Centralis provides insight to NAVTEQ on how customers around the world report map errors
The Client
NAVTEQ is a world leader in providing digital map data. NAVTEQ map data powers several popular navigation websites and most in-vehicle navigation systems sold in North America and Europe.
The Challenge
The NAVTEQ Map Reporter Tool enables online map and navigation device users to report errors or omissions they encounter while using maps. NAVTEQ wanted to improve the quality and quantity of user-reported map reports received via the online tool. Working in partnership with Design Kitchen on the redesign project, Centralis provided user research for this initiative.
Our Work
To identify how online map and navigation device users conceive of, categorize and report map errors, we conducted a series of field-based research interviews in Chicago, Illinois and Munich, Germany. During the sessions, participants completed a card-sorting exercise, interacted with a paper prototype redesign of the Map Reporter Tool, and used existing NAVTEQ mapping applications.
Our analysis of session data revealed that participants described and categorized map errors differently from how they were presented in the proposed redesign. Participants also struggled to use the prototype effectively, expecting a different order for entering information about a map error.
The Outcome
Our work provided critical input to the redesign team on how best to organize, label and structure elements in the Map Reporter Tool. NAVTEQ plans to launch the redesigned Map Reporter Tool in early 2009 with the goals of increasing conversion rates of online map reports and improving the accuracy and completeness of reported data.