The usability and ethics of Google Maps
A UX analysis of the navigation app
I remember my first encounter with Google Maps, almost a dozen years ago. It was with some relatives on an obscure road when music on the radio paused momentarily, and a woman’s monotonous voice began spouting detailed directions from the car stereo. In-car navigation systems weren’t as popular in budget cars in 00s India.
Over the years, as smartphones progressed, Google Maps went from novelty to being absolutely indispensable.
As someone who can only be exactly on time or late, this navigation app almost always saves me from being the latter by providing routes that cut down a few precious minutes.
Google Maps has repeatedly rescued me from awkward encounters with strangers in foreign countries, especially while I lumbered through complex train systems with no English signage. Parlez-vous Anglais, please?
Now that we’ve established my partiality towards Maps, here is an analysis of the app based on my newly gained knowledge of usability heuristics.
According to Jakob Nielsen, usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy interfaces are to use.
Learnability
How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design?
For a first time user, performing basic tasks such as searching and navigating is straightforward, simply requiring them to type the name of the destination and choose from the autocompleted results. There is no use of jargon or ambiguous icons.
Efficiency
Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks?
For returning users, getting directions is even easier with Search History. Maps even allows you to save and label locations for quick access. The Search By Category feature enables users to find restaurants, fuel, or groceries nearby with the option of sorting by distance thus further saving travel time.
Memorability
Clear, universal icons and unambiguous language minimise the cognitive load on the user. Elements in the navigation represent the actual world in a way that feels natural to the user. Streets appear as lines and the blue dot shows users exactly where they are at any moment.
“The cognitive load imposed by a user interface is the amount of mental resources that are required to operate the system.” — Kathryn Whitenton, Nielsen Norman Group
Errors
Error prevention: Maps asks users if they still want to navigate to a destination that will be closed by the time of arrival.
Error correction: Life happens and users might want to stop on the way or change destinations altogether. With Google Maps, this takes very little effort. If the user ends up making a wrong turn, maps automatically re-routes and provides directions from the user’s current location, eliminating the need to go back to where the accidental detour was made.
Satisfaction
Navigating using Google Maps is quite a smooth and satisfactory experience on the whole. Personally, one concern is that I sometimes end up at the wrong end of a one-way street, although this happens only if the street’s one-way status changes depending on the time of day.
The Maps app has some valuable features such as the reports of road closures or accidents, a speedometer and the ability to share live location until arrival.
Accessibility
If you’ve used Maps around sunset, you may have noticed that the app automatically switches to Night mode. This makes it far easier on the eyes as it gets dark outside.
Large, clear arrows indicating the next turn are visible at a glance and audio alerts make the app accessible and safe to use even while driving or walking.
Google Maps also marks wheelchair-friendliness and parking availability at most locations.
Ethics and dark patterns
Like everything else in the world, convenience and ease come at a price — your privacy.
That Google stores all of your location history indefinitely is downright creepy. Google Maps has the power to follow your every step, literally. And if users decide not to sign in and share their search history, Maps limits access to features.
Another problem is the reviews. Google often asks users to rate and review places they’ve visited. While it seems harmless to add a few stars and write about your experience, it links all of this information to your Google profile, making it quite easy for anyone on the internet to figure out where you live, work, which places you visit frequently and the time and date of your visits to these. Imagine what an arsenal this is for a potential stalker.
Despite these drawbacks, it is possible to have a safe experience on Google Maps by being mindful about what we share online. There are some alternative apps as well, but none of these is as good as Google Maps, making this double-edged sword indispensable.
