15 years ago, I helped design Google Maps.
I still use it everyday.
Last week, the team dramatically changed the map’s visual design.
I don’t love it.
It feels colder, less accurate and less human.
But more importantly, they missed a key opportunity to…
In 2006, I was 1 of 4 designers on Google Search.
For 20 years, every search engine has copied Google.
Now ChatGPT, Bard + Claude look like Google's offspring - "better” search engines.
But last week signaled we're on the brink of a design revolution.
ChatGPT unveiled…
In 2008, Google Maps launched in India.
But we quickly ran into a problem:
Nobody used street names.
And street names were the foundation of Google Maps.
The team had to make some big adaptations.
15 years later, the changes have stood the test of time.
Here's how the team…
In 2007, I was 1 of 2 designers on Google Maps.
The app was growing like wildfire.
But it was becoming a cluttered mess — new features were being shoved into every pixel.
Here’s the 4-step process we used to redesign Google Maps into one of the most loved apps in the world: 🧵…
In 2010, YouTube had 800M active users + streamed 2B+ videos daily.
But internally, we were flying by the seat of our pants.
One burning question was on our minds:
How were people actually using YouTube?
Here's the story of how one UX researcher ignited sweeping changes to…
Twitter’s UX for long-form content is a classic design fail.
It’s a seemingly simple feature.
But fails to consider the full end-to-end experience.
I’ve spent 20 years designing products that grew to 1B+ users.
Here’s how the long-form UX is busted and how I’d fix it: 🧵…
SUMMARY
Here were the 4 key steps we took at Google Maps to simplify the design and scale for the future:
1. Deconstruct all content, features, and functionality
2. Reframe around people and their use cases
3. Explore ways to reconstruct the product
4. Scale for the future
1/ I am excited to join
@electriccaptial
as a Design Partner.
I've spent almost 20 years designing products that grew from a few million to 1B+ users.
For the next 20, I'm excited to help Web3 companies build simple user experiences to grow from thousands to 1B+ users. 🧵
“Apple” is synonymous with good design.
They brought us the Macintosh, the iPhone, and now the Vision Pro.
And yet, on my iPhone I have 5 alarms for 6:45am...
The UI is uncharacteristically messy.
Here are 3 key issues with the Alarm Clock UI + possible solutions to fix them:…
In 2007, we simplified the Google Maps UI from 3 tabs to 1 search box.
In my last thread, I detailed the steps that we took.
Two important questions came up about the changes:
1. Did we have pushback from leadership?
2. How did we get feedback from users?
Let’s dive in: 🧵…
In 2007, I was 1 of 2 designers on Google Maps.
The app was growing like wildfire.
But it was becoming a cluttered mess — new features were being shoved into every pixel.
Here’s the 4-step process we used to redesign Google Maps into one of the most loved apps in the world: 🧵…
Several people asked how we captured local landmarks.
I asked
@okhroust
and both of our memories are a little foggy.
But at the time, Maps was all about user generated content. People could both add and correct info on Google Maps. So I imagine we relied heavily on UGC.
@andefred
Totally fair question! 😂
At that time, in addition to continued optimizations…
We were working on Universal Search — the evolution from showing text-only webpage results to results that included different media (photos, videos, maps, etc.)
X recently launched a new long-form feature: Articles.
I was given early access to provide feedback.
As a long-post enthusiast, I loved the rich editing experience.
As a designer + user, I could see some challenges.
To succeed as a feature, one key issue needs to be fixed:…
@daveholtz
@Airbnb
Was this listed as a "studio with full bath?" 🤔
And was it literally just a bathroom or a bathroom in a larger unit and they turned it into a "ensuite bedroom?"
Generative AI is mind boggling.
But right now, it’s a terrible tool for creating specific images.
Why?
The user experience is stunted.
And current tools aren’t considering the full end to end UX.
I’ve spent 20 years designing products that grew to 1B+ users.
It’s time to…
QR code menus are out.
Thank God.
They were a piece of technology forcibly wedged into an otherwise very human experience.
But the world revolted.
And now they are being replaced with creative, personality-rich paper menus.
But why, exactly, were QR codes such a failure? 👇…
Nothing makes me feel more like a boomer than:
My kids teaching me something new about a product I worked on.
And me being a curmudgeon about it.
My 11 y/o was navigating with Google Maps and discovered he could change the blue arrow into a red car, green truck, or yellow SUV.…
Hiring a great designer is hard.
Many founders start with contract designers to bring their vision to life.
This can get your product out there fast, but contract designs sometimes miss the mark.
Here are 3 tips to successfully working with contract designers: 🧵
1. SET THE…
Does anyone else feel like they should say “thank you” to chatGPT after it answers a question?
(I don’t feel this way with other products….I think it’s the conversational interface and tone of voice + me asking it to do tasks I’m grateful not to do myself.)
I spend a lot of time on my road bike.
Getting hit by a car is my
#1
concern.
Until I found a product that gives me a sixth sense on the road with a simple + effective UI.
Garmin’s bike radar is pretty much perfect.
Here’s how it works and why it nails the user experience:…
Web3 still has a long way to go when it comes to UX design.
Common tasks are confusing, hard, and risky.
After 20 years of designing the biggest web2 products, I've learned that making simple, intuitive, trusted products boils down to these 3 fundamentals: 🧵
Many early stage founders misunderstand design
They end up with a product that feels fractured, cluttered, and inconsistent
To develop a well designed product, you need to know what NOT to do. These are the 5 most common pitfalls to avoid 🧵
1/15
In my first year of posting on X, I got to 20k+ followers.
A huge thanks to you all!
I’ve had so much fun sharing my thoughts and experiences and can't wait to post more in the new year.
Here are my top 5 posts of 2023:
@DerailleurAgile
Just to clarify, the original designer on Google Maps was Jens Rasmussen. He and his brother, Lars were the masterminds behind the product that was acquired by Google and launched as Google Maps in 2005.
Another designer and I began working on Maps in 2006 as Jens rolled off.
My 11 y/o son: Microsoft isn’t a good company.
Me: No, it’s just that their user experience is terrible.
Anyone else struggled with Minecraft/Microsoft logins, family accounts, etc? It’s a mess and I’m thankful I’ve never had to deal with it before now…
1/ Want to ship faster AND better products?
Reconsider how you work with your designers:
• Offset design and engineering cycles
• Size + prioritize projects
• Staff design on the largest, highest-pri projects
• Let engineers ship small projects
• Review projects post-launch
1/ Simpler user experiences are critical to grow web3 companies from thousands to 1B+ users
This makes your first designer a critical hire. They set the stage for how your product works, looks, and feels.
Here is how to hire your first designer 🧵👇
Crypto & AI founders are facing a major hiring challenge.
They’re struggling to find designers with previous AI/crypto experience.
But here’s the solution:
Hire designers with strong general skills who also exhibit one key trait.
Here’s what to look for + where to find them:
AI will revolutionize our future.
But the hype could make us miss small opportunities to make huge impact.
We’re sitting on many easy wins — products we use daily could be dramatically improved with AI.
Here’s an idea for messaging apps + ChatGPT that could be a game changer:…
@john_lam
Yes, totally!
It's all about reducing friction and cognitive load — identifying the easiest ways to answer a person's questions in any given moment.
Onboarding onto new services should be super easy.
But most product teams build long, complicated flows that drop new users.
I regularly coach founders on how to do this better.
Here are 5 tips to create onboarding flows that actually work:
—
1. Keep it short + set…
I cringed seeing this font at SFO today…
After such a beautiful execution of wayfinding at Schiphol airport in the 1990s that set visual standards globally…
It seems like someone thought terminal 2 should be more fun?
An entire generation of designers became design managers because it was a high status job in big tech.
They lost the art of being focused on building.
Big tech layoffs are freeing up so much design talent that was focused on the wrong things.
Since ChatGPT started “Doing research with Bing”…
I’ve been using it a lot less.
It seems slower.
I don’t trust the results.
And it doesn’t feel like magic anymore.
ChatGPT used to feel like my indispensable sidekick that helped me do everything better.
But the magic…
Designers can’t stop pontificating about the titles of “UI Design” vs “UX Design.”
The truth is nobody outside of design cares about this nomenclature.
In fact, they are all confused and wondering if they are missing some important nuance.
Spoiler alert: they aren't.
—…
Most founders ask the wrong questions about design:
• How does this page look?
• Do our colors work?
• What do you think of these icons?
These are the 5 questions they should ask: 🧵
I’ve been seeing these date night posts going around.
Tonight was date night with
@othman
so thought I’d have a go.
How’d I do? 👇
Do you know what a "movie night" is?
Probably not, because my husband and I invented it just tonight in Redwood City, CA.
We lock our…
X will hide likes and reposts.
Elon is on a mission to beautify the UI.
But great design is more than just pretty pixels.
It should support the core value of the platform.
So could this be a misunderstanding of design?
Or does it signal a shift in the core value of X?…
Interested in more insights into design and tips for early stage founders?
I’ll be sharing in depth advice and guides that I won’t be posting on X in my free newsletter:
If your competitors are doing better than you, copying their UX isn’t going to help.
Without an understanding of:
• Who they’re building for
• What their end goal is
• What is actually working
...it’s impossible to know the rationale behind their design decisions.
TL;DR
It’s critical to consider a user’s full end-to-end experience around a feature.
5 Key issues + fixes for Long Tweets:
#1
: Engaging is hard
Fix: Row of floating engagement buttons or expand inline
#2
: Curating hook is difficult
Fix: Visual cue for 280 character cut-off…
For all the talk of the world’s largest cruise ship, nobody seems to be talking about the terrible typography…
It took $2B and 3 years to build the ship, but it looks like the 3 story logo was whipped by a marketing manager in MS Paint. Or was it the exec committee…?
My interview with
@elizlaraki
on The
@unstoppableweb
Podcast is LIVE🎙️
We cover:
• How web3 can reach 1B people
• The 3 elements for great UX design
• What the crypto industry can learn from KFC
Listen here:
Agreed.
But beauty is deeper than pretty pixels.
Beautiful interfaces are the result of:
• Providing real user value
• Creating easy-to-use flows
• Shipping clean, consistent visual design
More on this topic coming soon.
We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.
We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.
Seems like X hired the McKinsey group that defined airline pricing tiers...
• X Free $0/mo = Cargo
• X Basic $3/mo = Economy Class
• X Premium $8/mo = Premium Economy
• X Premium+ $16/mo = Business Class
Next up: Extra fees for emojis and frequent tweeter rewards?
This a long read, but highlights a key point:
Issue: Many designers treat their Figma files like the end design product.
Spoiler: They're not.
Solution: Focus engineering + design on shipped code as the end product.
I just finished this article on creating better workflows for design and engineering. The principles have formed over years of collaboration with product teams and they're central to our work on improving how we build digital products
@p_snehanshu
I included a few photos from the actual research trip.
My intent was to convey how important it is to go and experience other places and environments when building products.
The streets of India are clearly very different from a sterile research lab in Silicon Valley.
I know everyone is looking down at their phones for the latest OpenAI updates.
But look up!
What the f*%k is happening in the night sky tonight?
ChatGPT says it’s likely Starlink satellites that recently launched…
When I’m on hold, accepting a call back feels like a leap of faith.
Instead, services could leverage SMS to:
• Confirm I’m still in line
• Reassure me with updates
• Let me know I’m about to get a call back
I hadn’t seen anything like this until yesterday. While on hold to…
@gunsnrosesgirl3
If this guy can lure an enormous cobra into a bag so gracefully, it makes me wonder what he can teach me about herding three errant children into a minivan...
@josealivivas
Thanks for sharing! This early, early version of the UI has so many search buttons! But interesting to see directions examples here as a single field "jfk to 350 5th, new york, ny"
User research is crucial in creating a great product.
But it doesn’t have to be complicated.
You can learn a lot from just talking to people.
Here are 3 simple ways to get started:
–––
User Interview:
Have a conversation with people who use your product or who you are…
The
@google
Maps redesign is disappointing. As a daily user I wish the redesign was coupled with long desired product improvements. Examples:
1/ Directionality. We use Maps on frequent road trips and longer runs. A copilot in the car will look for food, coffee, or 🐶 park. 80%…
Missed opportunities for 2024 Hallmark Valentines Day cards:
“You’re the Travis Kelce to my Taylor Swift” ❤️
“Together, we’re more lit than my TikTok feed.”
“Roses are red. Violets are blue. I wish my Vision Pro could undress you.”
Others?
😂😂😂
@UserJourneys
Yes...I would be thrilled not to spend my time hunting around in my phone/app notification settings to get the outcome I want!
AI can definitely help shortcut us to the outcomes we want.
@Patel_p3
I left the Google Maps team in 2009, so I don't know how the team is currently handling this.
But perhaps someone at
@googlemaps
can chime in?
2/ Many basic crypto tasks are still surprisingly complicated — buying cryptocurrency, setting up a wallet, or finding NFTs.
Things are still far too nuanced and confusing. The experiences mimic the complexity of the underlying technology.
But this is also the historical norm.
Thanks to all the friends who have reached out to
@othman
and me. His family in Morocco is safe.
For those who have asked how to help, Othman listed several fundraising campaigns below that directly support victims of the earthquake.
♥️🇲🇦
Thank you to those who've reached out about the earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday night. My family is all OK, but they could very much feel the earthquake from Casablanca ( 200 miles from the epicenter).
Sadly, the death toll is over 2000 and still rising. While the…
To create well designed products, avoid these 5 common pitfalls:
1. Design in isolation
2. Engineering precedes design
3. Build via waterfall
4. Design by committee
5. No clear decision maker
For more tips on design + founders follow
@elizlaraki
15/15
In the past 15 years, I managed many different design teams across
@YouTube
and
@Meta
.
At Meta, design managers were expected to split their time on people and product 50/50.
You were accountable for both your team and the work your team shipped.
Measurable impact mattered.…
3/ I led design teams at
@google
,
@googlemaps
,
@YouTube
, and
@facebook
, making complex systems simple and usable.
The early UIs for search, video, and social were clunky and complicated...until we abstracted away the underlying tech in favor of simple, powerful experiences.
Last year I wrote my first X long-form piece on how we redesigned Google Maps.
It went viral — 4k+ likes!
And I got a ton of questions in the comments.
So I sat down to add more detail, expand on the context of the time, and answer some of your questions.
The full story is…
1. Value
No amount of smooth onboarding flows, slick UIs, or stylish buttons will make up for a product that isn't useful.
It's crucial to nail the value add of your product by:
⇒ Delivering on real needs
⇒ Making people's lives easier
⇒ Opening them to new experiences
Like so many new designers, when I first started, I wanted to make my mark.
I joined Google in 2005 and didn't get the "undesigned" vibe. My first task was designing a new product. I took the liberty to push the visual boundaries and make my mark.
It didn't go over so well. 👇
AI captcha concept:
Select the anatomically typical human hands.
AI struggles to arrange fingers accurately with four fingers and a thumb.
While many of us can't draw hands well, we do know what they should look like!
Leverage this to separate humans from bots. 🤞
@Google
@googlemaps
@YouTube
@facebook
6/ I saw this pattern repeat across Google Search, Maps, YouTube, and Facebook's profile, privacy and social impact products.
For these products, the early implementation was powerful, but complex. It was simple user experiences that made them accessible to billions.
No wonder America has an obesity problem.
We were just commenting on how these Magnum Mini ice cream bars were the perfect size.
Then I saw they were 450 calories per bar. 😳
But no…the serving size is actually THREE mini bars! Why?!! 🤯
Alibaba’s AI model for single image to “lip sync” video is incredible (in all dimensions).
The most stunning thing to me about these examples are the facial expressions for creating certain sounds (including mouth shape, eyebrows and eye movement (more visible in the later…
People are watching these video demos and are biting their lips..
It's a new, stunning Audio2Video AI model by Alibaba.
Next level lips sync and facial expression generations from just 1 reference image.
5 demos - singing and talking:
Let's talk about ✨presence✨ in multiplayer/collaborative apps...
Presence (also sometimes called "awareness") is state that's tied to a particular user session.
Cursors are the obvious example. When a client disconnects, their cursor should disappear from other users' view.