AJ Polanco - Face to Face Usability Test Report for Google Maps

“Google Maps” for Desktop/Mobile
Usability Test Report (Face-to-Face)
Prepared by: AJ Polanco, for 16:137:535 “Usability Evaluation”
Compiled on: November 8, 2014
Team members of Team Android (2014) include:
- AJ Polanco, UX Design + Digital Marketing Lead at 4food
- Chika Obiora, former Sensory Lab Technician/Panel Leader at Chromocell Corporation
- Sam Ramezanli, former Junior Android and Java Developer at MKS Systems

I. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to practice writing a usability test report. This report details
what Team Android discovered while testing Google Maps on desktop and mobile. The specific
goal of this project is to provide: II. An executive summary of our findings; III. A quick
description of Google Maps’ interface; IV. A set of findings for each of the problems found
along with severity rankings; V. A set of findings for each features that had a positive impact on
Google Maps along with usefulness ratings; and VI. A list of recommendations on what should
be improved and what should stay; VII. A conclusion giving an opinion on how viable Google
Maps is in terms of “user friendliness.”
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Users of Google Maps have been found to struggle with functions outside of the typical
use case of entering a predefined start and end location into the interface. Despite these struggles,
users do not fault Google Maps and commend Google for its perceived high ease of use.
This usability test took place on Saturday, November 2, 2014. The purpose of this test
was to task users with performing functions like saving locations, creating offline maps, locating
nearby restaurants, and charting out bicycle routes based on geographic terrain. This test was
performed with a single face-to-face participant at Rutgers University (35 Berrue Circle,
Piscataway). The user is a self-proclaimed expert computer user and uses Google Maps
approximately 20 out of 30 days, per month.
III. QUICK DESCRIPTION OF GOOGLE MAPS’ INTERFACES
Desktop: The desktop version of Google Maps strives for an extremely minimalist user
interface. Nearly all of the visible screen real-estate is devoted to the map that is being navigated.
The primary UI item is a single search bar on the top of the screen. It is coupled with a large,
blue search button and a small menu for “Traffic, Bicycling, Terrain” information and/or getting
directions. Additionally, there is a prominent “Sign in” call-to-action in the top-right corner.
Upon entering a search query, new panes appear to provide information about what location has
been searched.
Mobile: The mobile application is similar to its desktop counterpart in that it also strives
for a very minimal interface, and its main UI is a search bar at the top. The key difference
between mobile and desktop is the existence of a “Navigation” mode that is instantiated after a
user has inputted a travel origin and destination. In this mode, the application functions similar to
other GPS applications, with a cockpit graphic that follows a path in real-time until the desired
location has been reached.
1 Face-to-Face Usability Test Report for Google Maps (Desktop & Mobile) | Team Android

IV. FINDINGS FOR EACH OF PROBLEMS FOUND W/ SEVERITY RATINGS
When using recording user problems with Google Maps’ interface, we used a severity
scale of 0 to 4: A score of 0 means that we don’t agree that the heuristic is a usability problem;
score of 1 means that the heuristic is only affected by cosmetic issues; a score of 2 is a minor
usability problem; a score of 3 is major usability problem that is important to fix; a score of 4 is a
catastrophic usability problem that is imperative to fix.
Using Google Search instead of searching in Google Maps | Severity: 2/4
Upon starting our task, we asked our participant to search for a doctor in Middlesex
County entitled “Middlesex Doctor’s Office.” Our team’s assumption was that the user would
enter the location via Google Maps’ desktop site. To the group’s surprise, the user entered the
name into Google Search and used the results page to direct him back to Google Maps with the
information auto-populated.
The aforementioned workflow is not seen to be an issue. Subsequent tasks in the
usability study, however, demonstrated that the user was unfamiliar with using search terms in
the Google Maps’ search bar. If Google Maps is intended to be a self-sufficient GPS system, this
search functionality should be more visible to improve usability.
Fig 4.1 – Left: Searching for “Middlesex Doctor’s Office” in Google Search.

Unable to figure out how to Save location / search result | Severity: 2/4
Once the Middlesex Doctor’s Office was located and loaded into Google Maps, our test
participant was unable to find an option / button to save the location. Having reached this screen
via Google Maps, the user is not presented with a Save button. Instead, the user is presented with
a “Directions View” [unofficial name] where saving a location is no longer possible.
If the ability to save locations is a core functionality of Google Maps, it should be
available at all times, and/or should not be allowed to be missed by having previous steps
bypassed. As is mentioned in Nielsen’s Heuristics, software should be flexible and should not
punish acquired expertise.
Fig 4.2 – Screen observed by the test participant, after using Google Search (left);
Screen observed if the address is found via Google Maps, with Save button (right).
Unable to search for nearby restaurants | Severity: 3/4
The user could not map his extensive understanding of Google Maps with the pragmatic
task of searching for restaurants near Middlesex Doctor’s Office. To solve the problem, he began
panned around the map aimlessly— hoping to locate a nearby Indian restaurant, as the task
dictated. Unable to locate the Indian restaurant, the test was allowed to continue upon locating
any type of restaurant and then generating directions to there from the doctor’s office.
Fig 4.3 – Search nearby functionality. Only appears after clicking in an already-filled field.

Unable to search for nearby restaurants | Severity: 3/4 (continued)
This is a major usability function because this functionality is built into the mobile
application that always appears on the search result screen next to the “Show My Location”
button. Additionally, the ability to “search nearby” is only accessible by clicking into the search
field after it has already been populated— and cannot be used in tandem with the location that is
nearby. This type of search behavior is not seen elsewhere, either on mobile or desktop.
Furthermore, the user was found to have said both, “I’m having trouble,” and “I’m
having difficulty. I don’t know what to search” when this problem presented itself. The test
moderator also had to intervene twice to keep the participant engaged during this time of
observed frustration.
Also, upon getting past this task, the user told us, “I thought this process would be very
easy, but searching for two locations was confusing.”
Unable to locate “Offline Mode” | Severity: 4/4
This problem was encountered while using the Google Maps mobile application. For the
first time, the user mentions that he has not performed this type of task before. His first instinct
to save the map was to pull up the left side-navigation menu. This proved unsuccessful. Upon
entering the navigation mode, the request for Google’s permission to store anonymous location
data came up. In order to try to solve this task, the user kept switching between navigation mode
and the search results screen. The user was visibly bothered by the repeated popping up of the
permission request pop-up.
Instead of looking for this functionality, we asked the user to save the route. The user’s
solution was to take a series of screenshots along the route, and/or write down the step-by-step
direction information. This is a very severe issue because this functionality exists within the
application, but is very difficult to find. All members of Team Android attempted to look for
“Save Offline” in the side-navigation as well. For users who are traveling a long distance and
have limited data plans, this problem could result in the inability to use any data for the duration
of the month or incur extreme data costs with their mobile service provider.
Unable to enable Terrain Visibility | Severity: 2/4
The user attempted to reveal terrain data by clicking on the “Earth” button on the lower-
left of Google Maps desktop. This task involved locating a medium-difficulty terrain path for
riding his bike. To complete this task, the user entered Street View and tried to visually
approximate street inclines.

Unable to enable Terrain Visibility | Severity: 2/4 (continued)
This functionality is only found when no item is entered in the Google Maps search field,
and is only located as a text link underneath the “Getting Around” UI element.
Fig 4.4 – Terrain functionality that the user could not locate.
New Point of Interest: The latest update of Google Maps 9.0 for Android added a
Terrain button to the side-navigation menu. That terrain button solves this particular pain-point,
at least on the mobile platform. The desktop version of Google Maps has no such button.
V. FINDINGS FOR EACH OF POSITIVE FEATURE W/ USEFULNESS RATINGS
When recording positive features within Google Maps’ interface, we monitored user
interaction and rated features with a usefulness scale of 0 to 4: A score of 0 means that we don’t
agree that the feature has a positive effect; a score of 1 means that the feature is only
cosmetically useful; an element with a score of 2 provides a minor usability increase; a score of 3
provides a major usability increase that is important to make note of; a score of 4 is an element
that provides a profound boon to usability.
User intuitively knew how to Drag & Drop | Usefulness: 2/4
Without any prompt, the user knew to drag and drop currently displayed route markers to
update the calculated path(s). This functionality allows for increased user flexibility and
therefore increased usability. Additionally, the Street View tool is instantiated by dragging and
dropping the yellow “Pin Man” character onto a road/street on the map. By reusing a type of user
interaction, Google Maps ensures that it is easy to learn for its users.

User liked Google Maps’ Color Scheme and Simple Graphics. Usefulness: 1/4.
At the conclusion of the Usability test, during the SUS, our test participant made a
comment that he really appreciated Google Maps’ color scheme. In his words he noted that he
“liked that the grass was green, for example.” This feature is purely aesthetic, but it does not go
without noticing that Google Maps has a fairly flat and muted color scheme. Additionally, the
icons used to represent the different travel styles (pedestrian, car, train) were noted by our test
participant as being “simple and easy to understand.”
New Point of Interest: The latest update of Google Maps 9.0 for Android introduced
material design to the application. In addition to providing large vertical space for text fields, it
also places greater emphasis on call-to-actions with brighter, vibrant colors (typically blue).
User noted the “History” was a very helpful feature. Usefulness: 4/4.
Another positive mention during the SUS was Google Maps’ history feature. In the
context of the test, the user was able to recall previously searched for items through the use of
the automatically generated user history. This became especially noteworthy because the user
often times switched between screens multiple times in order to try to problem-solve his way
through the tasks that Team Android assigned him.
VI. RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT SHOULD STAY OR BE IMPROVED
Based on the usability test, the following features should stay as they are [or continue to
be implemented in a similar way] in Google Maps: user history, simple color scheme, drag-and-
drop UI, and simple iconography. The following features should be improved upon: (i) saving
locations, (ii) searching for nearby locations, and (iii) saving offline maps.
One recommendation for improving (i) saving locations, is to keep a persistent star icon
next to the search, start, and/or destination text fields. Upon clicking the star icon, the location
could be saved for later use. This falls in line with how most other applications manage favorites,
and mirrors how bookmarks are managed in Google Chrome (and loosely resembles “Starring”
emails in Gmail). For (ii) searching for nearby locations, Google could implement the “near”
and/or “nearby” keyboard that would instantiate the Search nearby functionality of Google
Maps. Lastly, for (iii) saving offline maps, Team Android believes that this functionality should
be accessible through the side navigation in the Google Maps mobile application— because both
our test participant and ourselves instinctively looked for it in that UI location.

VII. CONCLUSION ABOUT THE OVERALL VIABILITY OF THE INTERFACE
Google Maps’ desktop and mobile application’s interfaces can be generally considered
simple and extremely minimalist, with complex underlying technology. Overall, the interface is
extremely versatile, viable for nearly all computer-literate demographics, and is fairly user
friendly for the most part.
The problems that our usability test participant encountered were: Using Google Search
instead of searching in Google Maps, Inability to figure out how to Save location / search result,
Inability to search for nearby restaurants, Inability to search for nearby restaurants, Inability to
locate “Offline Mode,” and Inability to enable Terrain Visibility.
Despite all the long list of problems encountered, our test participant only had positive
things to say about Google and Google Maps at the end of the usability test. He commended
Google Maps for: its intuitive UI interactions (like Drag & Drop), its colorful interface,
meaningful graphics, and its history-storing functionality.
Team Android believes that the problems encountered should still be addressed, however.
Though it can be argued that Google’s users are satisfied with how the Google Maps functions, it
is advisable to foster this positive company-user relationship— i.e. not exploit it.

APPENDIX
PRE-TEST QUESTIONS
• Are you a smartphone user? Yes
• Which Type of smartphone you have? (Android/iPhone)
o Android: LG G3
o iPhone: N/A
• How much time do you spend on your smartphone daily?
o a. Less than 10 minutes
o b. 10-30 minutes
o c. 30-60 minutes
o d. One to two hours
o e. Two to four hours
o f. More than four hours
• How expert are you?
o very expert
o not at all expert
• Are you a student? If so, What year are you?
o Yes, Senior
• What is your major/occupation?
o Information Technology, minoring in Digital Communication
• How comfortable are you with using apps? Roughly, how many different apps would
you say you use in an average day?
o a. 1-3
o b. 4-6 (“5-10”)
o c. 7-10 (“5-10”)
o d. 10+
• Not including email or Facebook, how many hours a day on average do you spend
online?
o a. Less than 10 minutes
o b. 10-30 minutes
o c. 30-60 minutes
o d. One to two hours
o e. Two to four hours
o f. More than four hours
• How often / how many times a month on average would you say you use online
mapping technology for way finding?
• 20 out of 30 days, per month
• What kind of Map application do you use for finding navigation and maps?
• Google Maps, only map application that is used

TASK LIST
Scenario 1:
Part 1
One of your friends told you that Google Maps updated again. How would you go to
launch Google Maps?
Part II
You have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. To start navigating to the doctor’s you
need to tell Google Maps where you are. Can you locate yourself on the map?
Part III
You forgot the address of your doctor’s office. You’ll need to search for its location and
use that location to have Google Maps determine a path for you to take. You then
decide to save the location for reference later--
Part III.B
--and right before turning off your monitor, you notice an Indian food restaurant on the
map. Save that too!
Information: You are going to the Middlesex Doctor’s Office.
Part IV
You left the doctor’s office, and you’re hungry. Right now you are really craving Indian
food. Use Google Maps navigation mode to start walking to the restaurant from before.
Scenario 2:
Part I
You have a long trip from New Jersey to Washington DC and you are trying to use the
Google Maps as a navigation finder on your phone. You want to avoid the toll roads as
much as possible to save more money for this trip.
Part II
You have limited data on your phone so you don’t want to waste your data on loading
the map.
Part III
You want to hear music from your device and you know your way for the first leg of the
trip so you don’t actually want the Google Maps GPS directions to start until you get
into Delaware.

Scenario 2: (continued)
Part IV
Let’s say you’re an avid cycler. When you get there, you’ll be staying with your friend
Joe at 2240 M St NW, Washington, DC. He’ll be at work during the day when you get to
his house but he mentioned that there are some nice roads for cycling nearby. See if
you can plan a 5-10 mile route near his house to keep you busy until he gets back.
• You might want to check out the scenery and elevation along your route first.
• And, since you’re from out of town, it wouldn’t hurt to explore some interesting
landmarks while you’re there.
Part IV.b
Since you’ve been out all day, you decided you’d rather take public transportation back
to Joe’s house. You want to grab a bite to eat first, but make sure that there will be a
bus or train still running at 7pm when you think you’ll be ready to head back.
Scenario 3:
Part I:
You are meeting your friends in Manhattan, Times Square to have dinner with them at
the rooftop bar at 9:30pm. Your friend advised you to park your car in Jersey City and
take the PATH train to NYC in order to save money on not paying the toll and parking
for the car. Locate the path station on the map.
Part II:
You found the PATH station in Jersey City and you want to figure out your further steps
to get to Times Square via public transportation system.
Part III:
You are in the PATH train, underground where you have no access to your cell-phone
data. You forgot which stop you’re getting out and what subway to catch next. You
want to check the stops. Fortunately, you did not close your last Google Maps search.

AJ Polanco - Face to Face Usability Test Report for Google Maps

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