Google Maps’ Smart Timeline
An AI-powered enhancement to transform Google Maps’ “Your Timeline” from a passive location log into a proactive personal assistant.
Problem Statement
How might Google Maps’s ‘Your Timeline’ feature be transformed from a passive location history tool into an AI-driven assistant that enhances daily productivity and memory recall while ensuring user privacy?
Problem Background
Google Maps is widely used for navigation, yet its “Your Timeline” feature is underutilized due to low awareness, lack of proactive utility, and privacy concerns. Many users are unaware of its existence, and those who do use it find it to be a passive log of past locations with little actionable value. Instead of leveraging location data to support memory recall, task management, and routine optimization, “Your Timeline” lacks personalization and real-time engagement.
This creates an opportunity to integrate AI-powered capabilities that enhance productivity, provide location-based reminders, generate memory summaries, and introduce a privacy dashboard to increase adoption and user trust.
Research Insights
User Pain Points
To better understand how users engage with Google Maps, I conducted:
- A survey of 55 general users to analyze their awareness and usage of “Your Timeline.”
- One-on-one interviews with three ADHD users to gain deeper insights into task management and memory recall challenges.
Key pain points identified:
- Users frequently forget location-based tasks, such as picking up groceries while passing a store.
- ADHD users and busy professionals struggle with memory recall and task management.
- Users do not see “Your Timeline” as useful beyond simple location history.
- Privacy concerns prevent users from engaging with location tracking tools.
Supporting Data
- 70.9% of surveyed users were unaware of “Your Timeline.”
- 51% of users expressed privacy concerns about location tracking.
- 60% or more of ADHD users stated that location-based reminders could significantly improve their daily productivity.
- 85% of surveyed users were dissatisfied with the lack of AI-driven assistance in “Your Timeline.”
Feedback
Survey results indicated that most users do not actively engage with “Your Timeline” because they do not see its value beyond navigation history. Interviews with ADHD users confirmed that location-based reminders and AI-powered summaries could improve their daily organization, but privacy concerns remain a major barrier to adoption.
Landing on the Solution
Based on research, I focused on three core AI-powered features:
- AI Smart Onboarding to introduce new users to “Your Timeline” at relevant moments.
- AI-Powered Location-Based Reminders to help users remember tasks when they arrive at specific locations.
- AI-Generated Memory Summaries to provide users with personalized insights about their past visits.
To address privacy concerns, I also introduced a Privacy Dashboard that gives users full control over their location data.
Explanation of Solution
The next step is to validate the high-fidelity mockups through user testing. However, based on preliminary research:
- AI-based onboarding could significantly increase engagement and make users more likely to enable “Your Timeline.”
- Location-based reminders could reduce forgetfulness by proactively suggesting tasks at the right time.
- Users expressed interest in personalized memory summaries, but privacy settings will be critical to adoption.
After gathering feedback from user testing, the design will be iterated to ensure AI-powered features enhance utility without compromising privacy.
User Flows / Mockups
Wireframe & User Flow
A detailed flowchart outlines how users interact with AI-powered “Your Timeline” features, including onboarding, reminders, and data privacy settings.
Visual Mockups
The final high-fidelity mockup illustrates the AI-integrated UI, showing how users:
- View AI-generated summaries of past activities.
- Set location-based reminders directly in “Your Timeline.”
- Access and modify settings in the Privacy Dashboard for full data control.
Future Steps
Next steps involve user testing and iteration:
- Conduct usability testing with general users to validate the effectiveness of AI-powered onboarding, reminders, and summaries.
- Engage ADHD users in testing to refine notification delivery and ensure minimal cognitive overload.
- Optimize privacy controls based on user feedback to ensure transparency and data security.
Beyond initial testing, additional improvements could include:
- Expanding AI-driven scheduling to help users optimize travel times.
- Integrating with Google Calendar and Assistant for cross-platform reminders.
- Enhancing location-based recommendations for smarter, contextual insights.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Fatima Atif
Participating in Co.Lab was an eye-opening experience that gave me hands-on exposure to product management. Coming from a non-technical and non-business background, I had to quickly learn how to structure product thinking, conduct user research, and make data-driven decisions.
This experience reinforced the importance of user validation before feature implementation. Through multiple research phases, I learned that:
- Balancing AI-driven assistance with privacy is key to adoption. Users want smart recommendations but also full control over their data.
- Smart notifications should be non-intrusive. Users do not want excessive alerts, and AI should adapt to individual behaviors.
- High-fidelity mockups and user flow diagrams were essential for securing stakeholder buy-in and illustrating feature impact.
- User testing is a critical next step. While initial research guided feature selection, real user feedback will determine success.
Additionally, Co.Lab helped me develop core PM skills, such as writing a structured PRD, conducting user interviews, and translating findings into actionable insights. The challenge of designing AI-powered enhancements while ensuring usability and privacy gave me a stronger understanding of user-centered design.
This project has deepened my confidence in product thinking and showed me the importance of iterative, research-backed development. I now feel equipped to tackle complex product challenges, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and drive user-focused solutions.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.