So our goal is to make it easier for users to find directions as well as the not as well known features of Google Maps. Do our changes actually make it easier for the user to find new features and directions? Are our design choices instead making it more difficult in certain areas and easier in others?
My hopes are that the tabbed interface we’ve designed aids in revealing some of the hidden areas of Google Maps. It’s simple, yet it makes a greater number of features far more visible than they were previously. This is only true if the users actually click on the tabs.
It all comes down to efficiency. During our paper prototype runs, did the user actually use the tabs? If not, did it take a long time for them to complete the task without using them? Is it even possible to complete the task without clicking on the tab? I believe post-test interviews might be a good way to let the user elaborate on this. If the user is able to complete a given task, designed to be completed using one of our tabs, without ever using the designated tab we may need to change some things around.
