Improving the Homescreen for Novice Map Users
Client: A Giant Tech Company
Project Summary
I led mixed methods UX research to optimize the homescreen of a map-based app to address the needs of Novice Internet Users (NIUs) in Tier 1 + 2 cities in India.
Responsibilities
- Exploratory Research study
- Qualitative Concept Testing
- Quantitative Validation
Timeline & Team
40 weeks start to finish with a 2-person (designer + UX writer) fully remote team spread across 2 continents.
Results
In the first 2 months after launch, 45% of users engaged with category tiles to find essential services, leading to a 20% increase in onboarding success.
BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
A map-based app helps users:
1) find and navigate to Places of Interest (POI) and,
2) discover nearby places.
Stakeholders noticed an interesting trend:
1.Users primarily used the app to get directions to known locations but faced challenges locating nearby services on the map.
2.Many first-time users, especially Novice Internet Users (NIUs), struggled with discovering local services due to the absence of intuitive navigation and a lack of structured categories.
BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
Defining “Novice Internet Users” (NIUs)
Not who or where they are, it’s how they experience the internet
Low Digital Literacy
Low Digital Confidence
Low Value Discovery
Value Mismatch
Poor Learning Support
PROJECT SUMMARY
We saw an opportunity to drive engagement and improve retention through the introduction of category tiles on the homescreen … and it worked!
Users interacted with category tiles to discover local services
Of users completed essential tasks using the redesigned homescreen
Increase in onboarding success within 2 months of launch
PROCESS
I pitched and executed this project from foundational research through launch and collaborated closely with 2 UX designer, 1 UX writer & 2 ENG teams.
WEEK 1 – 8
WEEK 9 – 16
WEEK 17 – 39
LAUNCH
Pitch, Research Execution, Findings
Educated XFN teams on the value of measuring users’ subjective experience.
Utilized existing participant panels
Conducted exploratory research by interviewing 10 Novice Internet Users (NIUs)
Concept Strategy, Creation & Testing
Offered support in designing and testing landing page prototypes and testing them with 8 participants
Introduced utility (e.g., petrol pumps) and leisure (e.g., malls) clusters with colorful CTAs to enhance discoverability.
Data-driven Refinement
Leveraged data insights from Google Analytics, in-app interaction logs, and user retention cohorts to analyze geo-feature usage patterns and finalize the home screen categories.
Localization Validation to Launch
Conducted localization validation to ensure the app resonated with users across diverse languages and regions.
Tested category labels and icons in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi. Prepared for launch
How I did it…
PITCH
Given that the team had 10 months to validate the home screen, I had to convince the team of a strategic, user centered approach...
You know we have limited time… Why are we spending time doing this? How is it going to help us?
Can’t we just roll out the homescreen with the existing categories we currently have?
Your approach looks complicated… does it have to be this complicated?
PITCH
3 key decisions contributed to success.
Educated XFN Teams
Advocated for a mixed-methods approach to complement surveys.
Secured Buy-In
Presented real-world examples demonstrating how mixed methods lead to actionable insights.
Repurposed Existing Panels
Leveraged current participant pools to save time and resources.
RESEARCH EXECUTION
I planned foundational research and conducted 10 contextual interviews with participants in the existing panel.
5 Female Participants
First smartphone; Mix of frequent and infrequent traveler by Public Transport
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
- How do you usually find shops or services in your area?
- What makes you hesitant to use these apps?
- Would you prefer to see app content in Hindi or English? Why?
5 Male Participants
First smartphone; Mix of frequent and infrequent traveler by Public Transport
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
- When traveling, how do you usually figure out where to go or what to do?
- Do you ever feel frustrated or confused when using navigation apps? Why?
- Do you find it easier to locate services by landmarks? Can you share an example?
RESEARCH FINDINGS
WhatsApp, YouTube & Facebook dominated the digital ecosystem among NIUs due to their ease of use and trustworthiness.
These apps help them connect with family, access entertainment, and search for trusted information – especially information from known people
They preferred features like Voice search and visual aids (videos) over typing due to language barriers.
RESEARCH FINDINGS
Analysis revealed that shopping and accessing geolocal services, such as petrol pumps, chemists, or electrical shops is deeply rooted in habitual behavior and trust-based systems.
Their trust in technology was minimal, and was rooted in fears of fraud and complexity.
Female, Frequent Traveler
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
The research highlighted that users struggled to locate essential services due to ambiguous interfaces and unstructured layouts.
→ Ambiguous Information Presentation
→ Language Barriers
→ Technology Intimidation
Male, Frequent Traveler
CONCEPT CREATION
Post research, I hosted a brainstorming session with 10 XFN colleagues to refine the concept features.
Who were involved:
10 key members from Product, Engineering, Design & Copy that joined the educational workshop
How I facilitated it:
- Used a collaborative doc
- Guided them to think from both users’ and business perspectives by giving then pre workshop task to watch 1 participants interview.
- Scenario / Journey stage
- As a user, I would want to achieve…/ gain positive experience like…/ avoid negative experience like…
- As business, I also want to provide…to users
CONCEPT CREATION & TESTING
After the workshop, 3 key opportunities were identified…
1
Grouping services into Utility (e.g., Petrol Pumps, Chemists) and Leisure (e.g., Parks, Restaurants) for clarity.
3
Implementing Hindi-first labels and visual cues to reduce language barriers.
2
Implementing Hindi-first labels and visual cues to reduce language barriers.
CONCEPT CREATION & TESTING
Later, concept testing revealed that participants favored a home screen with intuitive, structured categories that mirrored their offline navigation habits.
This design aligned with their mental models, ensuring service discovery felt familiar and seamless.
→ Users prioritize essential services like Chemists, Hospitals, ATMs, and Petrol Pumps.
→ Organizing services into Utility and Leisure categories enhances intuitive and user-friendly navigation.
→ Regional language options and voice-enabled navigation boost confidence and ease of use for novice-internet users.
“ I can quickly find the chemist or petrol pump now…it feels like the app understands what place I want to find.
I took an out-of-the-box approach by leaving a card blank during the concept test, encouraging users to define and prioritize the services they would like to see on the homescreen.
Users in Tier 2 cities prioritize Religious Institutions and Vegetable Markets, reflecting their cultural and local needs.
Blank card suggestions reveal emerging interests, such as Exam Centres and Local Grocery Stores, expanding service categories.
