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From navigation utility to discovery tool
Challenge
How do you fundamentally change how people use one of the world's most downloaded apps?
Context
Purpose: Map every moment
Google was transforming Maps from a mere mapping utility into a planning tool.
But people’s behaviors around Google Maps were deeply ingrained and focused strictly on getting from A to B. They turned to other apps to choose their destinations and optimize their experiences.
Long conversations with the engineers on the project unlocked their vision: a fundamental shift in how we use maps to navigate our lives.
This unlocked a different way of looking at Google Maps’ role in the world: we flipped the meaning of ‘map’ from a noun to a verb. We made it a way of exploring time rather than space. Of discovering life, rather than merely navigating it. We built a persona of Maps’ most demanding users — young city dwellers across the globe — and defined myriad opportunities for Google Maps to optimize their lives.
Action
Mapping out a clear path for a new Google Maps
We partnered with them to imagine the future of the personal map, and reposition Google Maps as the single most important tool to explore the world around you.
We defined the target user, brand story, and creative platform for Google Maps as it evolved into a more discovery-led experience.
To bring the purpose to life, we developed robust tone of voice guidelines and creative samples that helped align multiple stakeholder groups. We then defined critical features on the product roadmap that would bring Maps to life in new ways through in-app surprise and delight moments. Finally, we created internal and external communications that helped relaunch Google Maps during Google’s iconic 2018 I/O keynote.