Make Your Maps
Introduction to Make Your Maps
Overview:
Make Your Map is a travel experience mobile app available on iOS that allows users to create their own user-generated content to annotate and share with friends. Users can become map contributors and write reviews, tips, and helpful information for popular places of interest on the app. Make Your Map has a huge global community of millions of contributors and users who rely on this user-generated map content to plan their vacations all year long. Similar to Google Maps, Make Your Map’s vision is to help users explore and navigate their world. It does so by enabling users to:
Discover new experiences across the world or around the corner;
Make plans happen for users by connecting them with the places they’re interested in;
Navigate the world.
The Scope:
Context: Make Your Maps is a project I took ownership of Make Your Map’s contributor feature, as well as identify and build new features and improvements as a PM student in Career Foundry, to demonstrate my mastery of the product development lifecycle.
Role: Product Manager
Project scale: December 2023- January 2024
Primary stakeholder: Career Foundry Product Management Course.
Tools used: Paper and pen, Figma, Miro, Trello, Google Suite, slack, quick player.
The Challenge
The number of users of the commenting features are small and also users don’t contribute to the app. The less users contribute to the app, the less information we have on the app and millions of users rely on this information to make informed decisions on their trips or navigation and discover new places of interest.This ultimately means less interaction with the feature and the app altogether after a while which may affect the company’s bottom line.
The objective for me as a product manager was to research, design, and build product improvements to create user-generated content in a mapping app.
How did I manage to balance stakeholders' expectations and user needs to align with business strategy? Let's look at the different product phases as I led the team from discovery, through development, to launch.
PHASE 1 - Understand the Product and User Research
I started by understanding the product and researching the way the current app has been built and is been used to recommend improvements to increase user growth in the contributor feature on the app.
My research was carried out using quantitative and qualitative (surveys and interviews) methods. It was important for me as the product manager not to ask misleading questions so as not to receive a biased answer from the participants during the research. The insights I got made me understand better the motivations of why people may or may not be contributors to the app.
Some of the key findings were:
Users responded that they will leave reviews or use the commenting feature if they receive pop-up notifications from the app.
Even though the local guides app is a necessity, precise information about locations and places is a top priority.
The reviews given and gotten from the app greatly influence the use and trust of the local guides app.
Discounts and rewards incentives would drive motivation for users turning them into contributors.
Users said reviews helped them discover and make informed decisions on places likely to be visited. This helps them to discover new places, become contributors, and build credibility.
Users will become contributors if they have good or bad local experiences enabled by the app.
PHASE 2 - Defining the Problem
Problem statement: Contributors find it difficult to and discover new places of interest to visit based on information shortage (little to no reviews/recommendations on the Make your Maps app) or information overload (Too much irrelevant information) resulting in minimal user experience and engagement with the app.
Additionally, data such as sharing reviews and opinions, photos, location accuracy, address, opening and closing hours, and filters reflect their experiences and are at the core of their user journey and experience. Adding a compelling feature can serve as a competitive advantage and also improve engagement and user experience.
NEXT STEPS...
I needed to come up with product improvement suggestions and prioritize them, but how?
PHASE 3 - Product Improvement Suggestion and Prioritization
From the insights I got, I came up with some product idea suggestions and prioritize them with the action priority matrix, which were based on known user pain points and data.
WHAT WAS THE OBJECTIVE? I led this exercise to help me prioritize feature suggestions. The prioritization technique revealed the impact it will have on users and the amount of effort it will take to build it.
Moving forward, I structured the collected data into a table, explaining the reasoning behind each feature suggestion. I prioritized implementing my top two features into the product. This was in alignment with our company vision and business goals.
PHASE 3 - Product Improvement Suggestion and Prioritization (Top 2 Ideas)
Introduce an incentives/ rewards system strategy.
Introducing an exclusive community for esteemed contributors.
PHASE 4 - Solution Justification
After presenting my prioritized ideas to the stakeholders, my top product idea which was the tangible incentive strategy was approved. I needed to justify my solution for my PRD so it was clear to colleagues and other stakeholders why this was my top idea.
Objective:
The enhanced incentivized strategy for contributing to Make Your Maps aims to engage users through rewards, sharing, referrals, and social recognition, encouraging active participation. Concrete progress can be measured using tools like points and badges, strengthening user commitment and fostering a sense of accomplishment.
Solution Justification
The process where the contributors add to the knowledge base of the maps will be incentivized, drawing inspiration from More Rewards and Temu. This approach will incorporate rewards, referrals, discounts, and pop-up notifications principles to enhance user engagement, motivation, and retention ultimately enhancing the enjoyment, effectiveness, and improving the contribution process.
The incentivized dynamics we plan to implement will yield valuable insights into user behavior within our app's context. This feedback will shape our future steps and influence the development of upcoming features.
Tangible Incentive Strategy:
Introducing an exclusive community for esteemed contributors, providing opportunities to accumulate points and access discounts and rewards at selected partner establishments. Moreover, crafting prominent reviews for specific venues that are shareable on diverse social media platforms will serve as valuable content for our social channels, boosting organic reach and virality. Additionally, the top contributor of noteworthy reviews may become a brand ambassador, further promoting app adoption among other users who, in turn, become contributors. Furthermore, engaging in themed challenges and sharing referral links will yield substantial rewards for users actively contributing within specified themes and timeframes.
NEXT STEPS...
I needed to validate our solution, but how?
PHASE 5 - Market and User Research
Goal: The goal of the research was to gain insight and understand the impact related to the potentially significant influence that incentives might and might not have on users' journeys, their engagement, and their motivation to leave reviews.
Additionally, I investigated the needs, aspirations, and expectations of users to create a more exclusive app environment, leading to a captivating user journey. Also, I examined users' willingness to participate in themed challenges and assessed the impact of these challenges on overall user satisfaction.
Methodology: Quantitative and qualitative (surveys and interviews) research methods.
Insights: One key insight highlighted suggestions for enhancing the app. Users were more likely to become contributors and maintain a regular posting schedule and explore new locations if provided with incentives. The interviews underscored the critical role of incentives in sustaining engagement, encouraging repeated contributions, and fostering loyalty to the app. A specific improvement suggested was the implementation of a pop-up notification feature upon app launch or login, encouraging users to post reviews, especially if incentivized. Participants believed that such immediate prompts could significantly boost user contributions. Additionally, participants expressed a desire for a sense of belonging to an exclusive community within the app. They saw the potential for such a community to instill identity and accountability. Joining an exclusive community, particularly with the recognition of a top contributor status, was seen as a motivating factor for more frequent posting. Participants believed that their influence within this community could address challenges related to limited and inaccurate information found on other competitor apps, enhancing the overall user experience. An incentivized approach was seen as crucial in fostering and increasing loyalty to the app.
NEXT STEPS...
My solution was validated and next, I created initiatives, epics, and user stories.
PHASE 6 - Initiatives, Epics, and User Stories
I broke down the product improvements into initiatives, epics, and user stories and I provided a clear association between the three and how they relate to each other.
INITIATIVE: Improve contributor features for Make Your Maps
EPIC ONE: Introduce an exclusive community for esteemed contributors
USER STORY: As an esteemed contributor the Make Your Maps, I want to be recognized and rewarded for my commitment, so that I can be provided with opportunities to accumulate points and access discounts and rewards at selected partner establishments. This will help contributors discover new places of interest, plan their outings, and keep them coming back to the app to contribute reviews building a connection and social identity with other users and the app in itself.
Acceptance criteria:
Prompt pop-up notifications reminding contributors to upload reviews of their discoveries and their progress within the app and how much points they can gain to increase their earning potential.
Provide an option to create an avatar and get a badge on the avatar to show their status on the app.
Reviews and comments are given and rated as a top priority.
Implement an automated system to send personalized notifications to contributors upon reaching significant milestones or achieving a new recognition tier. Offer a different incentive for every milestone they achieve (one month, three months, six months, one year….)
Provide an option to integrate their status on the Make Your Maps applications on their social media profiles.
Prompt leaderboard for various esteemed contributors in different locations.
Celebrate the anniversary of contributors' membership in the exclusive community by recognizing their long-term commitment and contributions.
Provide special perks or bonuses for contributors who have been part of the community for extended periods.
Organize regular feedback roundtables with esteemed contributors to gather insights on improving the contributor features and overall community experience.
Feature a monthly spotlight on a top contributor, highlighting their achievements, contributions, and any notable impact on the community. This spotlight can be shared through newsletters, community forums, or within the map application.
Additional subtasks:
Collaborate with marketing to finalize incentives and connect with top contributors to be our brand ambassadors in our Heroes program campaign. Introducing the esteemed members of the exclusive community to all users and giving a quick run-down of the benefits of belonging to the community. Rewards can include digital badges, premium features, or physical items like branded merchandise.
Collaborate with partners or sponsors to offer exclusive rewards for contributors who reach specific milestones or attain higher recognition tiers.
PHASE 6 - Initiatives, Epics, and User Stories (Continued)
EPIC TWO: Introduce an engaging community event or themed challenge to boost contributions and reviews
USER STORY: As a dedicated user and contributor to the Make Your Maps app, I want to be able to contribute reviews so that I can build a social identity and connect with other users on the app.
Acceptance criteria:
Provide an option to create and upload content in the new location of interest.
Completing at least two challenges (reach and engage with at least 20 contributors) a month in each major city where Make Your Maps operates with a full review and revaluation after the first month to get accurate reviews from users and contributors.
Sharing at least two referral links in a month.
After completing the initial two challenges in each city, we will select a theme by analyzing data extracted from our user base. This involves identifying the most popular and highly reviewed venues and correlating them with peak visit times. Additionally, we will assess the types of venues our app lacks representation for, aiming to provide a comprehensive source of local information. Following this, we will gather and evaluate the data to develop an automated annual content plan.
Creating distinct avatars tailored to each themed challenge and incorporating them into users' leaderboards upon successful completion of their respective challenges.
Additional subtask:
Integrate a real-time progress tracker within the themed challenge, allowing users to monitor their advancements and provide a visual representation of their achievements throughout the challenge.
Integrate a collaborative mapping component, encouraging users to contribute and update information about local points of interest relevant to the theme. This subtask not only engages users actively but also enriches the map application's database with community-sourced data.
PHASE 7 - Backlog Refinement
I created more user stories and started the backlog refinement phase prioritizing each user story using the MoSCoW approach.
PHASE 8 - Lo-Fi Wireframing and Prototyping
I picked two user stories and I created Lo-fi wireframing designs for them.
User story 1: As an esteemed contributor to Make Your Maps, I want to be rewarded for my commitment so that I can be motivated to post reviews right after visiting a business or place.
User story 2: As an avid traveler, I want to be engaged with regular updates, interesting suggestions, and a sense of community among fellow contributors in the app, so that I can stay connected and informed while on the go.
PHASE 9 - Objectives and Measures of Progress
Objective: Drive engagement and improve discovery with “Incentives”
Key Result 1: 25% improvement in the perceived user experience and quality of information, gauged through surveys conducted among current users and contributors.
Key Result 2: 20% increase in verified contributor-generated content (reviews, photos, videos) post-launch
KPI 1: Monitor the number of shares, referrals, saves, and comments on places shared through the app's social sharing feature, aiming for a 20% monthly increase
KPI 2: 30% increase in engagement amongst poll of top contributors by the end of Q4 (post-launch)
KPI 3: 20% increase in adoption rates by contributors in Q4 (post-launch).
PHASE 10 - Team Alignment
Next, I created a timeline to show how you’ll make your product improvements up to the launch date and align the team.
CONCLUSION - Retrospectives and Continuous Improvement
Post-launch monitoring and analysis are key in analyzing if the launch objectives are being met. Here I look at MY RETROSPECTIVE following the hypothetical soft launch.
WHAT WENT WELL? Working with the given data, and interviewing users to gain user insights and ideate solutions. Prioritization of product backlog and the gathered product requirements.
WHAT WAS CHALLENGING? It was challenging to develop comprehensive market research given the limited scope of the project brief. It would have been less challenging if l had been given more details on the competitive landscape and previous challenges the product faced.
WHAT DID I LEARN? The importance of team alignment, stakeholder communication, and the PRD which I returned to again and again to align the team and ensure that we are all moving towards our product goal and business objectives.