Planning vs Navigation Disconnect:
Users plan trips in two distinct phases, but the current product treats planning and navigating as separate experiences. Real-world behavior requires fluid movement between these states.

"I usually just pick the order myself because I don't know if Maps will do it right."

Discoverability Crisis:
Critical features like route optimization and search along route are hidden behind overflow menus or navigation states. Many users don't know these features exist.

Minimizing Backtracking:
Users hate wasted driving and repeated roads. They manually optimize routes to avoid inefficiency, creating unnecessary mental load.

Round Trip Behavior:
Users frequently need to return to their starting point for errands and day trips, but must manually re-add home as the final destination.

User Persona:

Alex Busyman - Age 35, married, 1 kid, Project Manager, Chicago

"I just want to get everything done without feeling like I'm constantly on the road."

Pain Points:

• Overwhelmed when plans change

• Frustrated by tools that don't match how they plan

Goals:

• Have more time in the day to focus on family and personal projects

• Avoid the stress of last-minute changes or unexpected delays

• Feel confident that every trip is well-organized and worry-free

Design Prioritization:

Created a prioritization matrix based on effort vs. impact. Quick wins focused on surfacing existing features more clearly and improving discoverability through better UI placement. Smarter solutions leveraged Google's data to anticipate needs and build proactive planning features.