02 Navigation · Accessibility

Google Maps Redesign

Seniors weren't struggling with usability. They were struggling with trust.

51–70 year olds don't stop using Google Maps because it's complicated. They stop using it because they don't trust it. This project explores how landmark-based navigation, reassurance, and explainable system behaviour could make navigation feel safer, more predictable, and more human.

Domain

Navigation · Accessibility

Research

5 interviews · 1 observation session · Adults aged 56–69

Output

Research findings, product strategy, high-fidelity demo

Methods

User Interviews Contextual Observation Trust Reframe 11 Screens Demo

When I began this project, I assumed senior citizens struggled with Google Maps because the interface was visually overwhelming.

The research pointed somewhere else entirely.

Participants could search for destinations. They could start navigation. They understood the basics. The friction appeared after navigation began. The real problem wasn't operating Google Maps. It was trusting it.

User Research

Who was I designing for?

Not all seniors behave the same way. For this redesign I focused specifically on adults aged 51–70.

Unlike older age groups, they still attempt to navigate independently, own smartphones, and regularly travel to important destinations — hospitals, temples, markets, family events.

They have motivation. They have access. But they experience significantly more friction than younger users.

Research goals

Understand how people currently navigate and which tools they trust.

Identify where confidence breaks down during a real navigation session.

Understand how trust is built or lost during a journey.

Primary Persona

Ramaiah, 58

Ramaiah

58 · Retired Government Employee · Hyderabad

"What if I get lost somewhere unfamiliar?"

Goals

Arrive safely at unfamiliar destinations

Avoid wrong turns

Feel confident throughout the journey

Frustrations

Instructions arrive too late to react

Unexpected route changes feel confusing

Screen feels cluttered while driving

Constant need to check if still on correct route

Research Approach

5 interviews. 1 observation. One clear pattern.

The goal wasn't to generate statistically significant findings. The goal was to identify patterns strong enough to prioritise against.

I conducted 5 semi-structured interviews, 1 contextual observation session, with participants aged 56–69, plus supplementary research across online communities discussing navigation challenges faced by older adults.

Interviews focused on how people currently navigate, where confidence breaks down, and how trust is built or lost during a journey.

Participants

Weekly user

Private Employee

Monthly user

Homemaker

Monthly user

Retired Teacher

Rare user

Retired Gov. Employee

Monthly user

Business Owner

Research Synthesis

What I observed

Individual experiences varied, but the same four patterns appeared across every interview.

3 of 5 participants

Missed Turns Create Anxiety

Participants regularly missed turns on unfamiliar roads — not because they misunderstood the instruction, but because it arrived too late to comfortably react while driving. The problem wasn't the route. It was timing.

"Sometimes I realise I've already passed the turn."

3 of 5 participants

Route Changes Reduce Trust

Most weren't sure why route changes happened. Several assumed they had accidentally pressed something. The issue wasn't the route change itself — it was the complete absence of explanation.

"I don't know why it changed." · "I thought maybe I touched something."

5 of 5 participants

Landmarks Are Easier Than Distances

Every participant preferred landmark-based directions over distance-based instructions. Distance requires interpretation. Landmarks do not. Participants naturally thought in terms of shops, hospitals, temples, and intersections — not meters.

Instead of "Turn left in 200 meters" → "Turn left after Apollo Pharmacy"

4 of 5 participants

Users Need Reassurance, Not More Information

Participants repeatedly checked the screen despite voice navigation being active. They weren't looking for new information. They were looking for confirmation — that they were still on the correct route, that the app was still working, that no action was currently required.

"I just need to know I'm going the right way."

Problem Reframe

What looked like a usability problem was actually a trust problem.

All four findings pointed toward the same pattern. At first glance these seem like separate issues. They're not. They are different manifestations of the same underlying problem.

Missed turn

Confusion

Loss of confidence

Constant screen checking

Navigation anxiety → abandonment

Original assumption

Senior citizens struggle because Google Maps is complicated.

What research revealed

Senior citizens struggle because Google Maps doesn't provide enough reassurance during navigation.

Problem statement

Adults aged 51–70 struggle to trust Google Maps during navigation because route changes, turn instructions, and periods of inactivity lack sufficient context and reassurance.

The Insight

Senior citizens don't abandon Google Maps because it gives incorrect directions. They abandon it because it doesn't make them feel informed, reassured, or in control.

This insight changed the entire direction of the project. Instead of asking how to simplify Google Maps, the question became: how do we increase trust during navigation?

Design Principles

Four principles. Every solution evaluated against them.

Reassure

Keep users informed even when nothing is happening. Silence is not neutral — it's anxiety-inducing.

Explain

Every system action should have a reason. Unexplained changes damage trust immediately.

Simplify

Reduce cognitive load whenever possible. Every element on screen must justify its existence.

Anchor

Connect navigation instructions to the physical world. Landmarks, not meters.

Solution 01

Landmark-Based Navigation

Traditional navigation speaks in distances. Humans naturally speak in landmarks. Distance requires interpretation. Landmarks do not.

BeforeTurn left in 200 meters

AfterTurn left after Apollo Pharmacy

In 400m

Turn Left

After Apollo Pharmacy

📍 Landmark confirmed ahead

[ Map view ]

Solution 02

Reassurance Messages

During long stretches of driving, users wondered whether they were still on the correct route. A lightweight reassurance banner continuously communicates status — not new information, just confirmation that everything is on track.

BeforeSilence for 10 minutes → anxiety builds

AfterStay on this road for 4 km. I'll let you know when action is needed.

On Route · No action needed

[ Map view — all clear ]

Solution 03

Explainable Route Changes

Unexpected route changes damage trust. Whenever the route changes, the system now explains why. The route change remains the same. The understanding changes entirely.

BeforeRoute updated. [No explanation]

AfterNew route selected. Saves ~12 min due to heavy traffic ahead.

⚠ Route Updated

New route selected.
Saves approximately 12 minutes due to heavy traffic ahead on NH 65.

Use new route

Keep original

Solution 04

Simplified Navigation Interface

Every element on screen must justify its existence. Traffic layers, explore tabs, contribution tools, and secondary controls were removed from the primary navigation experience. The result is a calmer interface focused entirely on reaching a destination safely.

[ Focused map ]

Turn left in 500m

After HDFC Bank

Arriving in

18 min

Figma Demo

11 screens across two flows

The demo covers onboarding — establishing trust before navigation begins — and the core navigation experience, built around the four design principles.

Flow 01

Onboarding

on1.png

ON · 01Welcome

on2.png

ON · 02Preferences Setup

on3.png

ON · 03Ready to Navigate

Flow 02

Navigation Experience

s1.png

S · 01Home

s2.png

S · 02Destination Search

s3.png

S · 03Route Preview

s4.png

S · 04Navigation Active

s5.png

S · 05Landmark Instruction

s6.png

S · 06Reassurance State

s7.png

S · 07Route Changed

s8.png

S · 08Arrived

Closing Reflection

The biggest lesson wasn't about accessibility.

Problem framing is everything

If I had accepted my original assumption, the solution would have been larger buttons and larger fonts. Research revealed a completely different problem. The reframe changed the entire project.

Trust features, not accessibility features

Landmark directions, reassurance messages, explainable route changes — none of these are accessibility features. They are trust features. And that distinction matters for the product strategy.

Silence is a design choice

The biggest insight from the observation session: users checked their screens repeatedly not to get new information, but because silence felt like failure. Designing for quiet moments is as important as designing for action.