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I wished a lot more companies would learn that lesson. It is such a pain when you have to use some software and then you get the popups about new features. The

I wished a lot more companies would learn that lesson. It is such a pain when you have to use some software and then you get the popups about new features. The features may be brilliant, but right now I don't care. I am doing something. Yet somehow PMs never realize that if they let the features be visible in the corner, I would click on them in 10 seconds when I am done with what I am doing and would actually want to read them.

antisthenes 5y ago
Looking at you, Google Maps. No, I don't need an "easier way to do X, Y" or whatever else your obtuse program manager decided would get them a promotion. I'm operating a 2-ton vehicle in traffic, so THE EASIER WAY would be to not obscure 50% of my phone screen, making me take eyes away from the road for an extra 2-3 seconds. Hint for anyone reading this at google - it's in the name. Maps. That's all I want from your app, UNLESS I am specifically searching for Food/Hotels/Groceries. Also, please stop doing a UI redesign every year. No, I don't need a pop-up if you want to reroute me around an accident. If it's faster - just reroute me, if it's not - don't.
- Fogest 5y ago
  I like all the things in Google Maps that you disagree with. Maybe you're just not the target audience and should switch to an app that works better for your needs? Google Maps does automatically choose the better route if it finds one, but it gives you time to cancel that action if you'd like before it switches.
  - gralx 5y ago
    As a fellow user of Google Maps, I'd gladly give up those features to make the roads a little safer. You have different priorities.
    - Fogest 5y ago
      Yes but what I mentioned does not require any interaction, it still does change the route to a faster one without having to do anything. I don't see how that makes a difference in safety? I am not worried about people using a GPS on the road, I am worried about the people I've seen who are scrolling through their social media feeds and watching videos that play in the feeds and everything. Or the people sending big text messages, the people who are having conversations with passengers and for some reason always have to look at the person to speak rather than keeping their eyes on the road, etc....
      - JohnFen 5y ago
        > Yes but what I mentioned does not require any interaction, it still does change the route to a faster one without having to do anything. I don't see how that makes a difference in safety? It makes a difference for people (like myself) who very much don't want the route to change automatically. It means that some attention has to be paid to the app so you can tap the screen in time to make it stop, and it means that you have a time-limited action that you must perform. Two things that add to the cognitive load and distraction.
        Fogest 5y ago
        Yes, but the OP of this comment thread you tagged along on said they preferred it the other way: > No, I don't need a pop-up if you want to reroute me around an accident. If it's faster - just reroute me, if it's not - don't. That is what I am addressing. That it already does automatic rerouting without user interaction being required.
  - kroltan 5y ago
    Settings are supposed to exist, despite what corner-cutting suits would like to believe. Different people do have different needs, and it's clear that Google Maps attempts to reach a wide audience since it's both a map, business directory, and navigation service. If it must ask, offer "always pick faster route" and "always follow planned route" buttons on first use and in a menu somewhere.
    - Fogest 5y ago
      I mean always follow planned route kinda goes counter to the whole point of navigating with Google Maps. Google Maps uses live traffic data and user reports to determine the best route. I don't see why they would add these features and then offer an option to just ignore those features and instead use a fixed route. There are many other apps that offer that. Even just downloading a paper map off Mapquest would accomplish that similar goal. I think we all know by now Google goes for the simply route that asks the least of a user. Google is well known for not providing much customization and basically forcing you to use it a certain way. And clearly this model works with the popularity they have. I know us powerusers don't always like this kind of thing, but for regular users this is the way that seems to work best.
  - antisthenes 5y ago
    I disagree with using pop-ups during driving to make users discover those new features. I don't actually hate the new features themselves.
- bitcharmer 5y ago
  It's amazing how Google employs all these super smart people and they end up doing stupid shit like that.
  - InCityDreams 5y ago
    Not so super smart, then, are they? Throughout all these comments i just hear George Carlin....'people that should be.....'
- warning26 5y ago
  As much as I prefer Google Maps's routing functionality, this is one thing that admittedly Apple Maps gets right in its UI; when you open it, there's a map, a search box, and my search history. Google Maps used to be that, until PMs took over pushing random new features. No, Google, I did not open your maps app so I could see "what's new", and have no desire to do that. Even the search history is broken -- it now uses some inscrutable logic to decide whether or not a previous search is worthy of inclusion into the past searches list.
- wolpoli 5y ago
  Yes, I check traffic much often than looking for Food/Hotels/Groceries, but somehow the toggle for traffic is hidden behind a small layer icon, while Food/Hotels/Groceries occupy the top of the screen.
  - matkoniecz 5y ago
    Well, Food/Hotels/Groceries is an ideal place to show ads - which is the primary actual purpose of Google Maps as far as Google is concerned.
matkoniecz 5y ago
Problem here is that purpose of Google Maps is completely divergent between users and Google. For example Food/Hotels/Groceries is an ideal place to show ads - which is the primary actual purpose of Google Maps as far as Google is concerned.
Nextgrid 5y ago
The main problem is that if the company's model is "growth and engagement", the objective of the company is for you to "engage" with them (and look at the ads or whatever dark pattern they're pushing). It is not to help you accomplish whatever task you were trying to do with their product. The "product", if it's there, is merely a necessary evil to convince the users to "engage" with it. The PM couldn't care less about whether it interrupts your flow - he just knows that interrupting the flow of millions of people will net them that next promotion and a nice "increased engagement by double-digit percentages" bullet point on the resume. The company executives don't care either, because they know that boasting about the increased engagement figures will make their stock price go up. By the time the degraded experience causes actual repercussions for the company (if it ever does - it won't if they've got a monopoly), both the aforementioned PM and executives will be long gone and will already have cashed out.
- tomjen3 5y ago
  Sure, but I have seen the same thing with paid software, and it lowers engagement because by the time I am ready to read it, I can’t.

antisthenes 5y ago

Looking at you, Google Maps. No, I don't need an "easier way to do X, Y" or whatever else your obtuse program manager decided would get them a promotion. I'm operating a 2-ton vehicle in traffic, so THE EASIER WAY would be to not obscure 50% of my phone screen, making me take eyes away from the road for an extra 2-3 seconds. Hint for anyone reading this at google - it's in the name. Maps. That's all I want from your app, UNLESS I am specifically searching for Food/Hotels/Groceries. Also, please stop doing a UI redesign every year. No, I don't need a pop-up if you want to reroute me around an accident. If it's faster - just reroute me, if it's not - don't.

Fogest 5y ago
I like all the things in Google Maps that you disagree with. Maybe you're just not the target audience and should switch to an app that works better for your needs? Google Maps does automatically choose the better route if it finds one, but it gives you time to cancel that action if you'd like before it switches.
- gralx 5y ago
  As a fellow user of Google Maps, I'd gladly give up those features to make the roads a little safer. You have different priorities.
  - Fogest 5y ago
    Yes but what I mentioned does not require any interaction, it still does change the route to a faster one without having to do anything. I don't see how that makes a difference in safety? I am not worried about people using a GPS on the road, I am worried about the people I've seen who are scrolling through their social media feeds and watching videos that play in the feeds and everything. Or the people sending big text messages, the people who are having conversations with passengers and for some reason always have to look at the person to speak rather than keeping their eyes on the road, etc....
    - JohnFen 5y ago
      > Yes but what I mentioned does not require any interaction, it still does change the route to a faster one without having to do anything. I don't see how that makes a difference in safety? It makes a difference for people (like myself) who very much don't want the route to change automatically. It means that some attention has to be paid to the app so you can tap the screen in time to make it stop, and it means that you have a time-limited action that you must perform. Two things that add to the cognitive load and distraction.
      - Fogest 5y ago
        Yes, but the OP of this comment thread you tagged along on said they preferred it the other way: > No, I don't need a pop-up if you want to reroute me around an accident. If it's faster - just reroute me, if it's not - don't. That is what I am addressing. That it already does automatic rerouting without user interaction being required.
- kroltan 5y ago
  Settings are supposed to exist, despite what corner-cutting suits would like to believe. Different people do have different needs, and it's clear that Google Maps attempts to reach a wide audience since it's both a map, business directory, and navigation service. If it must ask, offer "always pick faster route" and "always follow planned route" buttons on first use and in a menu somewhere.
  - Fogest 5y ago
    I mean always follow planned route kinda goes counter to the whole point of navigating with Google Maps. Google Maps uses live traffic data and user reports to determine the best route. I don't see why they would add these features and then offer an option to just ignore those features and instead use a fixed route. There are many other apps that offer that. Even just downloading a paper map off Mapquest would accomplish that similar goal. I think we all know by now Google goes for the simply route that asks the least of a user. Google is well known for not providing much customization and basically forcing you to use it a certain way. And clearly this model works with the popularity they have. I know us powerusers don't always like this kind of thing, but for regular users this is the way that seems to work best.
- antisthenes 5y ago
  I disagree with using pop-ups during driving to make users discover those new features. I don't actually hate the new features themselves.
bitcharmer 5y ago
It's amazing how Google employs all these super smart people and they end up doing stupid shit like that.
- InCityDreams 5y ago
  Not so super smart, then, are they? Throughout all these comments i just hear George Carlin....'people that should be.....'
warning26 5y ago
As much as I prefer Google Maps's routing functionality, this is one thing that admittedly Apple Maps gets right in its UI; when you open it, there's a map, a search box, and my search history. Google Maps used to be that, until PMs took over pushing random new features. No, Google, I did not open your maps app so I could see "what's new", and have no desire to do that. Even the search history is broken -- it now uses some inscrutable logic to decide whether or not a previous search is worthy of inclusion into the past searches list.
wolpoli 5y ago
Yes, I check traffic much often than looking for Food/Hotels/Groceries, but somehow the toggle for traffic is hidden behind a small layer icon, while Food/Hotels/Groceries occupy the top of the screen.
- matkoniecz 5y ago
  Well, Food/Hotels/Groceries is an ideal place to show ads - which is the primary actual purpose of Google Maps as far as Google is concerned.

matkoniecz 5y ago

Problem here is that purpose of Google Maps is completely divergent between users and Google. For example Food/Hotels/Groceries is an ideal place to show ads - which is the primary actual purpose of Google Maps as far as Google is concerned.

Nextgrid 5y ago

The main problem is that if the company's model is "growth and engagement", the objective of the company is for you to "engage" with them (and look at the ads or whatever dark pattern they're pushing). It is not to help you accomplish whatever task you were trying to do with their product. The "product", if it's there, is merely a necessary evil to convince the users to "engage" with it. The PM couldn't care less about whether it interrupts your flow - he just knows that interrupting the flow of millions of people will net them that next promotion and a nice "increased engagement by double-digit percentages" bullet point on the resume. The company executives don't care either, because they know that boasting about the increased engagement figures will make their stock price go up. By the time the degraded experience causes actual repercussions for the company (if it ever does - it won't if they've got a monopoly), both the aforementioned PM and executives will be long gone and will already have cashed out.

tomjen3 5y ago
Sure, but I have seen the same thing with paid software, and it lowers engagement because by the time I am ready to read it, I can’t.