UX in New York City. This design challenge is 8 week long, during which we have meetings and design critique with Google UX designers and Design @ Columbia mentors every two weeks. At the end of the design challenge, we presented our design at the Google NYC office on March 29th, 2024. ‍

Challenge Participant Students with D@C and Google UX Mentors

Caroline, Ellie, Christine, and me (from left to right)

Presenting at Google NYC office

Primary Research

We conducted user survey and in-depth interviews with people also from a various demographic groups, including visitors, transplants, and locals.

Based on the survey, 65% of people highly valued discovering what we call Hidden Gems or lesser known spots in the city, not just the touristy areas. And 61% of people feel uncertainty about the authenticity and the quality of cultural experiences that are advertised currently in New York City.

Additionally, we also asked participants to rank or choose the options that they would like to see within Google Maps and 67% people said that they would like to see it interactive map with cultural attractions and event venues.

Based on our interview, we discovered that many locals possess a gatekeeping mentality towards their cherished hidden gems to avoid overcrowding and long waits, while newcomers prioritize convenience and location in their choices.

The desire for visually appealing venues for social media is strong, yet there's a notable trend towards balancing this with genuine experiences of food, culture, and history, especially in historic areas like Chinatown.

Essentially, the findings reveal a dynamic interplay between seeking aesthetic spots for social sharing and engaging deeply with local culture and history.

Secondary Research

For secondary research, we conducted a competitive analysis of direct competitors such as Apple Maps, informational platforms like Wikipedia, and trip planning services like Tripadvisor.

Problem Statement

Based on our research, we narrowed down the problem to be: New York City transplants and visitors often lack deep understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the places they explore.
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Based on this problem, we define the HMW question to be

"How might we develop a tool that enriches the experience of New Yorks by offering historical and cultural insights throughout the city, foresting deeper appreciation and respect for NYC's heritage?"

User Testing

For user testing, we interviewed three potential users on what features they enjoyed from our initial design and how to progress from there? And the result has highlighted three main areas for improvement: the need for a feature to recap explored places, better clarity on the "Uncover More" function, and enhanced readability for historical fact cards.

Hi-fi Prototype showcase

On the “Explore” page, we’ve added a new “NYC Heritage” tag. Clicking it reveals heritage site pins on the map. Users can then access an Overview page, which links to an About page with an article detailing the site’s history and fun facts, enriching their understanding of NYC’s cultural heritage.

Explore more through NYC Heritage Tag with detailed About article.

When users enter a walking route, they can activate Culture Walk mode. As they pass a historic site, a fact card will pop up. If interested, they can swipe up to learn more about the site’s history, fun facts, and listen to audio content.

Enter Culture Walk Mode for a tour with fact cards and audio.

Immersive learning with Augmented Reality Fact Cards.

When user enter live view mode, they also learn through these AR fact cards.

Plan a personalized and customized trip with the new Itinerary feature.

Users can plan their trip by creating a travel list, where introduce a new Itinerary feature, with which they can then build an itinerary. They can select dates, add places to visit, generate a route, and easily edit the order of their stops to customize their travel experience.

Reflection & future development

1. User Research Insight: When conducting user research, I put myself in the users’ shoes to understand how they might interact with this feature. For instance, users might be on the move, possibly outdoors, so it’s essential to prioritize audio functionality and ensure text is large and easily readable.

2. Prioritizing Features with Time Constraints: With only two months to complete the project, we had to be strategic about which features to implement. Instead of trying to build everything, we should focus on selecting one or two core features and developing them thoroughly. It was more valuable to dive deeper into a specific user group’s needs and continuously iterate toward perfection than to add more features.

3. Working with Limited Resources: We had limited opportunities to check in with our Google mentors, so I had to maximize each interaction. I relied heavily on strong documentation to clearly present my progress during reviews, ensuring I received the feedback needed to drive the project forward.