Role:

UX Designer,
UX Academy solo student project

Timeline:

4 weeks

Tools:

Figma, Figjam, Google Workspace

Overview

Designing for Spontaneous Lives

In today’s fast-paced world, discovering local events often relies on catching the right Instagram reel or TikTok at the right time. But what if your map could do that for you? The Live Events layer in Google Maps solves a common frustration: fragmented event discovery. This feature helps users find nearby events based on time, price, and crowd levels all within a tool you already trust.

Problem

Scattered Discovery Meets Lost Opportunity

Event discovery is broken. Users bounce between Eventbrite, Instagram, Facebook Events, and TikTok to cobble together plans. Meanwhile, local events go unnoticed and Google Maps remains focused on static venues—not experiences.

Key problem:
How might we help users discover and act on nearby events instantly without switching apps, while unlocking engagement and monetization for Google?

Solution

One Layer, Many Moments

The Live Events layer adds a toggleable filter to Google Maps that reveals nearby events in real time. Events appear as pins by type such as food, music, art, family. With smart filters like “Today” or “≤ $20”, users can narrow results fast. Tapping a pin reveals an event card with price, time, crowd information, and navigation. It’s quick, shareable, and removes the guesswork.

User Research

Understanding Missed Moments

I conducted 6 in-depth interviews with students, professionals, and parents who often attend local events. Most users shared a sense of “Fear of missing out” from missing events they would’ve enjoyed, simply because they found out too late. Affinity mapping helped cluster frustrations (info overload, planning fatigue) and needs (quick filters, price visibility, clear crowd size).

Personas

Three Personalities, One Shared Need

From the interviews, I developed three core personas:

  • Olivia: a social student chasing pop-ups and markets

  • Yara: a professional planner who values clear information

  • Hersh: a busy parent coordinating logistics for the whole family
    Their needs drove decisions around filtering, clarity, and friction-free action.

Design

From Design To System

I began with quick paper sketches to explore layout and chip placement. These helped shape the core structure of the event discovery flow:
➝ Open Layers → Enable Live Events → Apply Filters → Tap a Pin → Navigate.

Next, I built mid-fidelity wireframes to validate layout decisions and test how users interacted with the feature without distractions. Once confident in the flow, I created high-fidelity screens using Google’s Material Design system and adding visual polish, event icons, and crowd-level indicators

User Testing

Does the Flow Work?

I conducted moderated usability tests with five users representing students, professionals, and a parent. They completed all tasks successfully, from enabling the layer to starting navigation.

Key metrics:

  • 100% task success (25/25 tasks)

  • Median flow time: 53 seconds

  • Average SEQ rating: 4.2/5

Iterations

Testing → Refining

From user testing, I implemented these high-impact changes:

  • Chip feedback: Added checkmarks and bold states for active filters

  • Pin icons: Used to represent event types

  • Crowd meter legend: Auto-displayed to reduce confusion

Each update directly resolved a friction point observed in the study by bringing the flow closer to effortless decision-making.

Final Design

A Seamless Discovery Experience

The final version integrates live event discovery into the Google Maps ecosystem without disrupting familiar interactions. It empowers users to explore what’s happening now, whether they’re looking for a casual street fair or a late night music set.

• Toggle on Live Events
• See real-time pins and filters
• Tap and decide instantly

The result is a fast, friendly, and functional solution that makes event discovery feel like second nature.

What I Learned

Designing for Real Behavior

This project sharpened my skills in research synthesis, prototyping, and testing. It taught me that even minor hesitations such as a pill that doesn’t look active enough, can disrupt a seamless experience. I also learned the importance of designing within system constraints and aligning visual design with real behavioral triggers.

It reinforced one key mantra I’ll bring to every future project:
“If it’s not easy in 60 seconds, it’s not easy enough.”