OpenMaps is a mobile application that displays and edits open map data of OpenStreetMap.org, the free editable map of the whole world. In early 2010, OpenMaps introduced the Ideascale iPhone feedback widget as part of the OpenMaps iPhone application in order to track bugs and feedback from within the application itself. Discover tips and strategies for using in-app feedback to increase quantity and quality of user feedback, prioritize ideas for implementation, and engage users.

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OPENMAPS
ENTERPRISE CASE STUDY
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IDEASCALE

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OpenMaps is a feature rich, fast, and accessible mobile application that displays and edits
open map data of OpenStreetMap.org, the free editable map of the whole world. In early
2010, OpenMaps introduced the Ideascale iPhone feedback widget as part of the OpenMaps
iPhone application in order to track bugs and feedback from within the application itself.
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In just under a day, the OpenMaps feedback widget was up and running amassing user
suggestions directly within the OpenMaps app. Users could alert OpenMaps to bugs or issues
without needing to leave the application, send an email, or fill out a web form.
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Since the Ideascale widget’s introduction, OpenMaps has:
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• Collected hundreds of suggestions for future versions. With thousands of actively
engaged users, hundreds began to submit ideas, suggestions, bugs, and feedback through the
Ideascale iPhone widget.
• Created and implemented 13 new features based on user feedback. Using the Ideascale
widget as a crowdsourcing opportunity, OpenMaps listened to their users and created new
features including introducing a wider variety of map types, an enforced offline mode, cloud-
mate routing, and more.
• Responded to each bug rapidly while communicating with users when each project was
in process. Not only could users address the applications bugs immediately, the IdeaScale
iPhone Widget allowed OpenMaps to send push notifications back to users when an idea or
bug was in process or completed.
• Tracked what features and suggestions were most popular. OpenMaps was able to
identify which bugs, needs, and ideas were most pressing because other users responded to
similar suggestions. This helped to prioritize the OpenMaps workflow, saving time and
money.
• Established the Ideascale widget as one of OpenMaps’ premier offerings. Even today, the
Ideascale widget is listed as a key feature of the OpenMaps package, encouraging users to
submit bugs and feature requests right within the app and vote on the ideas and talk about
them with other users of OpenMaps.
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According to Zsombor Szabó, creator of OpenMaps: “We collected feedback via email, Twitter and
GetSatisfaction too, and still do. The IdeaScale iPhone widget was simply supposed to be an
experiment. It turned out to be a hit as we received much more user feedback than before. It
seems people really like giving feedback right from within the application.”
2IdeaScale Case Studies
OpenMaps
Implementing Ideas at the Speed of Suggestion

3. What started out as an experiment has made a real business impact. In an industry that evolves at
the speed of suggestion, enabling users, and keeping up with their needs is paramount. You can
download the OpenMaps application in the iTunes AppStore