Recalling My Journey with an App

Exploring Google Maps through the five attributes of usability

This post was written as an assignment for the DesignLab UX Academy. The assignment prompts students to reflect on the usability and accessibility of a product they have extensive experience with.

At the end of 2020, my husband and I officially moved to our current city of Chicago. Anyone who has lived in this windy city will know that in the dead of winter, during a Pandemic-driven shut down of most establishments, any movement needs to be strategic. So, whether it was searching for a nearby furniture store or getting directions to a restaurant, Google Maps met all the five attributes of usability in navigating our new life, strategically: Learnability, Efficiency, Memorability, Forgiving, and Satisfaction.

Learnability
Google Maps is easily learnable thanks to its clean and simple aesthetic and its match to the real world. What greets you as you open the product is the map of your surroundings along with the famous white search bar that made Google what it is today. Whether you need directions or are looking for suggestions in your area, the path to your goal is clear. But Maps itself is not a simple app in its capabilities. While the initial interface is simple, users can explore the complexities of Maps by finding them neatly tucked away by navigation and buttons. Want to see a satellite view of the map? Need a bicycle route? Such details are available to tailor your experience and can be opened and closed as you please.

Efficient
Contributing to the product’s efficiency is its search predictions. Autocompletion suggests search results quickly and can eliminate error-prone conditions when showing relevant results. Users can also search “on the map” and target the locations near them. Whether a restaurant or a hardware store, listings on Google Map are rarely without important information such as opening hours, contact details, and, most recently, COVID-19 disclaimers. With the many constraints we face today, it is important for products to consider how they can get users to their goal as fast, and safe, as possible.

Effectiveness
The effectiveness of Google Maps lies in its flexibility. Users can easily search and navigate with the product regardless of their mode of transportation, road access (local routes or highway), navigation skills. The ability to navigate by map type, route details, or even by data entry method (typing or voice) makes it helpful to users in a wide variety of situations.

Memorability
Maps effectively minimize the user’s memory load with the labels. Users do not have to remember the exact street of a particular destination; with labels like Favourite, Saved, or Starred, Maps indicates what locations have been saved for future reference. Labelling these locations adds drop pin icons to help users recognize the importance of those locations. Users can further use the feature by adding notes as they label these places.

Forgiving
When we started driving around Chicago, my husband and I heavily relied on the Maps audio directions and visual guide. Unfamiliar with most areas, we needed directions and hands-free assistance. Most importantly we needed Google to navigate so we wouldn’t argue. But even with the directions guiding us, it is easy to miss a turn or two with all the distractions on the road. When this happens, Maps allows drivers to recover from their errors by quickly rerouting them to an alternative path while also giving them ample time for recovery. Drivers can take a deep breath knowing that there is another route, turn or exit that will take them where they need to be.

Satisfaction
To discover the satisfaction one can get from using Google Maps, one simply needs to explore the other ways they can use the product. Google Maps allows users to discover new places and experiences in their surroundings by suggesting what is trending on news and editorial articles and with other Google Maps users who contribute their suggestions.

Analyzing the most frequented app on my phone, I have come to realize that while it’s simple in concept, it is highly complex and driven by purposeful principles to help us get going. To help us go places.