Sean Brosnahan
Apple Maps Weather
Winter 2023
UX Research Methods for Design
Background
Initial Problem Statement
1
Surveys
Key findings:
Respondents value current weather conditions most among weather app features
Respondents value time of arrival estimation most among nav app features
A majority of respondents used navigation apps on an occasional basis, not daily
2
Interviews
Key findings:
All interviewees thought weather integration is useful to enhance the user experience but are concerned with cluttered UI and too many alerts
All interviewees had different use cases for navigation apps, showing how navigation apps are used for different purposes
All interviewers were more concerned with weather and road conditions for longer distance drives and road trips
“The more [weather info while driving] the
better, but I’m concerned with too much information that gets distracting, so people
should be able to change what they want to be alerted on.”
“[Weather in navigation apps] is a valid integration. I think it would make for less distracted driving because then I wouldn’t have to grab my phone.”
3
Affinity Mapping
usage, navigation usage, weather app perceptions, benefits to integration, and
concerns with integration. Created two different affinity maps through overlapping
themes and sentiments.
4
User Personas
5
Clarifying the Problem
Road Conditions Reframing:Users care about weather with respect to road conditions, so the prototype should create more opportunities for users to be alerted of road conditions/hazards.
Route Optimization:Users have shown to care about optimizing their route. The prototype will look to show weather and road conditions information to help users decide between routes.
6
Iteration
Key Screen 1
Before driving, some users like to prepare ahead for any conditions they may face, especially during the winter. This road conditions feature allows them to easily evalute weather, road surface, traffic, and more. Red, yellow, and green dots indicate the level of warning. No need to check the news or weather app when its all in Apple Maps.
Key Screen 2
New radar overlay feature, integrated into existing maps feature
Many users like to see what the weather will be like at any moment along their route. This feature gives them the ability see radar without having to open a different app. When their are important weather events or inclement weather, a red dot will appear to indicate warnings.
Key Screen 3
Many users like (1) compare routes based on weather and road conditions and (2) to know what weather they will face at moments along their route, especially for long road trips. This feature gives them the opportunity to see what the radar will be like at any given time in their route. Simply slide the timeline to see the radar in the future.
Key Screen 4
After selecting alerts and notification preferences, users will have the opportunity to receive more extensive alerts that impact their route.