A Product Manager
Enhancing User Experience for MakeYourMaps: Through Data-Driven Discovery
This case study explores how I improved MakeYourMaps’ user experience by conducting UX research, identifying pain points, and designing a more intuitive Save feature.
Date: 14th October 2024
Content
Understanding the Challenge
Research and Prioritization
Diving into Product Discovery
The Solution
Measuring Success
Wireframe
Roadmap
Retrospective
Understanding the Challenge
Taking Ownership of the Product
As part of a professional product management course, I took on the role of a product manager on the iOS team at MakeYourMap for 2 weeks, where I focused on enhancing an existing feature to improve user experience and increase user engagement. Throughout this project, I:
Analyzed usage data to identify underperforming features and potential areas for improvement.
Engaged with user feedback from survey and interviews to uncover pain points and unmet needs.
Collaborated with stakeholders to align priorities and secure buy-in for the chosen initiative.
About MakeYourMap
MakeYourMap is a mobile app available on iOS that allows users to create, annotate, and share maps with friends. With a mission similar to Google Maps, MakeYourMap aims to help users explore and navigate their world. MakeYourMap is positioning itself as a key competitor in the navigation and exploration market, anticipating significant growth over the next 15 years. Its core features allow users to:
Discover new experiences, locally or globally.
Connect users with places of interest and facilitate trip planning.
Seamlessly navigate through unfamiliar or familiar locations.
Understanding the Users
MakeYourMap caters to a diverse audience, including:
Locals who use the app for daily commuting and exploring nearby places.
Travelers planning trips or exploring new areas during their journeys.
Businesses aiming to advertise or integrate MakeYourMap into their services.
Contributors who enrich the platform with reviews, photos, and other content.
Reviewers responsible for maintaining the quality and accuracy of user-generated content.
Analyzing Feature Usage
Usage data provided key insights into user behavior and feature adoption. On a typical day, the number of users engaging with various app features was as follows:
Feature | Number of Users / Day |
|---|---|
Launch app | 124,000 |
Search for location / destination | 108,000 |
Check for directions | 82,000 |
Start navigation | 70,000 |
Complete navigation | 48,000 |
Save location | 2,000 |
Research and Prioritization
Identifying Potential Improvements
To ensure a data-driven and user-centered approach, I conducted a round of interviews focusing on understanding users’ needs, use cases, and pain points to prioritize potential areas of improvements.
Research Goals:
Identify key user challenges and opportunities to enhance engagement.
Validate and prioritize features for improvement.
Methodology:
Conducted 10-user interviews with participants aged 25–35 (5 male, 5 female) from Egypt, Germany, and Norway.
Participants included frequent travelers and locals with professions like product managers, developers, and doctors.
Interviews were, conducted via voice calls, lasted 20-30 minutes, and written notes were analyzed post-interview.
User Pain Points:
key results were ranked according to the number of affected users:
Impact on Users | Pain Point |
|---|---|
High |
|
Medium |
|
Weak |
|
Prioritization and Chosen Focus
During the ideation phase, I brainstormed several potential solutions to address the identified pain points. These included enhancing the saved locations feature, introducing a point system, creating personalized itineraries, and more. To evaluate these ideas, I used a prioritization framework that assessed user impact, business value, and development effort.
Top Solutions Considered:
Improving the Saved Locations Feature: Simplifying the feature and making it more interactive and intuitive by incorporating category-specific icons to improve usability.
Introducing a Point System: Incentivizing contributors to report outdated or incorrect information, such as closed roads or inaccurate business details.
Rational for Prioritizing these Solutions
Both solutions stood out as high-impact, low-effort opportunities to significantly improve user experience:
Outdated information critically affected 70% of participants.
The confusing saved locations feature drove users to competing apps to save their favorite places. Usage data confirmed its underperformance, with only 2,000 daily users out of 124,000 app launches.
Why the Saved Locations Feature Was Prioritized over the Point System?
The saved locations feature was ultimately prioritized for the following reasons:
Broader Impact: All participants affected by outdated information were located in Egypt, indicating a regional problem. While worth exploring further, limited resources and data made improving the saved feature the more globally impactful choice.
Lower Development Effort: Enhancing the saved locations feature required less effort compared to the point system, making it a more efficient use of resources.
Strategic Opportunity: Improving this feature would address a pressing user need and improve engagement for a much larger audience, as it impacts users across all regions.
Diving into Product Discovery
Problem Statement
Users find the saved location feature on MakeYourMaps confusing due to the seven saved list types, and limited interactivity and accessibility. As a result, they often turn to other applications for saving their locations and travel plans, reducing engagement and retention on our platform.
Validating Solution and Assumptions
Research Goal
The research aimed to validate and refine the proposed enhancements for the saved locations feature, ensuring they effectively address user needs while increasing engagement and retention. Specifically, it focused on evaluating the following improvements:
Simplification: Reorganizing the feature into a single type of saved list system.
Visual Differentiation: Introducing unique icons for saved locations for different categories; customized by users.
Enhanced Navigation: Displaying these icons directly on the map for quick recognition.
Improved Feature Visibility: Repositioning the saved locations button to a more prominent location, encouraging usage.
The objective was to determine whether these changes would make the feature more intuitive, efficient, and accessible, while also assessing their impact on user engagement. Additionally, the research aimed to identify any further refinements needed to optimize the feature for long-term adoption and satisfaction.
Research Methodology
To ensure a well-rounded understanding of user needs and feedback, the research was conducted in two parts:
Survey:
Designed to assess the usability and potential impact of the proposed enhancements.
Focused on measuring user satisfaction and likelihood of increased usage.
Interviews:
Four in-depth interviews were conducted to gain deeper insights into users’ needs and validate the proposed changes.
Interviewees did not complete the survey, ensuring unfiltered reactions and feedback.
Key Insights
Analysis of survey responses and interview feedback revealed the following trends:
Increased Usage | 50% of participants indicated that the proposed enhancements would lead to increased usage of the saved feature.
|
No Change in Usage | 27.27% reported that their usage would remain the same. This group included:
|
Decreased Usage | 22.73% anticipated a decrease in usage, primarily due to:
|
While the proposed changes were generally well-received, feedback highlighted considerations for successful implementation:
Simplification: Consolidating saved lists into a single system is appreciated but should include suggested lists to allow flexibility.
Visual Enhancements: Unique icons enhance navigation and recognition but must avoid cluttering the map. Customization options should be switched off as a default and and can be switched on depends on users' preferences.
User Personas
The Solution
Measuring Success
OKRs
KPIs
Wireframe
Roadmap
Retrospective
