Google Maps

Making discovery in Ask Maps more efficient, inspiring, and actionable

Google Maps operates at a scale few products can match: more than 2 billion people use it each month, powered by a constantly evolving understanding of hundreds of millions of places and the geospatial context of the world around us. Ask Maps builds on that foundation with conversational AI, giving people a new way to ask complex questions, discover places, and turn real-world information into action.

During my internship, I led a 0→1 product design project for Ask Maps, developing and pressure-testing a tangible design direction for how conversational discovery could better support complex decision-making. My work focused on making discovery more efficient and actionable while preserving the inspiration and exploration that make Maps uniquely valuable.

I owned the project from early problem framing through final recommendations, leading design, prototyping, research, and iteration. I also proposed and conducted an independent UXR study and collaborated closely with cross-functional partners across UX, UXR, product, and engineering to refine the direction through user insight, product context, and technical feedback.

Confidentiality note: Due to confidentiality obligations, this case study focuses on my role, design approach, and high-level learnings. Proprietary details, internal findings, and product visuals have been omitted.

The Challenge

Discovery is not simply a lookup problem. People often need to understand their options, weigh different considerations, uncover possibilities they had not initially considered, and decide what to do next.

For Ask Maps, the opportunity was to build on the richness of Google Maps while making that discovery journey feel clearer, more engaging, and easier to act on.

How might Ask Maps make complex discovery more efficient, inspiring, and actionable?

I focused on three design opportunities.

01 — Make decisions more efficient

Complex discovery can require people to make sense of a lot of information before reaching a decision.

I focused on making the experience clearer, more scannable, and easier to navigate, helping people identify what was most useful to them with less effort.

02 — Make discovery more inspiring

Discovery is not always about reaching the fastest answer. People may begin with one idea while remaining open to places and possibilities they had not considered.

I considered how Ask Maps could balance focused decision-making with open-ended exploration, drawing on the richness of Google Maps to help people discover relevant possibilities without losing focus.

03 — Make the experience more actionable

Useful information should help people move forward.

I designed around the broader journey from understanding options to making a confident decision and taking the next step, considering how the experience could better support momentum throughout discovery.

Design Approach

Because conversational experiences need to support a wide range of questions and needs, I developed an approach that could remain clear, flexible, and useful across different situations.

Through wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes, I generated and refined multiple directions, using iteration to test the strengths and limitations of each approach.

Accessibility was an important lens throughout the work, particularly around clarity, scannability, hierarchy, and cognitive load.

Research + Iteration

To move beyond design intuition, I proposed and led an independent UX research study.

I developed the study plan and materials, facilitated sessions, synthesized findings, and translated what I learned into subsequent design iterations.

Research became a tool for challenging assumptions and sharpening the direction—not simply validating work after the fact.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

I worked closely with designers, researchers, PMs, engineers, and other cross-functional partners throughout the project.

Regular critique and feedback helped me evaluate the work through user, product, and technical lenses, challenge my assumptions, and strengthen the direction as it evolved.

Outcome

The project culminated in a research-informed design direction and set of recommendations for Ask Maps, shaped through iterative design, independent user research, and cross-functional feedback.

Because the work is confidential, I cannot share specific product outcomes or internal decisions. The case study instead highlights the thinking, rigor, and collaboration behind my contribution.

Key Takeaways

Create structure within ambiguity

Leading a 0→1 project strengthened my ability to take an open-ended problem, define a clear design focus, create tangible directions, and use research and cross-functional input to make increasingly informed decisions.

Design for both momentum and possibility

Discovery is strongest when people can move toward a decision without closing off opportunities to uncover something they had not considered.