Troop Travel with Google Maps

Enhancing Group Travel Experience with Real-time Position Tracking and Group Coordination

The project aims to develop a new feature for Google Maps that allows users to travel in groups and track each other’s location in real time. This feature will enhance the overall user experience by enabling seamless coordination and ensuring the safety of group members during their journeys.

It can be challenging to keep track of everyone's location when travelling with friends, especially when visiting new places.

The goal of this case study is to design and develop a comprehensive group travel feature within Google Maps. By addressing the existing problem, we aim to enhance user experience, improve coordination among group members, and provide a seamless and enjoyable journey for users traveling together.

Members of the group can become dispersed or lost without an effective means of communication, which would cause delays and frustration. It can also be difficult to coordinate group activities and navigate to the next place in the absence of real-time position tracking.

UX Research

To understand the pain points and needs of group travelers, we conducted user interviews, surveys, and observations. Key findings included

40 %

of respondents faced challenges in keeping the group together during trips

0 %

desired a more efficient way to coordinate activities and share information

0 %

expressed concerns about safety and navigation in unfamiliar places.

Sarah, 30 Years Old

Marketing Manager | 7 Years Experience

Sarah is a social butterfly who loves traveling with her friends. She has a busy work schedule but always makes time for her friends to take weekend getaways and explore new destinations. Sarah enjoys being organized and in control, especially when traveling in a group, but sometimes finds it challenging to keep track of everyone’s location and coordinate group activities.

The Goal

Sarah wants an app that allows her to track her friends' location in real time while on a trip. She wants to be able to stay connected with her friends, plan group activities, and avoid getting lost or separated. Sarah also wants an app that is easy to use, reliable, and provides privacy settings to control who can see her location.

Challenges

Sarah is concerned about the app's data privacy and security, and wants to ensure that her location data is not shared with unauthorized parties. She also wants the app to work seamlessly, even in areas with poor network connectivity or GPS signals. Sarah is not very tech-savvy and may need some help in setting up and using the app's features.

Behaviors:

Sarah is an active user of social media platforms and messaging apps, and relies heavily on technology to stay connected with her friends and family. She prefers apps that are user-friendly, visually appealing, and have a good user interface. She is willing to pay for an app that offers premium features, but expects a high level of quality and reliability in

John, 32 Years Old

Software Developer | 7 Years Experience

John is a tech-savvy traveler who loves exploring new destinations with his group of friends. He values spontaneity and adventure but also wants to ensure that the group stays safe and organized. John has a busy work schedule and often travels during weekends, making it challenging to coordinate group activities and stay connected with his friends.

The Goal

John wants an app that allows him to track his friends' location in real-time, even in areas with poor network connectivity. He wants to be able to share his location with his friends, navigate to the next destination, and coordinate group activities. John also wants the app to be customizable, allowing him to control the level of location sharing and privacy settings.

Challenges

John is concerned about the app's accuracy and reliability in tracking his friends' location, especially in areas with limited network coverage. He also wants the app to have a low battery consumption and not drain his phone's battery. John is a busy professional and may not have time to manually set up the app's features, so he wants the app to be intuitive and easy to use.

Behaviors:

John is an early adopter of new technologies and enjoys testing new apps and features. He prefers apps that offer a high level of customization, user control, and integration with other apps and services. John is willing to pay for an app that offers premium features and a high level of performance and reliability.

Group Creation and Selecting Location

Users can create a group and invite others to join, providing a seamless way to establish a travel community.

Invitation and Trip Scheduling

Invite other users to join the group by sharing a unique code and Scheduling the trip with more notification.

Trip Scheduling and Sharing

Real-time Location Sharing

Real-time Location Sharing: Users can share their real-time location with the group, and the app displays the live location of all members on a map.

INVITEE POINT OF VIEW

Notifications and Messaging

Users (Invitees) receive notifications when a group is created by the admin. A notification is also activated if a member deviates from the route. Also it enables quick communication and adjustment of plans.

Trip Archives

The group travel feature automatically archives trip details, allowing users to review past journeys and reference them in the future.

Conclusions

The introduction of the group travel feature in Google Maps has significantly improved coordination, communication, and safety for users traveling in groups. The seamless integration, intuitive design, and customization options have made it a valuable addition to the Google Maps ecosystem, enhancing the overall group travel experience for users.

Design with Aazam